DETAILED ACTION
This communication is responsive to the Application No. 18/876,148 filed on December 17, 2024. A preliminary amendment was filed on 12/17/2024 in which claim 18 has been canceled, claims 2, 5-6, 8-9, 11, 16-17 and 19-20 have been amended, and claim 21 has been added new. Claims 1-17 and 19-21 are pending and are directed towards METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REQUESTING DATA, DEVICE AND NON-TRANSITORY READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/17/2024 was Acknowledge. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 12 and 15 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 12 recites the limitation "…meeting the non-volatile memory express (NVMe), the private query command is a custom private command meeting the NVMe and the private query instruction...". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 15 recites the limitation “generating a discrimination instruction and sending the discrimination instruction to the storage side” which is vague and not clear. it is not understood what is meant by the discrimination instruction or how is it generated.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-6, 8-9, 12-17 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Li et al. US 2021/0004171 A1 (hereinafter “Li”).
As per claims 1, 19 and 20, Li teaches a method for requesting data (an I/O request processing method. Li, para [0002]), applied to a storage side, comprising:
acquiring a private query command sent by a host side (the host 100 and the storage system 300 communicate with each other by using the NVMeoF protocol. The host first generates a non-volatile memory express (NVMe) path state query command, and then encapsulates the NVMe interval query command into the external network protocol to obtain an external network protocol interval query command. In this step, the sent path state query command is the external network protocol interval query command. The NVMe state query command is a command defined in the existing NVMe protocol. The NVMe state query command is a command defined according to a Get Log Page command Dword 10 in the NVMe protocol. Li, para [0092-0093]);
generating access priority information of each controller node on the storage side according to the private query command, wherein the access priority information represents an access state of the controller node for a data segment having an accessible relationship therewith (After creating an access path for the logical disk, the multipath program 104 sends a path state query command to the storage system 300, where the state query command is used to instruct each control node to report a path state of a path corresponding to the control node. Li, para [0091])( The control node that receives the path state query command obtains the path state in the following manner: determining whether the logical disk 303 is divided into a plurality of access intervals; and when the logical disk 303 is not divided into a plurality of access intervals, obtaining the path state of the path corresponding to the control node. In the storage system, a state of each path is identified in advance. For example, an optimized path and a non-optimized path that are used for accessing the logical disk 303 are preset, and an inaccessible path and a failure path that are identified in advance are also identified. When the logical disk 303 is divided into a plurality of access intervals, it may be determined that the path state is the space-dependent state. Li, para [0099]); and
sending the access priority information of each controller node to the host side, so that the host side requests data through one controller node according to the access priority information (A control node that receives the path state query command obtains the path state, adds the path state to state reporting information, and reports the state reporting information to the multipath program 104 of the host. Li, para [0095])( After obtaining the path state, the control node that receives the path state query command reports a state code of each path state to the host 100 by using state reporting information shown in FIG. 7. Li, para [0099] and Fig. 7-8).
As per claim 2, Li teaches the method for requesting data according to claim 1, the method further comprising:
dividing a logical volume of the storage side into a plurality of data segments (When determining that the logical disk is divided into a plurality of access intervals. Li, para [0105]); and
respectively establishing the accessible relationship between the controller node and each data segment in a unit of each controller node on the storage side, and setting an access priority for each controller node according to all accessible relationships of each controller node (Each control node in the storage system receives the interval query command, then generates interval reporting information, and reports the interval reporting information to the host 100.When receiving the interval query command, a control node that receives the query command parses the interval query command to obtain the NVMe interval query command, adds, based on the predefined format of the response information of the NVMe interval query command, an access interval of the control node that receives the query command to the response information of the NVMe interval query command, encapsulates the response information of the NVMe interval query command into the external network protocol to form the external network protocol interval response message, and uses the external network protocol interval response message as the interval reporting information for reporting to the host 100. Li, para [0110-0111]).
