Managing settings and queries in host-based data migration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9229656-B1
Application number	US-201213535851-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 28, 2012
Priority date	Jun 28, 2012
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

An improved technique migrating data from a source LUN (logical unit) to a target LUN manages control I/O's in a manner that depends on the current state of data migration and on whether the control I/O's specify that reservation information for a LUN is to be set or queried. Control I/O's specifying reservation settings during the different states of migration are treated the same way as data WRITEs during those respective states, and control I/O's specifying reservation queries during different migration states are treated the same way as data READs during those respective states.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A data migration process operable by a host computing system for migrating data from a source LUN to a target LUN, comprising:
during a SYNCHING state of data migration,
(i) directing I/O write requests addressed to the source LUN to both the source LUN and the target LUN to effect writing of data from an application running on the host computing system to both the source LUN and the target LUN; and
(ii) directing I/O control requests for setting reservation information of the source LUN to effect changes in reservation settings of both the source LUN and the target LUN;

receiving a command to enter a TARGET SELECTED state of data migration, the TARGET SELECTED state enabling testing of the target LUN prior to committing migration from the source LUN to the target LUN; and
during the TARGET SELECTED state,
(i) redirecting I/O read requests addressed to the source LUN to the target LUN to effect reading of data from the target LUN, and
(ii) redirecting I/O control requests for querying reservation information of the source LUN to instead query reservation information of the target LUN.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reservation information of the source LUN is stored in a storage array as metadata for the source LUN, and wherein the method further comprises, during the SYNCHING state of data migration, applying the metadata for the source LUN to the target LUN.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the source LUN resides on a first storage array and the target LUN resides on a second storage array, and wherein applying the metadata for the source LUN to the target LUN includes copying the metadata for the source LUN from the first storage array to the second storage array.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the metadata of the source LUN and the metadata of the target LUN include SCSI persistent registration and reservation information, wherein the I/O control requests for querying reservation information of the source LUN include SCSI persistent reserve IN commands, and wherein the I/O control requests for setting reservation information of the source LUN include SCSI persistent reserve OUT commands.

5. The data migration process of claim 2 , further comprising:
during the TARGET SELECTED state of data migration, (i) directing I/O write requests addressed to the source LUN to both the source LUN and the target LUN to effect writing of data from the application to both the source LUN and the target LUN, and (ii) directing an I/O control request for setting reservation information of the source LUN to both the source LUN and the target LUN to effect changes in reservation information of both the source LUN and the target LUN.

6. The data migration process of claim 5 , wherein the command for entering the TARGET SELECTED state is received from an administrator of the host computing system.

7. The data migration process of claim 6 , further comprising, during the SYNCHING state of data migration:
issuing a SCSI MODE SENSE command to the source LUN to read cache settings of the source LUN; and
issuing a SCSI MODE SELECT command to the target LUN to apply the cache settings read in response to the SCSI MODE SENSE command to the target LUN.

8. The data migration process of claim 7 , further comprising, in response to receiving the command to enter the TARGET SELECTED state of data migration:
directing a SCSI MODE SELECT command addressed to the source LUN to both the source LUN and the target LUN, to establish LUN cache settings on both the source LUN and the target LUN; and
redirecting a SCSI MODE SENSE command designating the source LUN to the target LUN to read LUN cache settings from the target LUN.

9. A computing device for migrating data from a source LUN to a target LUN, comprising a set of processors and memory, coupled to the set of processors, the memory constructed and arranged to store instructions executable by the set of processors, wherein the set of processors executing instructions from the memory forms a specialized circuit constructed and arranged to:
during a SYNCHING state of data migration, (i) direct I/O write requests addressed to the source LUN to both the source LUN and the target LUN to effect writing of data from an application running on the host computing system to both the source LUN and the target LUN, and (ii) direct I/O control requests for setting reservation information of the source LUN to effect changes in reservation settings of both the source LUN and the target LUN;
receive a command to enter a TARGET SELECTED state of data migration, the TARGET SELECTED state enabling testing of the target LUN prior to committing migration from the source LUN to the target LUN; and
during the TARGET SELECTED state, (i) redirect I/O read requests addressed to the source LUN to the target LUN to effect reading of data from the target LUN, and (ii) redirect I/O control requests for querying reservation information of the source LUN to instead query reservation information of the target LUN.

10. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the reservation information of the source LUN is stored in a storage array as metadata for the source LUN.

11. The computing device of claim 10 ,
wherein the I/O control requests for setting reservation information of the source LUN include SCSI PER OUT commands, and
wherein the I/O control requests for querying reservation information of the source LUN include SCSI PER IN commands.

12. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein, during the SYNCHING state of data migration, the specialized circuit is further constructed and arranged to apply reservation information for the source LUN to the target LUN.

13. The computing device of claim 12 , wherein, during the TARGET SELECTED state of data migration, the specialized circuit is further constructed and arranged to (i) direct I/O write requests addressed to the source LUN to both the source LUN and the target LUN to effect writing of data from the application to both the source LUN and the target LUN, and (ii) direct an I/O control request for setting reservation information of the source LUN to both the source LUN and the target LUN to effect changes in settings of the source LUN and the target LUN.

14. The computing device of claim 13 , wherein, during the SYNCHING state of data migration, the specialized circuit is further constructed and arranged to:
issue a SCSI MODE SENSE command to read cache settings of the source LUN; and
issue a SCSI MODE SELECT command to apply the cache settings read in response to the SCSI MODE SENSE command to the target LUN.

15. The computing device of claim 14 , wherein, in response to receipt of the command to enter the TARGET SELECTED state of data migration, the specialized circuit is further constructed and arranged to:
direct a SCSI MODE SELECT command designating the source LUN to both the source LUN and the target LUN to establish LUN cache settings on both the source LUN and the target LUN; and
redirect a SCSI MODE SENSE command designating the source LUN to the target LUN to read LUN cache settings from the target LUN.

16. A computer program product having a non-transitory, computer-readable medium including instructions which, when executed by a set of processors of a computing device, cause the set of processors to perform a data migration process for migrating data from a source LUN to a target LUN, the method comprising:
during a SYNCHING state of data migration, (i) directing I/O write requests addressed to the source LUN to both the source LUN and the target LUN to effect writing of data from an application

Assignees

• Contreras Cesareo
• Raizen Helen
• Bappe Michael E
• Zhou Xunce
• Emc Corp

Inventors

• Contreras Cesareo
• Raizen Helen
• Bappe Michael E
• Zhou Xunce

Classifications

• G06F3/067 Primary

  Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS] · CPC title

• G06F3/0647

  Migration mechanisms · CPC title

• G06F3/0659

  Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling · CPC title

• G06F3/0604

  Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management · CPC title