Patent ID: 8904143
Filing Date: 2014-12-02
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for storing data with a data storage system comprising a main computer-implemented storage control and data storage, and a user interface, said main storage control in communication with another computer-implemented storage control, the method comprising: in response to a request to increase data storage from said user interface, said main storage control determining whether said main data storage is out of space; if said main data storage is out of space, said main storage control sending a command to said another storage control to create data space in another data storage, said data space created by said another storage control associated with said main storage control; in response to said another storage control creating data space in said another data storage and notifying said main storage control, said main storage control updating its metadata with respect to said data space; said main storage control, as the result of determining that said main data storage is out of space, first notifies said user interface of said out of space condition; and sends said command after receiving authorization from said user interface to use said another storage control and data storage; wherein said data space is a new volume, and said main storage control updates its metadata by creating said new volume; said main storage control, in response to receiving I/O with respect to said new volume, passes through I/O data to said another storage control; in response to a command from said user interface to rebalance data storage, and obtaining space in said main storage, said command forwarded to said another storage control, said another storage control sends command to said main storage control to search for storage space sufficient for said new volume in said main storage; said main storage control searches for storage space in said main storage and, if sufficient storage space is found, notifies said another storage control; said another storage control associates said found storage space with said new volume; said main storage control updates volume metadata with information from said another storage control, and updates a volume with data from said another data storage, and issues a command to said another storage control to delete said new volume.