for
Open Storage Systems Interconnection
Mass Storage System Reference Model
Developer
IEEE Storage System Standards Working Group
(Project 1244)
Abstract: The IEEE Reference Model for Open Storage Systems Interconnection (OSSI), previously known as the Mass Storage System Reference Model Version 5, provides the framework for a series of standards for application and user interfaces to open storage systems. The OSSI Model identifies the high-level abstractions that underlie modern storage systems. It defines common terminology and concepts that allow the architectures of existing and future systems to be described and compared. The OSSI Model provides a conceptual and functional framework within which independent teams of experts may proceed with detailed OSSI interface definitions.
Keywords: data processing, information interchange, open systems, mass storage, hierarchical storage management, reference model, storage system architecture, computer interface
September 8, 1994
Copyright (C) 1994 by
All rights reserved.
Permission is hereby granted for IEEE Standards Committee participants to reproduce this document for purposes of IEEE standardization activities. Permission is also granted for member bodies and technical committees of ISO and IEC to reproduce this document for purposes of developing a national position. Other entities seeking permission to reproduce this document for standardization of other activities, or to reproduce portions of this document for these or other uses, must contact the IEEE Standards Department for the appropriate license. Use of information contained in this unapproved draft is at your own risk.
FOREWORD
This document, The Reference Model for Open Storage Systems Interconnection (OSSI), is the product of the IEEE Storage System Standards Working Group (SSSWG), Project 1244.
The document title incorporates the term, ``Open Storage Systems Interconnection'' (OSSI), that defines a domain for standards applicable to information storage services. Open storage systems are ``open'' through the mutual use of the applicable standards. ``Open'' does not imply any particular systems implementation, technology or means of interconnection.
The OSSI domain bounds the IEEE SSSWG (P1244) charter which includes the development of a framework for the coordination of standards development, as well as the actual development of open storage system standards. This document presents that framework. The IEEE SSSWG developed the OSSI Model by identifying storage system services and partitioning them into disjoint sets that could be reasonably developed into commercial products.
The OSSI Model is based on abstraction. Readers should recognize that concepts contained in the description of open storage systems are abstract, despite a similar appearance to elements of storage system implementations.
The OSSI Model describes the partitioning and external behavior of open storage systems. The Model, by itself, does not specify the detailed and precise functioning of an open storage system nor is it the purpose of the OSSI Model, or OSSI standards, to specify the internal behavior of open storage system implementations.
IEEE P1244 standards, which define open storage systems, consist of two basic components: programmatic interfaces for client access to open storage system services, and a detailed identification of the environment for the open storage system. The standardization efforts, within Project 1244, address this definition through the development of standard Application Programming Interfaces (API) for each module, as well as a complete definition of standard environmental profiles.
o Application Environment Profile
(AEP)
specifies the environmental software interfaces required by open storage system services.
o Object Identifier
(SOID - 1244.1)
defines globally unique, time/space immutable object identifiers within open storage systems, and the format and algorithms used to generate them.
o Physical Volume Library
(PVL - 1244.2)
defines software interfaces for services that manage removable media cartridges and optimize drive use within a storage system.
o Physical Volume Repository
(PVR- 1244.3)
defines human, and software interfaces for services that stow removable media cartridges and selectively mount removable media cartridges onto drives.
o Data Mover
(MVR - 1244.4)
defines the software interfaces for services that transfer data between two endpoints.
o Storage System Management
(MGT - 1244.5)
defines a framework that permits the development of consistent and portable services to monitor and control IEEE P1244 storage system resources as motivated by site-specified storage management policies.
o Virtual Storage Service
(VSS - P1244.6)
defines software interfaces to access and organize persistent storage presented as a single virtual storage image.
The IEEE SSSWG membership represents a cross-section of computer hardware and software vendors, corporations, academic institutions, and government agencies, that are involved with storage systems. The ``Contributors'' section recognizes all IEEE SSSWG members that, at some time, obtained voting rights. The ``Executive Contributors'' section identifies the organizations that supported the members' involvement in the IEEE SSSWG.
The context of the OSSI Model is presented in the ``Introduction.''
A brief survey of the OSSI Model and its components is presented in the section ``Model Summary.''
The detailed description of the OSSI Model components is contained in the sections ``Storage Objects'' and ``Storage Services''.
A ``Glossary'' is provided for terms not used in their standard English context.
