Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A technique provides access to data storage pathways that connect a cluster of nodes to a data storage system in a manner that enables a failover operation to occur from a first node to a second node when the first node suffers pathway degradation forcing the first node to operate significantly slower than previously, even when the first node retains access to the data storage system through one or more available data storage pathways. Such a failover operation from the degraded first node to a second node allows the cluster as a whole to continue performing operations at a rate that is superior to that provided by the degraded first node. In one arrangement, a cluster of nodes connects to the data storage system through multiple sets of data storage pathways. A cluster framework and a set of pathway resource agents operate on the cluster of nodes. In particular, a respective portion of the cluster framework and a respective pathway resource agent operate on each node. The pathway resource agents receive, from the cluster framework, instructions for controlling the pathway sets and, in response, determine which of the pathway sets are available for transferring data between the cluster of nodes and the data storage system in accordance with predetermined access conditions. The pathway resource agents then provide, to the cluster framework, operation states identifying which of the pathway sets are available for transferring data between the cluster of nodes and the data storage system in accordance with the predetermined access conditions. The cluster framework can then access the pathway sets based on the operation states.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim