Patent ID: 7783805
Filing Date: 2010-08-24
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving a request, at a lock client located on a first network device in a network including the first network device, a second network device, a host device, and at least one physical storage device, wherein the request is from the host device and is for an Input/Output (I/O) involving a region of memory of a virtual storage device, wherein the virtual storage device includes the least one physical storage device; sending a lock request from the lock client to a lock manager located on the second network device, wherein at least one of the lock client or the lock manager is associated with an XMAP as an attribute of the virtual storage device, the XMAP comprising a data structure that allows dividing the virtual storage device into one or more regions, wherein each entry in the XMAP describes a Virtual Logical Unit Number (VLUN) region and indicates at least one of the lock client or the lock manager as attributes of the VLUN region; receiving, at the lock client, an indication from the lock manager that the lock request is granted; allowing the I/O to be performed on the region of memory of the virtual storage device in response to the receipt of the lock request grant indication; and releasing the granted lock at the lock client responsive to a release request from the lock manager.