Method and system for configuring RAID subsystems with block I/O commands and block I/O path

Abstract

A configurable RAID subsystem includes a user data array connected to a user application via a block I/O path, and a configuration array connected to a configuration application via the same block I/O path. The user data array processes user data access commands executed by the user application; and the configuration application processes configuration commands, the user data access commands and the configuration commands communicated to the user data array and the configuration array respectively, via the block I/O path. A dynamic identification is assigned to the user data array by the configuration array, and a static identification is assigned to the configuration array.

1 - 18 . (cancelled).  
   
   
       19 . A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium including control logic stored therein for communicating with a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) subsystem comprising: 
 first control logic means for reading user data from and writing user data to the RAID subsystem via an input/output (I/O) path;    second control logic means for reading configuration information from and writing configuration information to the RAID subsystem via the I/O path;    wherein the I/O path comprises one or more programs configured to interface with the RAID subsystem.    
   
   
       20 . The computer program product of  claim 19 , wherein the second control logic means comprises means for executing a configuration write command.  
   
   
       21 . The computer program product of  claim 20 , wherein the means for executing a configuration write command comprises: 
 means for assembling the configuration write command and writing the configuration write command to the RAID subsystem.    
   
   
       22 . The computer program product of  claim 21 , wherein the means for executing a configuration write command further comprises: 
 means for returning configuration write command status.    
   
   
       23 . The computer program product of  claim 19 , wherein the second control logic means comprises means for executing a configuration read command.  
   
   
       24 . The computer program product of  claim 24 , wherein the means for executing a configuration read command comprises: 
 means for obtaining from the RAID subsystem an application identification (ID) to be associated with the configuration read command.    
   
   
       25 . The computer program product of  claim 23 , wherein the means for executing a configuration read command comprises: 
 means for assembling a request to read configuration information and writing the request to read configuration information to the RAID subsystem.    
   
   
       26 . The computer program product of  claim 25 , wherein the means for executing a configuration read command further comprises: 
 means for returning status information regarding writing the request to read configuration information to the RAID subsystem.    
   
   
       27 . The computer program product of  claim 26 , wherein the means for executing a configuration read command further comprises: 
 means for re-writing the request to read configuration information to the RAID subsystem if the status information indicates an error.    
   
   
       28 . The computer program product of  claim 26 , wherein the means for executing a configuration read command further comprises: 
 means for issuing a configuration read to the RAID subsystem if the status information indicates no error.    
   
   
       29 . A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium including control logic stored therein for controlling a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) subsystem comprising: 
 first control logic means for processing user data access commands received via an input/output (I/O) path;    second control logic means for processing configuration commands received via the I/O path;    wherein the I/O path comprises one or more programs configured to interface between the RAID subsystem and a user application that generates the user data access commands and a configuration application that generates the configuration commands.    
   
   
       30 . The computer program product of  claim 29 , wherein the second control logic means comprises means for processing a configuration write command.  
   
   
       31 . The computer program product of  claim 30 , wherein the means for processing a configuration write command comprises: 
 means for locking and unlocking internal data structures of the RAID subsystem associated with the configuration write command.    
   
   
       32 . The computer program product of  claim 30 , wherein the means for processing a configuration write command comprises: 
 means for returning status information pertaining to the processing of the configuration write command.    
   
   
       33 . The computer program product of  claim 29 , wherein the second control logic means comprises means for processing configuration read commands.  
   
   
       34 . The computer program product of  claim 33 , wherein the means for processing configuration read commands comprises: 
 means for generating an application identification (ID) in response to receiving a read for a predetermined block.    
   
   
       35 . The computer program product of  claim 33 , wherein the means for processing configuration read commands comprises: 
 means for storing a pending configuration read command in the RAID subsystem.    
   
   
       36 . The computer program product of  claim 35 , wherein the means for processing configuration read commands further comprises: 
 means for matching a configuration read command with a pending configuration read command stored in the RAID subsystem based on an application ID associated with each command.    
   
   
       37 . The computer program product of  claim 33 , wherein the means for processing configuration read commands further comprises: 
 means for locking and unlocking data structures in the RAID subsystem associated with a configuration read command claim  38 . A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium including control logic stored therein for communicating with a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) subsystem comprising:    first control logic means for reading user data from and writing user data to the RAID subsystem via a software interface to the RAID subsystem.    second control logic means for reading configuration information from and writing configuration information to the RAID subsystem via the same software interface to the RAID subsystem.