Patent · US Expired

Flexible data replication mechanism

US6947981B2 · kind B2 · utility

127Cited by
15References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 26, 2002
Grant dateSep 20, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 28, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S707/99955
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A data replication management (DRM) architecture comprising a plurality of storage cells interconnected by a fabric. Flexibility in connectivity is provided by configuring each storage cell port to the fabric to handle both host data access requests and DRM traffic. Each storage cell comprises one or more storage controllers that can be connected to the fabric in any combination. Processes executing in the storage controller find a path to a desired destination storage cell. The discovery algorithm implements a link service that exchanges information related to DRM between the storage controllers. The DRM architecture is symmetric and peer cooperative such that each controller and storage cell can function as a source and a destination of replicated data. The DRM architecture supports parallel and serial “fan-out” to multiple destinations, whereby the multiple storage cells may implement data replicas.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.