Universal storage management system

Abstract

A universal storage management system which facilitates storage of data from a client computer and computer network is disclosed. The universal storage management system functions as an interface between the client computer and at least one storage device, and facilitates reading and writing of data by handling I/O operations. I/O operation overhead in the client computer is reduced by translating I/O commands from the client computer into high level commands which are employed by the storage management system to carry out I/O operations. The storage management system also enables interconnection of a normally incompatible storage device and client computer by translating I/O requests into an intermediate common format which is employed to generate commands which are compatible with the storage device receiving the request. Files, error messages and other information from the storage device are similarly translated and provided to the client computer.

1. A device for providing an interface between at least one client computer and at least one storage device, the client computer having a first microprocessor for running a software application and a first operating system which produce I/O commands, the storage device containing at least one file, comprising:
 a file management system operative to convert the I/O commands from the software application and said first operating system in the client computer to high level commands to a selected format, said file management system further operative to receive said high level commands and convert said high level commands to compatible I/O commands; 
 a second microprocessor operative to execute said high level commands received from said file management system and access the storage device to copy data in said intermediate common format from the client computer to at least one storage device wherein said second microprocessor employs a second operating system distinct from said first operating system; and 
 a file device driver interfacing said first operating system and the file management system by functioning to receive data and commands from the client computer and redirect the received data and commands to said file management system. 
 
     
     
       2. The interface device of  claim 1  wherein said file device driver resides in the client computer. 
     
     
       3. The interface device of  claim 2  a wherein said file management system further includes a transport driver having first and second sections for facilitating transfer of data and commands between said file device driver and said file management system, said first section receiving data and commands from said file device driver and said second section relaying such data and commands to said file management system. 
     
     
       4. The interface device of  claim 3  wherein said file management system includes a file system supervisor operative to select file-level applications for receipt of the data from the client computer and provide storage commands. 
     
     
       5. The interface device of  claim 4  wherein said file system supervisor is further operative to select a storage device or storage of data received from the client computer. 
     
     
       6. The interface device of  claim 4  wherein said file system supervisor is further operative to break data received from the client computer down into blocks. 
     
     
       7. The interface device of  claim 6  wherein said file management system further includes at least one device handler operative to interface said file system supervisor with the at least one storage device by driving the at least one storage device in response to said storage commands from said file system supervisor. 
     
     
       8. The interface device of  claim 7  wherein said file management system further includes a device handler for each at least one storage device. 
     
     
       9. The interface device of  claim 3  further including a kernel operative to directly execute I/O commands from the software application in the client computer. 
     
     
       10. The interface driver of  claim 9  wherein said kernel utilizes the first operating system. 
     
     
       11. The interface device of  claim 10  wherein said SMA kernel includes a scheduler for supervising flow of data by selectively relaying blocks of data to RAID applications. 
     
     
       12. A device for providing an interface between at least one client computer and at least one storage device, the client computer having a first microprocessor for running a software application and a first operating system which produce high level I/O commands, the storage device containing at least one file, comprising:
 a plurality of storage devices each having a different type storage media; 
 a second microprocessor interposed between the client computer and said plurality of storage devices to control access thereto, said second microprocessor processing said high level I/O commands to control the power supplied to individual storage devices of said plurality of storage devices. 
 
     
     
       13. The interface device of  claim 12  wherein said interconnection device executes a reconfiguration routine which identifies storage device ID conflicts among said plurality of storage devices. 
     
     
       14. The interface device of  claim 13  wherein said reconfiguration routine provides powers-up individual storage devices of said plurality of storage devices while executing. 
     
     
       15. The interface device of  claim 14  wherein when a storage device ID conflict is detected said reconfiguration routing changes the ID of at least one of the storage devices in conflict. 
     
     
       16. The interface device of  claim 12  wherein said interconnection device executes a media tracking routine which identifies storage device types. 
     
     
       17. The interface device of  claim 16  wherein said media tracking routine automatically selects a storage device for WRITE operations. 
     
     
       18. The interface device of  claim 17  wherein said media tracking routine selects said storage device based upon the block size of the data to be stored. 
     
     
       19. The interface device of  claim 17  wherein said media tracking routine selects said storage device based upon media write speed. 
     
     
       20. The interface device of  claim 12  including a plurality of power supplies for supplying power to said storage devices, said storage devices being grouped into racks such that at least one global power supply is available to serve as backup to a plurality of such racks of power supplies. 
     
     
       21. The interface device of  claim 12  including a plurality of power supplies for supplying power to said storage devices, said storage devices being grouped into racks such that each rack is associated with a global power supply available to serve as backup to the rack with which the global power supply is associated. 
     
     
       22. The interface device of  claim 12  including a plurality of power supplies, said microprocessor controlled interconnection device monitoring said power supplied to detect failed devices. 
     
