U.S. patent application number 17/537976 was filed with the patent office on 2022-03-24 for modifying a synchronously replicated dataset.
The applicant listed for this patent is PURE STORAGE, INC.. Invention is credited to DEEPAK CHAWLA, DAVID GRUNWALD, STEVEN HODGSON, TABRIZ HOLTZ, RONALD KARR.
Application Number | 20220091977 17/537976 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | |
Filed Date | 2022-03-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220091977 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
GRUNWALD; DAVID ; et
al. |
March 24, 2022 |
Modifying A Synchronously Replicated Dataset
Abstract
Modifying a synchronously replicated dataset, including:
receiving, by a leader storage system, a request to modify a
dataset that is synchronized across a plurality of storage systems;
sending, from the leader storage system to a follower storage
system, information describing the request to modify the dataset,
wherein the leader storage system and the follower storage system
each store a copy of the dataset; processing, by the leader storage
system on the copy of the dataset that is stored on the leader
storage system, the request to modify the dataset; receiving, from
the follower storage system, an indication that the follower
storage system has processed the request to modify the dataset on
the copy of the dataset that is stored on the follower storage
system; and acknowledging, by the leader storage system, completion
of the request to modify the dataset.
Inventors: |
GRUNWALD; DAVID; (SAN
FRANCISCO, CA) ; HODGSON; STEVEN; (COBHAM, GB)
; KARR; RONALD; (PALO ALTO, CA) ; HOLTZ;
TABRIZ; (LOS GATOS, CA) ; CHAWLA; DEEPAK;
(MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
PURE STORAGE, INC. |
Mountain View |
CA |
US |
|
|
Appl. No.: |
17/537976 |
Filed: |
November 30, 2021 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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16680746 |
Nov 12, 2019 |
11210219 |
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17537976 |
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15671518 |
Aug 8, 2017 |
10521344 |
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16680746 |
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62518071 |
Jun 12, 2017 |
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62470172 |
Mar 10, 2017 |
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International
Class: |
G06F 12/06 20060101
G06F012/06; G06F 12/1072 20060101 G06F012/1072; G06F 3/06 20060101
G06F003/06 |
Claims
1. A method comprising: receiving, by a leader storage system, a
request to modify a dataset that is synchronized across a plurality
of storage systems; sending, from the leader storage system to a
follower storage system, information describing the request to
modify the dataset, wherein the leader storage system and the
follower storage system each store a copy of the dataset;
processing, by the leader storage system on the copy of the dataset
that is stored on the leader storage system, the request to modify
the dataset; receiving, from the follower storage system, an
indication that the follower storage system has processed the
request to modify the dataset on the copy of the dataset that is
stored on the follower storage system; and acknowledging, by the
leader storage system, completion of the request to modify the
dataset.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the information describing the
request to modify the dataset includes ordering information for the
request to modify the dataset.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein: the request to modify the dataset
includes a request to take a snapshot of the dataset; and the
ordering information for the request to modify the dataset includes
an identification of one or more other requests to modify the
dataset that are to be included in the content of the snapshot of
the dataset.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the information describing the
request to modify the dataset includes common metadata information
associated with the request to modify the dataset.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending, from the
follower storage system to a leader storage system, an indication
that the follower storage system has processed the request to
modify the dataset on the copy of the dataset that is stored on the
follower storage system.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of storage systems
includes at least three storage systems, including one leader
storage system and at least two follower storage systems.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising receiving, by the
leader storage system that received the request to modify the
dataset, an indication that all follower storage systems have
processed the request to modify the dataset.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein: the request to modify the dataset
that is synchronized across the plurality of storage systems is
received by the leader storage system from a host computing device,
and the leader storage system acknowledges completion of the
request to modify the dataset to the host computing device.
9. A storage system that includes a plurality of storage devices,
the storage system including a computer processor and a computer
memory that includes computer program instructions that, when
executed by the computer processor, cause the storage system to
carry out the steps of: receiving a request to modify a dataset
that is synchronized across a plurality of storage systems;
sending, to a follower storage system, information describing the
request to modify the dataset, wherein the storage system and the
follower storage system each store a copy of the dataset;
processing, on the copy of the dataset that is stored on the
storage system, the request to modify the dataset; receiving, from
the follower storage system, an indication that the follower
storage system has processed the request to modify the dataset on
the copy of the dataset that is stored on the follower storage
system; and acknowledging completion of the request to modify the
dataset.
