Patent ID: 7200664
Filing Date: 2007-04-03
Classification: G06F,H04L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A system for use in achieving distributed data storage over a computer network comprising: a storage server system comprising one or more storage servers that each comprise a data storage device and a network interface for communicating with one or more application clients that will require data storage and at least one management storage server; and a management server system comprising one or more management storage servers that each comprise a network interface for communicating with an application client and each of said storage servers; each of said management servers and each of said data storage servers comprising a data storage configuration identifier whose value is indicative of an allocation of data storage within said storage server system at a point in time, the allocation of data storage within said storage server system comprising one or more virtual volumes of data storage distributed over one or more of said storage servers; wherein each of said management storage servers is capable of providing a first value for said data storage configuration identifier to an application client and each of said storage servers, and each of said management storage servers is capable of asynchronously providing a second value for said data storage configuration identifier to the application client and to each of said storage servers after there is a change in the allocation of data storage within said storage server system; and wherein each of said storage servers is capable of: (a) comparing a value for said data storage configuration identifier which is associated with a data storage related request received from an application client with said second value for said data storage configuration, and (b) when the values are not equal, providing an indication to a management storage server that the values are not equal.