Patent ID: 8185777
Filing Date: 2012-05-22
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for performing a data replication operation, comprising: receiving, by a server enclosed in a network storage appliance chassis, a command to backup data stored on a storage device controlled by a pair of hot-pluggable redundant active-active failover storage controllers also enclosed in the chassis, the network storage appliance chassis comprising a first, a second, and a third hot-pluggable blade, each of the first and second hot-pluggable blades comprising one of the pair of storage controllers, the third hot-pluggable blade comprising the server and first and second I/O interface controllers, each of the first and second I/O interface controllers comprising a local bus interface to one of the first and second hot-pluggable blades and an I/O link interface configured to receive I/O requests from the server; in response to receiving the command to backup data, generating a plurality of requests, by the server, to the storage controllers to read the data from the storage device, wherein the local bus interface of each of the first and second I/O interface controllers are configured to forward the I/O requests from the I/O link interface to the storage controllers of the first and second blades on the local buses; and generating a plurality of requests, by the server, to write the data received from the storage controllers to a backup device.