Patent ID: 8171178
Filing Date: 2012-05-01
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method, comprising: issuing a command to a first data storage system for addressing a set of data and at least one of a first referral response including a referral to at least a second data storage system or at least a first subset of the set of data and the first referral response including the referral to the at least the second data storage system; accessing the at least one of the first referral response including the referral to the at least the second data storage system or the at least the first subset of the set of data and the first referral response including the referral to the at least the second data storage system; issuing a command to the second data storage system for addressing the set of data and a second referral response including a referral to at least one of the first data storage system and a third data storage system, the second data storage system including at least a second subset of the set of data; and accessing the second subset of the set of data and the second referral response including the referral to the at least one of the first data storage system and the third data storage system; wherein the referral to the first data storage system further includes: a first port identifier associated with a port of the first data storage system, a first data offset of the first subset of the set of data, and a first data length for the first data storage system; wherein the referral to the second data storage system further includes: a second port identifier associated with a port of the second data storage system, a second data offset of the second subset of the set of data, and a second data length for the second data storage system; and wherein the referral to the third data storage system further includes: a third port identifier associated with a port of the third data storage system, a third data offset of the third subset of the set of data, and a third data length for the third data storage system; wherein the first data length for the first data storage system is a sum of the data length for the first subset of the set of data and data lengths for all subsets of the set of data on all descendant data storage systems in all descendant referral responses for the first data storage system; the second data length for the second data storage system is a sum of the data length for the second subset of the set of data and data lengths for all subsets of the set of data on all descendant data storage systems in all descendant referral responses for the second data storage system; and the third data length for the third data storage system is a sum of the data length for the third subset of the set of data and data lengths for all subsets of the set of data on all descendant data storage systems in all descendant referral responses for the third data storage system.