10. The storage system of claim 9 wherein the information
describing the request to modify the dataset includes ordering
information for the request to modify the dataset.
11. The storage system of claim 10 wherein the request to modify
the dataset includes a request to take a snapshot of the dataset;
and the ordering information for the request to modify the dataset
includes an identification of one or more other requests to modify
the dataset that are to be included in the content of the snapshot
of the dataset.
12. The storage system of claim 9 wherein the information
describing the request to modify the dataset includes common
metadata information associated with the request to modify the
dataset.
13. The storage system of claim 9 wherein the plurality of storage
systems includes at least three storage systems, including one
leader storage system and at least two follower storage
systems.
14. The storage system of claim 13 further comprising computer
program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor,
cause the storage system to carry out the step of receiving an
indication that all follower storage systems have processed the
request to modify the dataset.
15. The storage system of claim 9 wherein: the request to modify
the dataset that is synchronized across the plurality of storage
systems is received by the leader storage system from a host
computing device, and the leader storage system acknowledges
completion of the request to modify the dataset to the host
computing device.
16. A computer program product disposed on a non-transitory
computer readable medium, the computer program product including
computer program instructions that, when executed, carry out the
steps of: receiving a request to modify a dataset that is
synchronized across a plurality of storage systems; sending, to a
follower storage system, information describing the request to
modify the dataset, wherein the storage system and the follower
storage system each store a copy of the dataset; processing, on the
copy of the dataset that is stored on the storage system, the
request to modify the dataset; receiving, from the follower storage
system, an indication that the follower storage system has
processed the request to modify the dataset on the copy of the
dataset that is stored on the follower storage system; and
acknowledging completion of the request to modify the dataset.
17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the
information describing the request to modify the dataset includes
ordering information for the request to modify the dataset.
18. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the request to
modify the dataset includes a request to take a snapshot of the
dataset; and the ordering information for the request to modify the
dataset includes an identification of one or more other requests to
modify the dataset that are to be included in the content of the
snapshot of the dataset.
19. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the
information describing the request to modify the dataset includes
common metadata information associated with the request to modify
the dataset.
20. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the plurality
of storage systems includes at least three storage systems,
including one leader storage system and at least two follower
storage systems, and the computer program product further comprises
computer program instructions that, when executed, carry out the
step of receiving an indication that all follower storage systems
have processed the request to modify the dataset.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation application for patent entitled to a
filing date and claiming the benefit of earlier-filed U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 16/680,746, filed Nov. 12, 2019, herein
incorporated by reference in its entirety, which is a continuation
of U.S. Pat. No. 10,521,344, issued Dec. 31, 2019, which claims
priority from: U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/470,172,
filed Mar. 10, 2017, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.
62/518,071, filed Jun. 12, 2017.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0002] FIG. 1A illustrates a first example system for data storage
in accordance with some implementations.
[0003] FIG. 1B illustrates a second example system for data storage
in accordance with some implementations.
[0004] FIG. 1C illustrates a third example system for data storage
in accordance with some implementations.
[0005] FIG. 1D illustrates a fourth example system for data storage
in accordance with some implementations.
[0006] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a storage cluster with
multiple storage nodes and internal storage coupled to each storage
node to provide network attached storage, in accordance with some
embodiments.
[0007] FIG. 2B is a block diagram showing an interconnect switch
coupling multiple storage nodes in accordance with some
embodiments.
[0008] FIG. 2C is a multiple level block diagram, showing contents
of a storage node and contents of one of the non-volatile solid
state storage units in accordance with some embodiments.
[0009] FIG. 2D shows a storage server environment, which uses
embodiments of the storage nodes and storage units of some previous
figures in accordance with some embodiments.
[0010] FIG. 2E is a blade hardware block diagram, showing a control
plane, compute and storage planes, and authorities interacting with
underlying physical resources, in accordance with some
embodiments.
[0011] FIG. 2F depicts elasticity software layers in blades of a
storage cluster, in accordance with some embodiments.
[0012] FIG. 2G depicts authorities and storage resources in blades
of a storage cluster, in accordance with some embodiments.