As per claim 3, Li teaches the method for requesting data according to claim 2, wherein dividing the logical volume of the storage side into the plurality of data segments comprises: dividing a logical namespace of the storage side to obtain a plurality of namespace blocks corresponding to the logical namespace, wherein the logical namespace is one of logical volumes, and the namespace blocks are the data segments which are divided (The logical disk 303 may be a namespace (Namespace), and the namespace is a means of expression for a logical disk defined in the NVMeoF protocol. FIG. 1 shows only one logical disk 303. However, in actual application, a plurality of logical disks may be created in the storage device 304. One logical disk may be allocated to a plurality of hosts for use or a plurality of logical disks may be allocated to one host for use. Li, para [0068])( if the multipath program 104 first receives, on a path 1, a disk identifier of a logical disk whose disk code is a namespace 1, the multipath program 104 creates a disk object for the namespace 1, allocates a disk object name sda to the disk object, establishes a mapping relationship between the disk object name sda and the disk identifier, and records the path 1 as a first path of the disk object. If the multipath program 104 further receives the disk identifier of the namespace 1 on a path 2 and a path 3 subsequently, the multipath program 104 also records the path 2 and the path 3 as paths of the disk object. For example, in this embodiment, after the multipath program receives 2N disk identifiers namespace 1 on 2N paths, and combines paths of a same control node, the multipath program manages N paths between the host and the storage system. Li, para [0090])( dividing an address space of a logical disk in a storage system into N contiguous address spaces and a schematic diagram of dividing an address space of a logical disk in the storage system into N non-contiguous address spaces according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Li, para [0053]).
As per claim 4, Li teaches the method for requesting data according to claim 2, wherein after dividing the logical volume of the storage side into the plurality of data segments, the method further comprises:
establishing an optimal access relationship between each data segment and the controller node corresponding to the data segment (several path states are predefined. As shown in FIG. 8, path states indicated by state codes 01h to 04h are path states defined in the existing protocol. The state code 01h indicates an optimized state (namely, an ANA Optimized State). Li, para [0097]); and
setting the access priority for each controller node according to all accessible relationships of each controller node and the optimal access relationship (After receiving state reporting information including the state code 01h, the host 100 sets, to an optimized path, a path used for reporting the state reporting information. Li, para [0097])( In the storage system, a state of each path is identified in advance. For example, an optimized path and a non-optimized path that are used for accessing the logical disk 303 are preset, and an inaccessible path and a failure path that are identified in advance are also identified. Li, para [0099]).
As per claim 5, Li teaches the method for requesting data according to claim 4, wherein requesting, by the host side, data through the controller node according to the access priority information comprises:
determining, by the host side, one controller node in an optimal access state for each data segment according to the access priority information, and requesting, by the host side, data through the controller node in the optimal access state (After receiving state reporting information including the state code 01h, the host 100 sets, to an optimized path, a path used for reporting the state reporting information. Li, para [0097])( In the storage system, a state of each path is identified in advance. For example, an optimized path and a non-optimized path that are used for accessing the logical disk 303 are preset, and an inaccessible path and a failure path that are identified in advance are also identified. Li, para [0099])( When the logical disk 303 is not divided into a plurality of access intervals, one of the codes 01h to 04h indicating the path states is filled in the byte 16. For example, if the path state of the path corresponding to the control node is an optimized state, the control node may add the state code 01h corresponding to the optimized state to the byte 16. When the logical disk 303 is divided into a plurality of access intervals, as shown in FIG. 9, the code 05h indicating the space-dependent state is added to the byte 16 of the state reporting information. Li, para [0100])
As per claim 6, Li teaches the method for requesting data according to claim 5, wherein determining, by the host side, the controller node in the optimal access state for each data segment according to the access priority information comprises:
determining, by the host side, the controller node, which simultaneously has the accessible relationship and the optimal access relationship with the data segment, as the controller node in the optimal state for the data segment (on the NVMeoF protocol, several path states are predefined. As shown in FIG. 8, path states indicated by state codes 01h to 04h are path states defined in the existing protocol. The state code 01h indicates an optimized state (namely, an ANA Optimized State). After receiving state reporting information including the state code 01h, the host 100 sets, to an optimized path, a path used for reporting the state reporting information. Li, para [0097-0099]); and
determining, by the host side, the controller node, which only has the accessible relationship with the data segment, as the controller node in a non-optimal state for the data segment (The state code 02h indicates a non-optimized state (namely, an ANA Non-Optimized State). After receiving state reporting information including the code 02h, the host 100 sets, to a non-optimized path, a path used for reporting the state reporting information. The state code 03h indicates an inaccessible state (namely, an ANA inaccessible State). After receiving state reporting information including the state code 03h, the host 100 sets, to an inaccessible path, a path used for reporting the state reporting information. Li, para [0097-0099]).
