Communication method and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9680937-B2
Application number	US-201514708839-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2015
Priority date	Jan 20, 2010
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

A method of, and apparatus for, network communication between a client computer initiator and a target data store. The method includes requesting, by the initiator, a data transfer session between the initiator and the target over a network. The request specifies quality of service parameters for the data transfer session. The method further includes receiving, from the target, a response accepting or denying the data transfer session based on the quality of service parameters; and establishing the data transfer session between the initiator and the target if the request is accepted. An advantage in communicating QoS requirements automatically on a per session basis between a client computer initiator and a target data storage resource is that QoS guarantees can be improved because the QoS determination can be carried out at the time the data transfer session is required. This enables the current access patterns on the storage resource to be monitored and an accurate determination regarding whether the QoS parameters of a desired data transfer session can be met.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a controller, implemented on a computing device, for an initiator, the controller coupled to memory and programmed to effect network communication with a target data store utilizing a storage protocol, the controller programmed to:
initiate a request for a data transfer session between the initiator and the target data store over a network, the request comprising at least one command of the storage protocol from the initiator to the target data store, the command specifying quality of service parameters specific to the data transfer session;
receive, from the target data store, a response accepting or denying the data transfer session based on whether the quality of service parameters can be met by the target data store; and
if the request is accepted, establish the data transfer session between the initiator and the target data store and commence the data transfer session; and
the storage protocol is an object-based storage device (OSD) protocol, and at least one network storage command is addressed to a non-reserved object identification (ID) address.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to receive a response from the target data store deferring the data transfer session by a time delay or a negotiation process.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to initiate a plurality of requests for data transfer sessions associated with a plurality of quality of service parameters, and
the at least one network storage command of a particular request specifies quality of service parameters specific to the data transfer session associated with the particular request.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one network storage command is addressed to a specified object identification (ID) address, and the quality of service parameters for the data transfer session are specified in metadata attributes of the network storage command associated with the specified object ID address.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the quality of service parameters are associated with a specified object identification (ID) address; and
the at least one network storage command to the specified object ID address allows the initiator or the target data store to obtain the quality of service parameters stored thereat.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the quality of service parameters form part of a service level agreement (SLA) specifying the requirements of a desired connection.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the storage protocol is a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) protocol.

8. An apparatus comprising:
a controller, implemented on a computing device, for a client computer initiator, the controller coupled to memory and programmed to effect network communication with a target data store utilizing an object-based storage device (OSD) storage protocol, the controller programmed to:
initiate a request for a data transfer session between the client computer initiator and the target data store over a network, the request comprising at least one network storage command of the storage protocol from the client computer initiator to the target data store, the command specifying quality of service parameters specific to the data transfer session, wherein the quality of service parameters are associated with a specified object identification (ID) address, and the at least one network storage command to the specified object ID address allows the client computer initiator or the target data store to obtain the quality of service parameters stored thereat; and
receive, from the target data store, a response accepting or denying the data transfer session based on whether the quality of service parameters specific to the data transfer session can be met by the target data store; and
if the request is accepted, establish the data transfer session between the client computer initiator and the target data store and commence the data transfer session; and
the specified object ID address is a non-reserved object ID address.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the controller is programmed to receive a response from the target data store deferring the data transfer session by a time delay or a negotiation process.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
the controller is programmed to initiate a plurality of requests for data transfer sessions associated with a plurality of quality of service parameters; and
the at least one network storage command of a particular request specifies quality of service parameters specific to the data transfer session associated with the particular request.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
the at least one network storage command is addressed to at least one object identification (ID) address; and
the quality of service parameters for the data transfer session are specified in metadata attributes of the network storage command associated with the at least one object ID address.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the quality of service parameters form part of a service level agreement (SLA) specifying the requirements of a desired connection.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the storage protocol is a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) protocol.

14. A method comprising:
requesting a data transfer session between an initiator and a target data store over a network, the request specifying parameters specific for the data transfer session;
receiving a response accepting or denying the data transfer session based on whether the parameters can be met by the target data store; and
if the request is accepted, carrying out the steps of:
establishing the data transfer session between the initiator and the target data store; and
commencing the data transfer session;

at least the requesting step utilizes an object-based storage device (OSD) storage protocol;
the parameters are associated with a specified object identification (ID) address;
the request comprises at least one network storage command to the specified object ID address that allows the initiator or the target data store to obtain the parameters stored thereat; and
the specified object ID address is a non-reserved object ID address.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein, if the request is not accepted, deferring the data transfer session by a time delay or a negotiation process.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein:
the parameters for the data transfer session are specified in metadata attributes of the network storage command associated with a specified object identification (ID) address.

Assignees

• Seagate Technology Llc
• Xyratex Tech Limited—A Seagate Company

Inventors

• Golbourn Darren
• Courtney Tim

Classifications

• H04L67/141 Primary

  Setup of application sessions (admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70) · CPC title

• G06F3/0659

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

• H04L67/10

  in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) · CPC title

• G06F16/13

  File access structures, e.g. distributed indices (arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06) · CPC title

• G06F3/067

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