[0013] FIG. 3A sets forth a diagram of a storage system that is
coupled for data communications with a cloud services provider in
accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0014] FIG. 3B sets forth a diagram of a storage system in
accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0015] FIG. 4A sets forth a flow chart illustrating an example
method for servicing I/O operations directed to a dataset that is
synchronized across a plurality of storage systems according to
some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 4B sets forth a flow chart illustrating an additional
example method for servicing I/O operations directed to a dataset
that is synchronized across a plurality of storage systems
according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0017] FIG. 5A sets forth a flow chart illustrating an additional
example method for servicing I/O operations directed to a dataset
that is synchronized across a plurality of storage systems
according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0018] FIG. 5B sets forth a flow chart illustrating an additional
example method for servicing I/O operations directed to a dataset
that is synchronized across a plurality of storage systems
according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0019] Example methods, apparatus, and products for servicing I/O
operations directed to a dataset that is synchronized across a
plurality of storage systems in accordance with embodiments of the
present disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying
drawings, beginning with FIG. 1A. FIG. 1A illustrates an example
system for data storage, in accordance with some implementations.
System 100 (also referred to as "storage system" herein) includes
numerous elements for purposes of illustration rather than
limitation. It may be noted that system 100 may include the same,
more, or fewer elements configured in the same or different manner
in other implementations.
[0020] System 100 includes a number of computing devices 164A-B.
Computing devices (also referred to as "client devices" herein) may
be embodied, for example, a server in a data center, a workstation,
a personal computer, a notebook, or the like. Computing devices
164A-B may be coupled for data communications to one or more
storage arrays 102A-B through a storage area network (`SAN`) 158 or
a local area network (`LAN`) 160.
[0021] The SAN 158 may be implemented with a variety of data
communications fabrics, devices, and protocols. For example, the
fabrics for SAN 158 may include Fibre Channel, Ethernet,
Infiniband, Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface
(`SAS`), or the like. Data communications protocols for use with
SAN 158 may include Advanced Technology Attachment (`ATA`), Fibre
Channel Protocol, Small Computer System Interface (`SCSI`),
Internet Small Computer System Interface (`iSCSI`), HyperSCSI,
Non-Volatile Memory Express (`NVMe`) over Fabrics, or the like. It
may be noted that SAN 158 is provided for illustration, rather than
limitation. Other data communication couplings may be implemented
between computing devices 164A-B and storage arrays 102A-B.
[0022] The LAN 160 may also be implemented with a variety of
fabrics, devices, and protocols. For example, the fabrics for LAN
160 may include Ethernet (802.3), wireless (802.11), or the like.
Data communication protocols for use in LAN 160 may include
Transmission Control Protocol (`TCP`), User Datagram Protocol
(`UDP`), Internet Protocol (`IP`), HyperText Transfer Protocol
(`HTTP`), Wireless Access Protocol (`WAP`), Handheld Device
Transport Protocol (`HDTP`), Session Initiation Protocol (`SIP`),
Real Time Protocol (`RTP`), or the like.
[0023] Storage arrays 102A-B may provide persistent data storage
for the computing devices 164A-B. Storage array 102A may be
contained in a chassis (not shown), and storage array 102B may be
contained in another chassis (not shown), in implementations.
Storage array 102A and 102B may include one or more storage array
controllers 110 (also referred to as "controller" herein). A
storage array controller 110 may be embodied as a module of
automated computing machinery comprising computer hardware,
computer software, or a combination of computer hardware and
software. In some implementations, the storage array controllers
110 may be configured to carry out various storage tasks. Storage
tasks may include writing data received from the computing devices
164A-B to storage array 102A-B, erasing data from storage array
102A-B, retrieving data from storage array 102A-B and providing
data to computing devices 164A-B, monitoring and reporting of disk
utilization and performance, performing redundancy operations, such
as Redundant Array of Independent Drives (`RAID`) or RAID-like data
redundancy operations, compressing data, encrypting data, and so
forth.
[0024] Storage array controller 110 may be implemented in a variety
of ways, including as a Field Programmable Gate Array (`FPGA`), a
Programmable Logic Chip (`PLC`), an Application Specific Integrated
Circuit (`ASIC`), System-on-Chip (`SOC`), or any computing device
that includes discrete components such as a processing device,
central processing unit, computer memory, or various adapters.
Storage array controller 110 may include, for example, a data
communications adapter configured to support communications via the
SAN 158 or LAN 160. In some implementations, storage array
controller 110 may be independently coupled to the LAN 160. In
implementations, storage array controller 110 may include an I/O
controller or the like that couples the storage array controller
110 for data communications, through a midplane (not shown), to a
persistent storage resource 170A-B (also referred to as a "storage
resource" herein). The persistent storage resource 170A-B main
include any number of storage drives 171A-F (also referred to as
"storage devices" herein) and any number of non-volatile Random
Access Memory (`NVRAM`) devices (not shown).
