Apparatus for performing storage virtualization

Abstract

The splitting of storage applications and functions into a control path (CP) component and a data pith (DP) component is disclosed. Reads and writes may be handled primarily in the DP. The CP may be responsible for discovery, configuration, and exception handling. The CP can also be enabled for orchestrating complex data management operations such as snapshots and migration. Storage virtualization maps a virtual I/O to one or more physical I/O. A virtual target (vTarget) in the virtual domain is associated with one physical port in the physical domain. Each vTarget may be associated with one or more virtual LUNs (vLUNs). Each vLUN includes one or more vExtents. Each vExtent may point to a region table, and each entry in the region table may contain a pointer to a region representing a portion of a pExtent, and attributes (e.g. read/write, read only, no access) for that region.

1 . A switch comprising:
 a virtual function operable to communicate data between physical storage on a computer and a remote partner via a first data path (DP), the virtual function operable to virtualize the physical storage and perform a data function, the first DP comprising one or more DP processors (DPPs) and memory configured for storing firmware and one or more virtualization tables; and   a control device that is independent of the first DP and operable to process a control function in conjunction with the first DP, the control device operable to generate a mapping of virtual storage to the physical storage and to provide the mapping to the virtual function, the virtual function operable to read data from and write data to the physical storage based on the mapping.   
     
     
         2 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . The switch of  claim 1 , comprising a second DP communicatively coupled to the control device and operable to communicate data between the physical storage on the computer and the remote partner, if the first DP fails. 
     
     
         28 . The switch of  claim 1 , wherein the switch is communicatively coupled to one or more hosts and one or more targets in a storage area network (SAN). 
     
     
         29 . The switch of  claim 1 , wherein a storage function is split into a control component and a data path component. 
     
     
         30 . The switch of  claim 1 , wherein the control device is an offload engine. 
     
     
         31 . The switch of  claim 30 , wherein an offload engine driver is provided by a network services module. 
     
     
         32 . The switch of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more DP processors comprises a virtualization engine. 
     
     
         33 . The switch of  claim 32 , wherein the virtualization engine is operable to off-load the data function to a fast path. 
     
     
         34 . The switch of  claim 32 , wherein the control device is operable control the data function. 
     
     
         35 . The switch of  claim 32 , wherein the virtualization engine is operable in full off-load mode to off-load all read/write processing to a fast path. 
     
     
         36 . The switch of  claim 32 , wherein the virtualization engine is operable in partial off-load mode. 
     
     
         37 . The switch of  claim 36 , wherein the control device is operable control the data function. 
     
     
         38 . The switch of  claim 32 , wherein the virtualization engine is operable in no off-load mode to provide an interface to a storage application. 
     
     
         39 . A method for data storage comprising:
 generating a mapping of virtual storage to physical storage in a control path;   virtualizing the physical storage according to the mapping;   communicating data between the physical storage and a remote partner via a data path independent of the control path   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein generating comprises offloading to a hardware device. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein communicating data comprises offloading to a hardware device. 
     
     
         42 . The switch of  claim 41 , wherein offloading to the hardware device comprises full offloading of data processing to a fast path. 
     
     
         43 . The switch of  claim 41 , wherein offloading to the hardware device comprises offloading a subset of data processing functions to a fast path. 
     
     
         44 . A network interface comprising:
 a virtual function operable to read data from and write data to a physical storage area via a remote data path, the virtual function operable to virtualize the physical storage; and   a physical function operable to generate a mapping of a virtual storage area to the physical storage area, the physical function being independent of the virtual function.   
     
     
         45 . The network interface of  claim 44 , wherein the virtual function is operable to selectively offload a subset of data processing functions to a fast path.