Logical volume manager and method having enhanced update capability with dynamic allocation of storage and minimal storage of metadata information
US5897661A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 25, 1997 |
| Grant date | Apr 27, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 25, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S707/99956
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An apparatus, a method, and a computer program product conceptually provide a logical unit of undivided data storage that spans physical storage device boundaries. The apparatus manages the logical unit of undivided storage using metadata information stored on the physical storage devices. Advantageously, the apparatus replicates a minimum portion of the metadata information across all of the data storage devices and favors writing metadata only in the devices where the information is required to operate. In a preferred embodiment, a logical unit of undivided storage is created by defining a logical volume and allocating portions of available physical data storage devices thereto in order to provide a minimum logical volume size. Metadata is generated and stored on the data storage devices to provide detailed information about the portions of each data storage device that have been allocated to the logical volume. After initialization, the size of the logical volume can be automatically changed such that portions of the data storage devices are allocated to or deallocated from the logical volume. Following an allocation or deallocation operation, the metadata stored on the data sto…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.