[0025] In some implementations, the NVRAM devices of a persistent
storage resource 170A-B may be configured to receive, from the
storage array controller 110, data to be stored in the storage
drives 171A-F. In some examples, the data may originate from
computing devices 164A-B. In some examples, writing data to the
NVRAM device may be carried out more quickly than directly writing
data to the storage drive 171A-F. In implementations, the storage
array controller 110 may be configured to utilize the NVRAM devices
as a quickly accessible buffer for data destined to be written to
the storage drives 171A-F. Latency for write requests using NVRAM
devices as a buffer may be improved relative to a system in which a
storage array controller 110 writes data directly to the storage
drives 171A-F. In some implementations, the NVRAM devices may be
implemented with computer memory in the form of high bandwidth, low
latency RAM. The NVRAM device is referred to as "non-volatile"
because the NVRAM device may receive or include a unique power
source that maintains the state of the RAM after main power loss to
the NVRAM device. Such a power source may be a battery, one or more
capacitors, or the like. In response to a power loss, the NVRAM
device may be configured to write the contents of the RAM to a
persistent storage, such as the storage drives 171A-F.
[0026] In implementations, storage drive 171A-F may refer to any
device configured to record data persistently, where "persistently"
or "persistent" refers as to a device's ability to maintain
recorded data after loss of power. In some implementations, storage
drive 171A-F may correspond to non-disk storage media. For example,
the storage drive 171A-F may be one or more solid-state drives
(`SSDs`), flash memory based storage, any type of solid-state
non-volatile memory, or any other type of non-mechanical storage
device. In other implementations, storage drive 171A-F may include
mechanical or spinning hard disk, such as hard-disk drives
(`HDD`).
[0027] In some implementations, the storage array controllers 110
may be configured for offloading device management responsibilities
from storage drive 171A-F in storage array 102A-B. For example,
storage array controllers 110 may manage control information that
may describe the state of one or more memory blocks in the storage
drives 171A-F. The control information may indicate, for example,
that a particular memory block has failed and should no longer be
written to, that a particular memory block contains boot code for a
storage array controller 110, the number of program-erase (`P/E`)
cycles that have been performed on a particular memory block, the
age of data stored in a particular memory block, the type of data
that is stored in a particular memory block, and so forth. In some
implementations, the control information may be stored with an
associated memory block as metadata. In other implementations, the
control information for the storage drives 171A-F may be stored in
one or more particular memory blocks of the storage drives 171A-F
that are selected by the storage array controller 110. The selected
memory blocks may be tagged with an identifier indicating that the
selected memory block contains control information. The identifier
may be utilized by the storage array controllers 110 in conjunction
with storage drives 171A-F to quickly identify the memory blocks
that contain control information. For example, the storage
controllers 110 may issue a command to locate memory blocks that
contain control information. It may be noted that control
information may be so large that parts of the control information
may be stored in multiple locations, that the control information
may be stored in multiple locations for purposes of redundancy, for
example, or that the control information may otherwise be
distributed across multiple memory blocks in the storage drive
171A-F.
[0028] In implementations, storage array controllers 110 may
offload device management responsibilities from storage drives
171A-F of storage array 102A-B by retrieving, from the storage
drives 171A-F, control information describing the state of one or
more memory blocks in the storage drives 171A-F. Retrieving the
control information from the storage drives 171A-F may be carried
out, for example, by the storage array controller 110 querying the
storage drives 171A-F for the location of control information for a
particular storage drive 171A-F. The storage drives 171A-F may be
configured to execute instructions that enable the storage drive
171A-F to identify the location of the control information. The
instructions may be executed by a controller (not shown) associated
with or otherwise located on the storage drive 171A-F and may cause
the storage drive 171A-F to scan a portion of each memory block to
identify the memory blocks that store control information for the
storage drives 171A-F. The storage drives 171A-F may respond by
sending a response message to the storage array controller 110 that
includes the location of control information for the storage drive
171A-F. Responsive to receiving the response message, storage array
controllers 110 may issue a request to read data stored at the
address associated with the location of control information for the
storage drives 171A-F.