As per claim 8, Li teaches the method for requesting data according to claim1, wherein the access priority information comprises data segment information, a data segment priority descriptor, and expansion information of the data segment priority descriptor (The interval description field is used to carry access interval information of an access interval. The interval description field is at a byte 27:12 of the response information, for example, a user data segment descriptor 1. When the interval reporting information carries a plurality of access intervals, a plurality of access interval description fields may be added to the response information. For example, information about the access intervals is sequentially filled in a byte following a byte 27:12. Descriptions of the access intervals are shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13. Li, para [0107]).
As per claim 9, Li teaches the method for requesting data according to claim1,wherein the private query command is a custom private command meeting a non-volatile memory express (NVMe) (the host 100 and the storage system 300 communicate with each other by using the NVMeoF protocol. The host first generates a non-volatile memory express (NVMe) path state query command, and then encapsulates the NVMe interval query command into the external network protocol to obtain an external network protocol interval query command. In this step, the sent path state query command is the external network protocol interval query command. The NVMe state query command is a command defined in the existing NVMe protocol. The NVMe state query command is a command defined according to a Get Log Page command Dword 10 in the NVMe protocol. Li, para [0092-0093]).
As per claim 12, Li teaches the method for requesting data according to claim 1, wherein the storage side is a multi-controller storage system meeting the non-volatile memory express (NVMe), the private query command is a custom private command meeting the NVMe and the private query instruction comprises a log page acquisition command (The NVMe state query command is a command defined in the existing NVMe protocol. The NVMe state query command is a command defined according to a Get Log Page command Dword 10 in the NVMe protocol. The NVMe state query command is shown in FIG. 6. A command identifier OCh of the path state query command is added to a log page identifier (LID) field, and the LID field is at a byte 07:00 of the path state query command. Li, para [0093]).
As per claim 13, Li teaches a method for requesting data (an I/O request processing method. Li, para [0002]),, applied to a host side, comprising:
sending a private query command to a storage side (the host 100 and the storage system 300 communicate with each other by using the NVMeoF protocol. The host first generates a non-volatile memory express (NVMe) path state query command, and then encapsulates the NVMe interval query command into the external network protocol to obtain an external network protocol interval query command. In this step, the sent path state query command is the external network protocol interval query command. The NVMe state query command is a command defined in the existing NVMe protocol. The NVMe state query command is a command defined according to a Get Log Page command Dword 10 in the NVMe protocol. Li, para [0092-0093]), so that the storage side generates access priority information of each controller node on the storage side according to the private query command, wherein the access priority information represents an access state of the controller node for a data segment having an accessible relationship therewith (After creating an access path for the logical disk, the multipath program 104 sends a path state query command to the storage system 300, where the state query command is used to instruct each control node to report a path state of a path corresponding to the control node. Li, para [0091])( The control node that receives the path state query command obtains the path state in the following manner: determining whether the logical disk 303 is divided into a plurality of access intervals; and when the logical disk 303 is not divided into a plurality of access intervals, obtaining the path state of the path corresponding to the control node. In the storage system, a state of each path is identified in advance. For example, an optimized path and a non-optimized path that are used for accessing the logical disk 303 are preset, and an inaccessible path and a failure path that are identified in advance are also identified. When the logical disk 303 is divided into a plurality of access intervals, it may be determined that the path state is the space-dependent state. Li, para [0099]); and
receiving the access priority information sent by the storage side, and requesting data through one controller node according to the access priority information (A control node that receives the path state query command obtains the path state, adds the path state to state reporting information, and reports the state reporting information to the multipath program 104 of the host. Li, para [0095])( After obtaining the path state, the control node that receives the path state query command reports a state code of each path state to the host 100 by using state reporting information shown in FIG. 7. Li, para [0099] and Fig. 7-8)..
