Virtualized SAS Adapter Logic Partitioning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current implementations of logical partitions in large computer systems require multiple physical storage adapters and enclosures, leading to significant expenses and resource wastage, as each partition needs its own storage adapter and devices, resulting in inefficient use of resources.
Innovation Solution
The method involves virtualizing a SAS storage adapter to allow logical partitions to share a storage device by assigning a logical storage adapter to each operating system, creating a mapping to logical blocks, and configuring the adapter using a hypervisor to enable selective access to specific blocks, thereby minimizing the need for multiple physical adapters and enclosures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If each logical partition is assigned its own physical storage adapter, then each partition has dedicated storage access, but the number of physical adapters and enclosures increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple logical partitions share a single physical storage adapter through virtualization. The hypervisor creates virtual storage adapters for each partition while consolidating access to one physical adapter, reducing the number of physical devices while maintaining dedicated access for each partition.
Solution Approach 2:
The hypervisor acts as an intermediary between multiple logical partitions and the physical storage adapter. It manages storage requests from different partitions, creates virtual storage interfaces for each partition, and coordinates access to the shared physical storage device.
2Reliability
If each partition has its own storage devices, then storage resources are dedicated, but enclosures are wasted with empty device slots
Solution Approach 1:
A single physical storage adapter and enclosure serve multiple logical partitions simultaneously. The hypervisor enables each partition to access the shared storage device as if it were dedicated, while the enclosure houses multiple storage devices that can be dynamically allocated to different partitions as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
Storage device allocation is dynamic rather than static. The hypervisor can assign different storage devices from the shared enclosure to different logical partitions based on real-time needs, allowing flexible resource utilization without fixed dedicated assignments.
3Device complexity
If an enclosure is packaged as a single SAS domain, then hardware simplicity is maintained, but a partition cannot access storage devices in other enclosures
Solution Approach 1:
The hypervisor serves as an intermediary that enables logical partitions to access storage devices across multiple SAS domains (enclosures). It manages the complexity of cross-enclosure communication and presents a unified storage interface to each partition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtualization layer that adds a new dimension to storage access. Instead of direct hardware-level access constrained by physical SAS domains, the hypervisor creates virtual storage paths that transcend physical enclosure boundaries, allowing partitions to access storage in any enclosure.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, computer program product and computer system for virtualizing an SAS storage adapter, so as to allow logical partitions of a computer system to share a storage device. The method, computer program product and computer system includes assigning a logical storage adapter to an operating system of each of the logical partitions; creating a mapping from each of the logical partitions to a set of logical blocks in the storage device; and configuring the logical storage adapter using a hypervisor, so that a select partition can access a select set of logical blocks that the select partition is allowed to access.