     
       23. The interface connector of  claim 22  wherein said storage devices are disposed in a protective chassis, and failed devices are automatically ejected from said chassis. 
     
     
       24. The interface connector of  claim 12  further including a redundant array of independent disks. 
     
     
       25. The interface connector of  claim 24  further including an XOR router having dedicated XOR hardware. 
     
     
       26. The interface connector of  claim 25  wherein at least one surface of each disk in said redundant array of independent disks is dedicated to parity operations. 
     
     
       27. The interface connector of  claim 25  wherein at least one disk in said redundant array of independent disks is dedicated to parity operations. 
     
     
       28. The interface connector of  claim 25  wherein said disks of said redundant array of independent disks are arranged on a plurality of separate channels. 
     
     
       29. The interface connector of  claim 28  wherein each said channel includes a dedicated memory pool. 
     
     
       30. The interface connector of  claim 29  wherein said channels are interconnected by first and second thirty-two bit wide busses. 
     
     
       31. The interface connector of  claim 24  further including a graphic user interface for displaying storage system status and receiving commands from a user. 
     
     
       32. The interface connector of  claim 24  including hardware for data splitting and parity generation “on the fly” with no performance degradation. 
     
     
       33. An interface system between a client network configured to provide data and input/output commands and a data storage system having at least one storage device, said interface system comprising:
 a file management system configured to manage the movement of information between said client network and said data storage system, said file management system comprising a first arrangement in communication with a second arrangement,   the first arrangement configured to receive said input/output commands to implement storage of said data in said data storage system when a first set of conditions exists; and   the second arrangement in communication with said first arrangement, said client network and said at least one storage device, said second arrangement configured to manage the flow of data between said storage device and said client network when a second set of conditions exists, wherein said first arrangement comprises a file system supervisor program comprising a file device driver configured to receive and convert said input/output commands having a first format to an intermediate format different than said first format and wherein said file system supervisor is configured to receive said input/output commands in said intermediate format and said second arrangement is a storage management architecture (SMA) kernel.   
     
     
       34. The interface system of claim 33 wherein said client network is configured to operate according to a first format and said storage device is configured to operate according to a format compatible with said first format and wherein said data flows between said client network and said storage device. 
     
     
       35. The interface system of claim 34 wherein data flows in both directions between said client network and said data storage system. 
     
     
       36. The interface system of claim 34 further comprising at least one device handler between the first arrangement and the second arrangement, said at least one device handler configured to isolate the first arrangement from the storage device. 
     
     
       37. The interface system of claim 33 wherein said storage device is configured to operate according to said intermediate format and data flows between said client network and said storage device via said file management system. 
     
     
       38. The interface system of claim 37 wherein said file device driver is configured to receive said data in said first format and convert said received data to said intermediate format. 
     
     
       39. The interface system of claim 38 further comprising a transport driver in communication with said file device driver and said first arrangement, the transport driver configured to receive said data and said input/output commands in said intermediate format and relay said data and said input/output commands to said first arrangement. 
     
     
       40. The interface system of claim 39 wherein said client network comprises at least one computer configured to run a selected operating system. 
     
     
       41. The interface system of claim 39 wherein said client network comprises a multiplicity of computers, each of said multiplicity of computers configured to run one of a selected group of operating systems to provide outputs in one of a selected plurality of first formats. 
     
     
       42. The interface system of claim 41 wherein said file device driver resides in a computer in said client network. 
     
     
       43. The interface system of claim 41 further comprising a host computer configured to run said first arrangement, said file device driver, said second portion of said transport driver and said second arrangement. 
     
     
       44. The interface system of claim 41 wherein said file management system is configured to operate according to one of said selected operating systems, and said data files and input/output commands converted by file device driver are compatible to said operating system. 
     
     
       45. The interface system of claim 39 wherein data flows in both directions between said client network and said data storage system. 
     
     
       46. The interface system of claim 33 further comprising a transport driver in communication with said file device driver and said first arrangement, the transport driver configured to receive said input/output commands in said intermediate format and relay said input/output commands to said first arrangement. 
     
     
       47. The interface system of claim 46 wherein said transport driver comprises a first portion associated with said client network and a second portion associated with said first arrangement and further comprising a communication link configured to connect said first and second portions. 
     
     
       48. The interface system of claim 47 wherein said communication link is selected from the group consisting of SCSI-2, SCSI-3, fiber link, 802.3, 802.5, synchronous RS232, wireless RF and wireless IR. 
     
     
       49. The interface system of claim 48 wherein data flows in both directions between said client network and said data storage system. 
     
     
       50. The interface system of claim 46 wherein data flows in both directions between said client network and said data storage system. 
     
     
       51. The interface system of claim 33 wherein said client network comprises at least one computer configured to run a selected operating system. 
     