[0029] In other implementations, the storage array controllers 110
may further offload device management responsibilities from storage
drives 171A-F by performing, in response to receiving the control
information, a storage drive management operation. A storage drive
management operation may include, for example, an operation that is
typically performed by the storage drive 171A-F (e.g., the
controller (not shown) associated with a particular storage drive
171A-F). A storage drive management operation may include, for
example, ensuring that data is not written to failed memory blocks
within the storage drive 171A-F, ensuring that data is written to
memory blocks within the storage drive 171A-F in such a way that
adequate wear leveling is achieved, and so forth.
[0030] In implementations, storage array 102A-B may implement two
or more storage array controllers 110. For example, storage array
102A may include storage array controllers 110A and storage array
controllers 110B. At a given instance, a single storage array
controller 110 (e.g., storage array controller 110A) of a storage
system 100 may be designated with primary status (also referred to
as "primary controller" herein), and other storage array
controllers 110 (e.g., storage array controller 110A) may be
designated with secondary status (also referred to as "secondary
controller" herein). The primary controller may have particular
rights, such as permission to alter data in persistent storage
resource 170A-B (e.g., writing data to persistent storage resource
170A-B). At least some of the rights of the primary controller may
supersede the rights of the secondary controller. For instance, the
secondary controller may not have permission to alter data in
persistent storage resource 170A-B when the primary controller has
the right. The status of storage array controllers 110 may change.
For example, storage array controller 110A may be designated with
secondary status, and storage array controller 110B may be
designated with primary status.
[0031] In some implementations, a primary controller, such as
storage array controller 110A, may serve as the primary controller
for one or more storage arrays 102A-B, and a second controller,
such as storage array controller 110B, may serve as the secondary
controller for the one or more storage arrays 102A-B. For example,
storage array controller 110A may be the primary controller for
storage array 102A and storage array 102B, and storage array
controller 110B may be the secondary controller for storage array
102A and 102B. In some implementations, storage array controllers
110C and 110D (also referred to as "storage processing modules")
may neither have primary or secondary status. Storage array
controllers 110C and 110D, implemented as storage processing
modules, may act as a communication interface between the primary
and secondary controllers (e.g., storage array controllers 110A and
110B, respectively) and storage array 102B. For example, storage
array controller 110A of storage array 102A may send a write
request, via SAN 158, to storage array 102B. The write request may
be received by both storage array controllers 110C and 110D of
storage array 102B. Storage array controllers 110C and 110D
facilitate the communication, e.g., send the write request to the
appropriate storage drive 171A-F. It may be noted that in some
implementations storage processing modules may be used to increase
the number of storage drives controlled by the primary and
secondary controllers.
[0032] In implementations, storage array controllers 110 are
communicatively coupled, via a midplane (not shown), to one or more
storage drives 171A-F and to one or more NVRAM devices (not shown)
that are included as part of a storage array 102A-B. The storage
array controllers 110 may be coupled to the midplane via one or
more data communication links and the midplane may be coupled to
the storage drives 171A-F and the NVRAM devices via one or more
data communications links. The data communications links described
herein are collectively illustrated by data communications links
108A-D and may include a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express
(`PCIe`) bus, for example.
[0033] FIG. 1B illustrates an example system for data storage, in
accordance with some implementations. Storage array controller 101
illustrated in FIG. 1B may be similar to the storage array
controllers 110 described with respect to FIG. 1A. In one example,
storage array controller 101 may be similar to storage array
controller 110A or storage array controller 110B. Storage array
controller 101 includes numerous elements for purposes of
illustration rather than limitation. It may be noted that storage
array controller 101 may include the same, more, or fewer elements
configured in the same or different manner in other
implementations. It may be noted that elements of FIG. 1A may be
included below to help illustrate features of storage array
controller 101.
[0034] Storage array controller 101 may include one or more
processing devices 104 and random access memory (`RAM`) 111.
Processing device 104 (or controller 101) represents one or more
general-purpose processing devices such as a microprocessor,
central processing unit, or the like. More particularly, the
processing device 104 (or controller 101) may be a complex
instruction set computing (`CISC`) microprocessor, reduced
instruction set computing (`RISC`) microprocessor, very long
instruction word (`VLIW`) microprocessor, or a processor
implementing other instruction sets or processors implementing a
combination of instruction sets. The processing device 104 (or
controller 101) may also be one or more special-purpose processing
devices such as an application specific integrated circuit
(`ASIC`), a field programmable gate array (`FPGA`), a digital
signal processor (`DSP`), network processor, or the like.