As per claim 14, Li teaches the method for requesting data according to claim 13, wherein before sending the private query command to the storage side, the method further comprises: judging whether the storage side supports the private query command (The host and a storage system communicate with each other by using the NVMeoF protocol. Li, para [0006]), and in a case where the storage side supports the private query command, sending the private query command to the storage side (the host 100 and the storage system 300 communicate with each other by using the NVMeoF protocol. The host first generates a non-volatile memory express (NVMe) path state query command, and then encapsulates the NVMe interval query command into the external network protocol to obtain an external network protocol interval query command. In this step, the sent path state query command is the external network protocol interval query command. The NVMe state query command is a command defined in the existing NVMe protocol. The NVMe state query command is a command defined according to a Get Log Page command Dword 10 in the NVMe protocol. Li, para [0092-0093]).
As per claim 15, Li teaches the method for requesting data according to claim 13, wherein judging whether the storage side supports the private query command comprises:
generating a discrimination instruction and sending the discrimination instruction to the storage side (When the operating system 105 of the host 100 detects that the storage system 300 is connected to the host 100, the operating system 105 separately sends a disk reporting command to the storage system 300 by using the plurality of paths between the host 100 and the storage system 300 (that is, the plurality of paths between the storage port 301 of the N control nodes and the host port 101). When the disk reporting command passes through the host port 101, an identifier of the host port is added to the disk reporting command. Li, para [0079]); and
receiving support information sent by the storage side, and in a case where the support information represents that the storage side supports a segment reporting mode, judging that the storage side supports the private query command (the access interval query command is defined according to a command Get Log Page command Dword 10 in the NVMeoF protocol, and a command identifier of the access interval query command is added to a log page identifier field of the command. The interval query command is defined by using the command in the existing NVMeoF protocol, and the existing NVMeoF protocol does not need to be modified. Li, para [0012-0013]).
As per claim 16, Li teaches the method for requesting data according to claim 13, wherein requesting data through the controller node according to the access priority information comprises:
determining one controller node in an optimal access state for each data segment according to the access priority information, and requesting data through the controller node in the optimal access state (The host 100 determines, based on the determined access interval, a control node that processes the I/O request. Li, para [0117]) (After receiving state reporting information including the state code 01h, the host 100 sets, to an optimized path, a path used for reporting the state reporting information. Li, para [0097])( In the storage system, a state of each path is identified in advance. For example, an optimized path and a non-optimized path that are used for accessing the logical disk 303 are preset, and an inaccessible path and a failure path that are identified in advance are also identified. Li, para [0099])( When the logical disk 303 is not divided into a plurality of access intervals, one of the codes 01h to 04h indicating the path states is filled in the byte 16. For example, if the path state of the path corresponding to the control node is an optimized state, the control node may add the state code 01h corresponding to the optimized state to the byte 16. When the logical disk 303 is divided into a plurality of access intervals, as shown in FIG. 9, the code 05h indicating the space-dependent state is added to the byte 16 of the state reporting information. Li, para [0100])
As per claim 17, Li teaches the method for requesting data according to claim 16, wherein determining the controller node in the optimal access state for each data segment according to the access priority information, and requesting data through the controller node in the optimal access state comprises:
determining the controller node, which simultaneously has the optimal access relationship and the accessible relationship with the data segment, as the controller node in the optimal state for the data segment (on the NVMeoF protocol, several path states are predefined. As shown in FIG. 8, path states indicated by state codes 01h to 04h are path states defined in the existing protocol. The state code 01h indicates an optimized state (namely, an ANA Optimized State). After receiving state reporting information including the state code 01h, the host 100 sets, to an optimized path, a path used for reporting the state reporting information. Li, para [0097-0099]); and
determining the controller node, which only has the accessible relationship with the data segment, as the controller node in a non-optimal state for the data segment (The state code 02h indicates a non-optimized state (namely, an ANA Non-Optimized State). After receiving state reporting information including the code 02h, the host 100 sets, to a non-optimized path, a path used for reporting the state reporting information. The state code 03h indicates an inaccessible state (namely, an ANA inaccessible State). After receiving state reporting information including the state code 03h, the host 100 sets, to an inaccessible path, a path used for reporting the state reporting information. Li, para [0097-0099]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 7, 10-11 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. US 2024/0004171 (hereinafter “Li”) in view of Cometto et al. US 11,030,159 B2 (hereinafter “Cometto”).