CONTRIBUTORS
(listed alphabetically)
Anthony O. Abbott
Janet Anglin
Charles J. Antonelli
Betty Jo Armstead
Dave Arneson
Bob Baird
Peter R. Berard
John Berbert
Henry Bodzin
Greg T. Brandeau
Jay Bretzmann
Denis Brockus
A. Lester Buck
Bob Burns
Loellyn Cassell
Ron Christman
Jack Cole
Sam Coleman
Sheila A. Coleman
William Collins
David Cordner
Bill Courtright
Bob Coyne
John Disbrow
David J. Donald
Elias Drakopoulos
George M. Ericson
Jim Falgout
Shel Finkelstein
Tim Fitzgerald
Richard Garrison
Roger Giudici
Bruce K. Haddon
Andrew Hanushevsky
Michael Hardy
P. C. Hariharan
Michael Henderson
Ralph H. Herring
Carole B. Hogan
Harvard Holmes
Eugene Holzapfel
Harry Hulen
D. Creig Humes
Wayne Hurlbert
Bob Hyer
David Isaac
Tom Jefferson
Merritt E. Jones
Phillip L. Keener
Dennis Kleppen
Peter C. Lawthers
Steve Louis
Dennis Luck
Fred McClain
John Merrill
Michael S. Milillo
Stephen W. Miller
Donald E. Morgan
Gary Mueller
Eugene D. Myers
Greg Nuss
Juliet Pao
Robert Parks
Jon W. Peake
Larry Pelletier
Bernie Perella
Anthony Peterson
Ed Poole
Steve Prahst
T. M. Ravi
Dennis F. Reed
Bob Riddle
Rich Ruef
Tom Ruwart
Patric Savage
Tom Sherwin
David E. Skinner
Dave Smith
Johanna Smith
John Stephens
Linda L. Tefend
David Thiel
Dave Tweten
Chandra Venkatraman
Nathan Walsh
Dick Watson
Michael J. Wilde
Greg Williams
Joseph A. Wishner
Richard Wrenn
Ken Yang
Nancy Yeager
Fred Zeiler
George Zerdian
EXECUTIVE CONTRIBUTORS
(listed alphabetically)
Ampex Corp.
Army Research Laboratory
AT&T Bell Laboratories
Battelle, Pacific Northwest Labs.
Carnegie Mellon University
Cimage
Compact Data, Incorporated
Control Data Corporation
Convex Computer Corporation
Cornell University
Cray Research, Inc.
Department of Defense
Digital Equipment Corporation
E-Systems Inc., Garland Division
Emulex Corporation
Epoch Systems, Incorporated
Ford Motor Company, ECC Building
General Atomics, DISCOS Division
Hewlett-Packard
Hughes Aircraft/NASA - EOSDIS
IBM Storage Systems Division
IBM Federal
Lachman Technology, Inc.
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Martin Marietta Corporation
Media Blitz
Metrum, Incorporated
MITRE
Mountain Network Solutions
NASA Ames Research Center
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
NASA Langley Research Center
NASA Lewis Research Center
National Ctr. for Supercomputing Applications
National Energy Res. Supercomputer Center
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
NCAR
NCR Peripheral Products Division
NRL
Odetics
OpenVision Technologies
San Diego Supercomputer Center
Sandia National Laboratories
Severn Companies, Incorporated
Shell Development Corporation
Sony Electronics Inc.
SRI International
Storage Technology Corporation
STX
Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation
SVERDRUP Tech, Inc.
Tandem Computers
The University of Michigan
The University of Minnesota
Williams Associates
TECHNICAL EDITORS
(listed alphabetically)
Lester Buck
Sam Coleman
Rich Garrison
Dave Isaac
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Chairman: Bob Coyne
Secretary: Linda Tefend
Treasurer: Tom Jefferson
Archivist: D. Creig Humes
Document Sponsor: IEEE MSS&TC
IEEE SAB Sponsor: Merritt Jones
Version 4 Editors: Samuel Coleman
Steve Miller
Editor's Note:
The IEEE SSSWG solicits both technical and editorial comments. Please provide comments directly to the IEEE SSSWG reflector. Subscription to the reflector can be obtained by sending a request to IEEE+MSS-request@larc.nasa.gov. A PostScript version of this document can be obtained via anonymous ftp at swedishchef.lerc.nasa.gov /mass_store in files OSSIV5.{doc, pre, toc}.
IEEE SSSWG reflector: IEEE+MSS@larc.nasa.gov