System and method for emulating operating system metadata to provide cross-platform access to storage volumes

Abstract

A method and system are provided for emulating operating system metadata to provide cross-platform access to storage volumes. The method may include generating operating system metadata for a storage device, wherein the operating system metadata emulates a storage volume hosted under a first operating system. The method may further include making the operating system metadata available to a host computer system, wherein the host computer system runs the first operating system. The operating system metadata enables the host computer system to recognize the storage device as the storage volume hosted under the first operating system.

1 . A storage subsystem, comprising: 
 at least one storage device; and    a storage virtualization controller, wherein the storage virtualization controller is communicatively coupled to the at least one storage device, and wherein the storage virtualization controller is operable to: 
 generate operating system metadata for the at least one storage device, wherein the operating system metadata emulates a storage volume hosted under a first operating system; and  
 send the operating system metadata to a host computer system, wherein the host computer system runs the first operating system, and wherein the operating system metadata enables the host computer system to recognize the storage device as the storage volume hosted under the first operating system.  
   
   
   
       2 . The storage subsystem of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the operating system metadata enables a block storage I/O stack in the first operating system on the host computer system to recognize the storage device as a partition.    
   
   
       3 . The storage subsystem of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the operating system metadata enables a block storage I/O stack in the first operating system on the host computer system to recognize the storage device as a host-virtual object.    
   
   
       4 . The storage subsystem of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the operating system metadata enables a driver on the host computer system to recognize the storage device as an enclosed volume, wherein the driver is layered above a block storage I/O stack in the first operating system.    
   
   
       5 . The storage subsystem of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the storage virtualization controller is operable to configure the operating system metadata in response to a requirement of the first operating system.    
   
   
       6 . The storage subsystem of  claim 1 , 
 wherein a management environment is configured to supply operating system types and operating system metadata configuration requirements to the storage virtualization controller, wherein the operating system types comprise the first operating system.    
   
   
       7 . The storage subsystem of  claim 1 , 
 wherein in generating the operating system metadata for the storage device, the storage virtualization controller is operable to add a storage property to identify an offset and a length of the storage volume.    
   
   
       8 . The storage subsystem of  claim 1 , 
 wherein an operation is provided to configure operating system types and operating system metadata configuration requirements for generating the operating system metadata, wherein the operating system types comprise the first operating system.    
   
   
       9 . The storage subsystem of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the storage virtualization controller is operable to receive user input to select one of a plurality of operating system types for the operating system metadata, wherein the operating system types comprise the first operating system.    
   
   
       10 . The storage subsystem of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the storage virtualization controller is operable to send an operating system metadata configuration instruction to the storage device through a vendor-unique I/O request to the storage device.    
   
   
       11 . The storage subsystem of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the operating system metadata emulates a storage volume hosted under a first operating system and one or more additional operating systems; and    wherein the operating system metadata enables a layered driver on the host computer system to recognize the storage device.    
   
   
       12 . The storage subsystem of  claim 1 , 
 using a layered driver on the host computer system to provide access to a storage volume mapped within a Logical Unit, wherein the Logical Unit is provided by an external device or an external virtualization layer.    
   
   
       13 . The storage subsystem of  claim 1 , 
 wherein a management environment is configured to supply a preferred name of the storage device to software on the host computer system.    
   
   
       14 . A method comprising: 
 generating operating system metadata for a storage device, wherein the operating system metadata emulates a storage volume hosted under a first operating system; and    sending the operating system metadata to a host computer system, wherein the host computer system runs the first operating system, and wherein the operating system metadata enables the host computer system to recognize the storage device as the storage volume hosted under the first operating system.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , 
 wherein the operating system metadata enables a block storage I/O stack in the first operating system on the host computer system to recognize the storage device as a partition.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , 
 wherein the operating system metadata enables a block storage I/O stack in the first operating system on the host computer system to recognize the storage device as a host-virtual object.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14 , 
 wherein the operating system metadata enables a driver on the host computer system to recognize the storage device as an enclosed volume, wherein the driver is layered above a block storage I/O stack in the first operating system.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 configuring the generating the operating system metadata in response to a requirement of the first operating system.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 14 , 
 wherein the generating the operating system metadata for the storage device is performed by a storage virtualizer; and    wherein a management environment is configured to supply operating system types and operating system metadata configuration requirements to the storage virtualizer, wherein the operating system types comprise the first operating system.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 14 , 
 wherein the generating the operating system metadata for the storage device comprises adding a storage property to identify an offset and a length of the storage volume.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 14 , 
 wherein an operation is provided to configure operating system types and operating system metadata configuration requirements for the generating the operating system metadata, wherein the operating system types comprise the first operating system.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 receiving user input to select one of a plurality of operating system types for the operating system metadata, wherein the operating system types comprise the first operating system.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 sending an operating system metadata configuration instruction to the storage device through a vendor-unique I/O request to the storage device.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 14 , 
 wherein the operating system metadata emulates a storage volume hosted under a first operating system and one or more additional operating systems; and    wherein the operating system metadata enables a layered driver on the host computer system to recognize the storage device.    
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 14 , 
 using a layered driver on the host computer system to provide access to a storage volume mapped within a Logical Unit, wherein the Logical Unit is provided by an external device or an external virtualization layer.    
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 14 , 
 wherein a management environment is configured to supply a preferred name of the storage device to software on the host computer system.    
   
   
       27 . A carrier medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement: 
 generating operating system metadata for a storage device, wherein the operating system metadata emulates a storage volume hosted under a first operating system; and    sending the operating system metadata to a host computer system, wherein the host computer system runs the first operating system, and wherein the operating system metadata enables the host computer system to recognize the storage device as the storage volume hosted under the first operating system.    
   
   
       28 . A system comprising: 
 means for generating operating system metadata for a storage device, wherein the operating system metadata emulates a storage volume hosted under a first operating system; and    means for sending the operating system metadata to a host computer system, wherein the host computer system runs the first operating system, and wherein the operating system metadata enables the host computer system to recognize the storage device as the storage volume hosted under the first operating system.