     
       52. The interface system of claim 33 wherein said client network comprises a multiplicity of computers, each of said multiplicity of computers configured to run one of a selected group of operating systems to provide outputs in one of a selected plurality of first formats. 
     
     
       53. The interface system of claim 33 wherein said file device driver resides in a computer in said client network. 
     
     
       54. The interface system of claim 33 wherein data flows in both directions between said client network and said data storage system. 
     
     
       55. The interface system of claim 33 further comprising at least one device handler between the first arrangement and the second arrangement, said at least one device handler configured to isolate the first arrangement from the storage device. 
     
     
       56. The interface system of claim 55 wherein said storage device is configured to operate according to a different format than said first arrangement. 
     
     
       57. The interface system of claim 33 further comprising at least one device handler between the first arrangement and the second arrangement, said at least one device handler configured to isolate the first arrangement from the storage device so that configuration of the storage device may differ from the configuration of the first arrangement. 
     
     
       58. The interface system of claim 57 wherein said at least one device handler comprises a plurality of device handlers associated with a plurality of storage devices, at least one of said plurality of storage devices having a different configuration than the other device handler. 
     
     
       59. The interface system of claim 33 wherein said at least one storage device comprises a plurality of storage devices. 
     
     
       60. The interface system of claim 33 wherein said plurality of storage devices comprises a redundant array of independent disks (RAID). 
     
     
       61. The interface system of claim 60 wherein at least one surface of each disk in said redundant array of independent disks is dedicated to parity operations. 
     
     
       62. The interface system of claim 60 wherein at least one disk in said redundant array of independent disks is dedicated to parity operations. 
     
     
       63. The interface system of claim 60 wherein said disks of said redundant array of independent disks are arranged on a plurality of separate channels. 
     
     
       64. A system for providing an interface between at least one client computer and at least one storage device, the client computer having a first microprocessor configured to run a software application and a first operating system which produce I/O commands, wherein the client computer and the system are configured to be communicatively linked to each other via a data communication network, the system comprising:
 a transport driver operative to receive high level commands in an intermediate common format from the client computer via said network and convert said high level commands in the intermediate common format to high level I/O commands;   a second microprocessor operative to execute said high level I/O commands received from said transport driver and access the at least one storage device to copy data from the client computer to the at least one storage device wherein said second microprocessor employs a second operating system distinct from said first operating system.   
     
     
       65. The system of claim 64, wherein the transport driver is further operative to convert high level I/O commands to high level commands in the intermediate common format. 
     
     
       66. The system of claim 65, wherein the transport driver is further operative to send high level commands in the intermediate common format over the network to the client computer. 
     
     
       67. The system of claim 64, wherein the high level I/O commands are SCSI commands. 
     
     
       68. The system of claim 64, wherein the storage device comprises a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) device. 
     
     
       69. The system of claim 68, wherein the RAID device comprises a processor. 
     
     
       70. The system of claim 64, wherein the high level I/O commands are commands selected from the group of commands consisting of read, write, lock, and copy. 
     
     
       71. The system of claim 64, wherein said network is an 802.3 network. 
     
     
       72. The system of claim 64, wherein said network is an 802.5 network. 
     
     
       73. The system of claim 64, wherein said network is a wireless network. 
     
     
       74. The system of claim 64, further comprising a plurality of storage devices. 
     
     
       75. The system of claim 74, further comprising a plurality of device handlers to accommodate said plurality of storage devices. 
     
     
       76. A system for providing an interface between at least one client computer and at least one storage device, the client computer having a first microprocessor configured to run a software application and a first operating system which produce I/O commands, wherein the client device and the system are configured to be communicatively linked to each other via a data communication network, the system comprising:
 a transport driver operative to receive high level commands in an intermediate common format from the client computer via said network and convert said high level commands in the intermediate common format to high level I/O commands;   a device handler operative to execute said high level I/O commands received from said transport driver and access the at least one storage device to copy data from the client computer to the at least one storage device; and   a second microprocessor operative to execute said transport driver and said device handler, wherein said second microprocessor employs a second operating system distinct from said first operating system.   
     
     
       77. The system of claim 76, further comprising a plurality of storage devices. 
     
     
       78. The system of claim 77, further comprising a plurality of device handlers to accommodate said plurality of storage devices. 
     
     
       79. The system of claim 76, wherein the high level I/O commands are commands selected from the group of read, write, lock, and copy. 
     
     
       80. The system of claim 76, wherein the high level I/O commands are SCSI commands. 
     
     
       81. The system of claim 76, wherein the storage device comprises a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) device. 
     
     
       82. The system of claim 81, wherein the RAID device comprises a processor. 
     
     
       83. The system of claim 76, wherein said network is an 802.3 network. 
     
     
       84. The system of claim 76, wherein said network is an 802.5 network. 
     
     
       85. The system of claim 76, wherein said network is a wireless network.