As per claim 7, Li teaches the method for requesting data according to claim 2, Li does not explicitly teach wherein respectively establishing the accessible relationship between the controller node and each data segment in the unit of each controller node on the storage side comprises: acquiring, from a lower-layer storage stack, storage stack strategy information for establishing the accessible relationship, and establishing the accessible relationship between the controller node and each data segment according to the storage stack strategy information.
However, Cometto teaches acquiring, from a lower-layer storage stack, storage stack strategy information for establishing the accessible relationship, and establishing the accessible relationship between the controller node and each data segment according to the storage stack strategy information (Each lower layer in the data storage request stack 515 may generate its own individual statistics. The administration component 510 may periodically poll the lower layers and various other parts of the hierarchical mass storage system 500 to create a centralized collection of all the hierarchical mass storage system statistics. Cometto, Col. 10 lines 26-31)( The linear storage map 641 may be implemented with an ordered linked list that links together entries each containing a pointer to a chunk of data in the linear storage area 647 or a set of fingerprint identifiers for data slices stored in lower data storage layers. For the data stored in lower data storage layers, the linked list entries will contain a series of entries with data fingerprints where the total size of the data slices referred to by the fingerprint identifiers equals one chunk size. Cometto, Col. 13 lines 4-12).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the teaching of Li in view of Cometto. One would be motivated to do so, to enhance the accessibility using storage stack information.
As per claim 10, Li teaches the method for requesting data according to claim 1, the method further comprising:
dividing a logical namespace of the storage side to obtain a plurality of namespace blocks corresponding to the logical namespace, wherein the logical namespace is one of logical volumes of the storage side, and the namespace blocks are the data segments which are divided (The logical disk 303 may be a namespace (Namespace), and the namespace is a means of expression for a logical disk defined in the NVMeoF protocol. FIG. 1 shows only one logical disk 303. However, in actual application, a plurality of logical disks may be created in the storage device 304. One logical disk may be allocated to a plurality of hosts for use or a plurality of logical disks may be allocated to one host for use. Li, para [0068])( if the multipath program 104 first receives, on a path 1, a disk identifier of a logical disk whose disk code is a namespace 1, the multipath program 104 creates a disk object for the namespace 1, allocates a disk object name sda to the disk object, establishes a mapping relationship between the disk object name sda and the disk identifier, and records the path 1 as a first path of the disk object. If the multipath program 104 further receives the disk identifier of the namespace 1 on a path 2 and a path 3 subsequently, the multipath program 104 also records the path 2 and the path 3 as paths of the disk object. For example, in this embodiment, after the multipath program receives 2N disk identifiers namespace 1 on 2N paths, and combines paths of a same control node, the multipath program manages N paths between the host and the storage system. Li, para [0090])( dividing an address space of a logical disk in a storage system into N contiguous address spaces and a schematic diagram of dividing an address space of a logical disk in the storage system into N non-contiguous address spaces according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Li, para [0053]);
establishing an optimal access relationship between each data segment and the controller node corresponding to the data segment (several path states are predefined. As shown in FIG. 8, path states indicated by state codes 01h to 04h are path states defined in the existing protocol. The state code 01h indicates an optimized state (namely, an ANA Optimized State). Li, para [0097]) (After receiving state reporting information including the state code 01h, the host 100 sets, to an optimized path, a path used for reporting the state reporting information. Li, para [0097])( In the storage system, a state of each path is identified in advance. For example, an optimized path and a non-optimized path that are used for accessing the logical disk 303 are preset, and an inaccessible path and a failure path that are identified in advance are also identified. Li, para [0099]); and
setting an access priority for each controller node according to all accessible relationships of each controller node and the optimal access relationship Each control node in the storage system receives the interval query command, then generates interval reporting information, and reports the interval reporting information to the host 100.When receiving the interval query command, a control node that receives the query command parses the interval query command to obtain the NVMe interval query command, adds, based on the predefined format of the response information of the NVMe interval query command, an access interval of the control node that receives the query command to the response information of the NVMe interval query command, encapsulates the response information of the NVMe interval query command into the external network protocol to form the external network protocol interval response message, and uses the external network protocol interval response message as the interval reporting information for reporting to the host 100. Li, para [0110-0111]).