[0035] The processing device 104 may be connected to the RAM 111
via a data communications link 106, which may be embodied as a high
speed memory bus such as a Double-Data Rate 4 (`DDR4`) bus. Stored
in RAM 111 is an operating system 112. In some implementations,
instructions 113 are stored in RAM 111. Instructions 113 may
include computer program instructions for performing operations in
in a direct-mapped flash storage system. In one embodiment, a
direct-mapped flash storage system is one that that addresses data
blocks within flash drives directly and without an address
translation performed by the storage controllers of the flash
drives.
[0036] In implementations, storage array controller 101 includes
one or more host bus adapters 103A-C that are coupled to the
processing device 104 via a data communications link 105A-C. In
implementations, host bus adapters 103A-C may be computer hardware
that connects a host system (e.g., the storage array controller) to
other network and storage arrays. In some examples, host bus
adapters 103A-C may be a Fibre Channel adapter that enables the
storage array controller 101 to connect to a SAN, an Ethernet
adapter that enables the storage array controller 101 to connect to
a LAN, or the like. Host bus adapters 103A-C may be coupled to the
processing device 104 via a data communications link 105A-C such
as, for example, a PCIe bus.
[0037] In implementations, storage array controller 101 may include
a host bus adapter 114 that is coupled to an expander 115. The
expander 115 may be used to attach a host system to a larger number
of storage drives. The expander 115 may, for example, be a SAS
expander utilized to enable the host bus adapter 114 to attach to
storage drives in an implementation where the host bus adapter 114
is embodied as a SAS controller.
[0038] In implementations, storage array controller 101 may include
a switch 116 coupled to the processing device 104 via a data
communications link 109. The switch 116 may be a computer hardware
device that can create multiple endpoints out of a single endpoint,
thereby enabling multiple devices to share a single endpoint. The
switch 116 may, for example, be a PCIe switch that is coupled to a
PCIe bus (e.g., data communications link 109) and presents multiple
PCIe connection points to the midplane.
[0039] In implementations, storage array controller 101 includes a
data communications link 107 for coupling the storage array
controller 101 to other storage array controllers. In some
examples, data communications link 107 may be a QuickPath
Interconnect (QPI) interconnect.
[0040] A traditional storage system that uses traditional flash
drives may implement a process across the flash drives that are
part of the traditional storage system. For example, a higher level
process of the storage system may initiate and control a process
across the flash drives. However, a flash drive of the traditional
storage system may include its own storage controller that also
performs the process. Thus, for the traditional storage system, a
higher level process (e.g., initiated by the storage system) and a
lower level process (e.g., initiated by a storage controller of the
storage system) may both be performed.
[0041] To resolve various deficiencies of a traditional storage
system, operations may be performed by higher level processes and
not by the lower level processes. For example, the flash storage
system may include flash drives that do not include storage
controllers that provide the process. Thus, the operating system of
the flash storage system itself may initiate and control the
process. This may be accomplished by a direct-mapped flash storage
system that addresses data blocks within the flash drives directly
and without an address translation performed by the storage
controllers of the flash drives.
[0042] The operating system of the flash storage system may
identify and maintain a list of allocation units across multiple
flash drives of the flash storage system. The allocation units may
be entire erase blocks or multiple erase blocks. The operating
system may maintain a map or address range that directly maps
addresses to erase blocks of the flash drives of the flash storage
system.
[0043] Direct mapping to the erase blocks of the flash drives may
be used to rewrite data and erase data. For example, the operations
may be performed on one or more allocation units that include a
first data and a second data where the first data is to be retained
and the second data is no longer being used by the flash storage
system. The operating system may initiate the process to write the
first data to new locations within other allocation units and
erasing the second data and marking the allocation units as being
available for use for subsequent data. Thus, the process may only
be performed by the higher level operating system of the flash
storage system without an additional lower level process being
performed by controllers of the flash drives.
[0044] Advantages of the process being performed only by the
operating system of the flash storage system include increased
reliability of the flash drives of the flash storage system as
unnecessary or redundant write operations are not being performed
during the process. One possible point of novelty here is the
concept of initiating and controlling the process at the operating
system of the flash storage system. In addition, the process can be
controlled by the operating system across multiple flash drives.
This is contrast to the process being performed by a storage
controller of a flash drive.
