ON-DEMAND STORAGE PROVISIONING USING DISTRIBUTED AND VIRTUAL NAMESPACE MANAGEMENT

摘要

A storage node in a cluster of storage nodes includes: one or more local storage devices; and a storage node controller. The storage node controller includes: a host interface configured to connect to an application running on a host computer; a storage manager configured to manage one or more virtual namespaces; and a storage device controller configured to manage respective namespace associated with the one or more storage devices. The storage manager is further configured to expand a storage space associated with a virtual namespace on demand on the one or more local storage devices of the storage node at a request of the application running on the host computer when the storage node has a sufficient storage space. the storage manager is further configured to communicate with a peer storage manager of a second storage node over a network and expand the storage space associated with the virtual namespace on demand on a local storage device of the second storage node at the request of the application running on the host computer when the storage node has an insufficient storage space.