Li does not explicitly teach acquiring, from a lower-layer storage stack, storage stack strategy information for establishing the accessible relationship, and establishing the accessible relationship between the controller node and each data segment according to the storage stack strategy information.
However, Cometto teaches acquiring, from a lower-layer storage stack, storage stack strategy information for establishing the accessible relationship, and establishing the accessible relationship between the controller node and each data segment according to the storage stack strategy information (Each lower layer in the data storage request stack 515 may generate its own individual statistics. The administration component 510 may periodically poll the lower layers and various other parts of the hierarchical mass storage system 500 to create a centralized collection of all the hierarchical mass storage system statistics. Cometto, Col. 10 lines 26-31)( The linear storage map 641 may be implemented with an ordered linked list that links together entries each containing a pointer to a chunk of data in the linear storage area 647 or a set of fingerprint identifiers for data slices stored in lower data storage layers. For the data stored in lower data storage layers, the linked list entries will contain a series of entries with data fingerprints where the total size of the data slices referred to by the fingerprint identifiers equals one chunk size. Cometto, Col. 13 lines 4-12).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the teaching of Li in view of Cometto. One would be motivated to do so, to enhance accessibility using storage stack information.
As per claim 11, Li and Cometto teach the method for requesting data according to claim 10, wherein a size of the data segment is set according to one of the following: the storage stack strategy information of the lower-layer storage stack, or service requirements (Each access interval is a contiguous address space, and access intervals may have a same size or different sizes. In another embodiment, an access interval allocated by the node 1 to each control node is non-contiguous. As shown in FIG. 3b, the node 1 first divides an address space of the logical disk 303 into at least two address sub-spaces with equal sizes, and then divides each address sub-space into N access sub-intervals. Each access sub-interval corresponds to one control node. The address sub-spaces are divided in a same manner. For example, in each address sub-space, access sub-intervals corresponding to a same control node have a same size and a same order in the address sub-space. A set of access sub-intervals corresponding to each control node constitutes an access interval of the control node. Li, para [0073-0074]).
As per claim 21, Li and Cometto teaches the method for requesting data according to claim 7, wherein a size of the data segment is set according to one of the following: the storage stack strategy information of the lower-layer storage stack, or service requirements (Each access interval is a contiguous address space, and access intervals may have a same size or different sizes. In another embodiment, an access interval allocated by the node 1 to each control node is non-contiguous. As shown in FIG. 3b, the node 1 first divides an address space of the logical disk 303 into at least two address sub-spaces with equal sizes, and then divides each address sub-space into N access sub-intervals. Each access sub-interval corresponds to one control node. The address sub-spaces are divided in a same manner. For example, in each address sub-space, access sub-intervals corresponding to a same control node have a same size and a same order in the address sub-space. A set of access sub-intervals corresponding to each control node constitutes an access interval of the control node. Li, para [0073-0074]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
A. Mopur et al. US 2009/0063716 A1 directed to prioritizing data processing operations.
B. Corsi et al. US 2017/0315740 A1 directed to technique for pacing and balancing processing of internal and external I/O requests in a storage system.
C. Gupta et al. US 2021/0132972 A1 directed to data storage system employing dummy namespaces for discovery of NVMe namespace groups as protocol endpoints.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KHALID M ALMAGHAYREH whose telephone number is (571)272-0179. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8AM-5PM EST & Friday variable.
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Respectfully Submitted
/KHALID M ALMAGHAYREH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2492
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