[0045] A storage system can consist of two storage array
controllers that share a set of drives for failover purposes, or it
could consist of a single storage array controller that provides a
storage service that utilizes multiple drives, or it could consist
of a distributed network of storage array controllers each with
some number of drives or some amount of Flash storage where the
storage array controllers in the network collaborate to provide a
complete storage service and collaborate on various aspects of a
storage service including storage allocation and garbage
collection.
[0046] FIG. 1C illustrates a third example system 117 for data
storage in accordance with some implementations. System 117 (also
referred to as "storage system" herein) includes numerous elements
for purposes of illustration rather than limitation. It may be
noted that system 117 may include the same, more, or fewer elements
configured in the same or different manner in other
implementations.
[0047] In one embodiment, system 117 includes a dual Peripheral
Component Interconnect (PCP) flash storage device 118 with
separately addressable fast write storage. System 117 may include a
storage controller 119. In one embodiment, storage controller 119
may be a CPU, ASIC, FPGA, or any other circuitry that may implement
control structures necessary according to the present disclosure.
In one embodiment, system 117 includes flash memory devices (e.g.,
including flash memory devices 120a-n), operatively coupled to
various channels of the storage device controller 119. Flash memory
devices 120a-n, may be presented to the controller 119 as an
addressable collection of Flash pages, erase blocks, and/or control
elements sufficient to allow the storage device controller 119 to
program and retrieve various aspects of the Flash. In one
embodiment, storage device controller 119 may perform operations on
flash memory devices 120A-N including storing and retrieving data
content of pages, arranging and erasing any blocks, tracking
statistics related to the use and reuse of Flash memory pages,
erase blocks, and cells, tracking and predicting error codes and
faults within the Flash memory, controlling voltage levels
associated with programming and retrieving contents of Flash cells,
etc.
[0048] In one embodiment, system 117 may include RAM 121 to store
separately addressable fast-write data. In one embodiment, RAM 121
may be one or more separate discrete devices. In another
embodiment, RAM 121 may be integrated into storage device
controller 119 or multiple storage device controllers. The RAM 121
may be utilized for other purposes as well, such as temporary
program memory for a processing device (e.g., a CPU) in the storage
device controller 119.
[0049] In one embodiment, system 119 may include a stored energy
device 122, such as a rechargeable battery or a capacitor. Stored
energy device 122 may store energy sufficient to power the storage
device controller 119, some amount of the RAM (e.g., RAM 121), and
some amount of Flash memory (e.g., Flash memory 120a-120n) for
sufficient time to write the contents of RAM to Flash memory. In
one embodiment, storage device controller 119 may write the
contents of RAM to Flash Memory if the storage device controller
detects loss of external power.
[0050] In one embodiment, system 117 includes two data
communications links 123a, 123b. In one embodiment, data
communications links 123a, 123b may be PCI interfaces. In another
embodiment, data communications links 123a, 123b may be based on
other communications standards (e.g., HyperTransport, InfiniBand,
etc.). Data communications links 123a, 123b may be based on
non-volatile memory express (`NVMe`) or NVMe over fabrics (`NVMf`)
specifications that allow external connection to the storage device
controller 119 from other components in the storage system 117. It
should be noted that data communications links may be
interchangeably referred to herein as PCI buses for
convenience.
[0051] System 117 may also include an external power source (not
shown), which may be provided over one or both data communications
links 123a, 123b, or which may be provided separately. An
alternative embodiment includes a separate Flash memory (not shown)
dedicated for use in storing the content of RAM 121. The storage
device controller 119 may present a logical device over a PCI bus
which may include an addressable fast-write logical device, or a
distinct part of the logical address space of the storage device
118, which may be presented as PCI memory or as persistent storage.
In one embodiment, operations to store into the device are directed
into the RAM 121. On power failure, the storage device controller
119 may write stored content associated with the addressable
fast-write logical storage to Flash memory (e.g., Flash memory
120a-n) for long-term persistent storage.
[0052] In one embodiment, the logical device may include some
presentation of some or all of the content of the Flash memory
devices 120a-n, where that presentation allows a storage system
including a storage device 118 (e.g., storage system 117) to
directly address Flash memory pages and directly reprogram erase
blocks from storage system components that are external to the
storage device through the PCI bus. The presentation may also allow
one or more of the external components to control and retrieve
other aspects of the Flash memory including some or all of:
tracking statistics related to use and reuse of Flash memory pages,
erase blocks, and cells across all the Flash memory devices;
tracking and predicting error codes and faults within and across
the Flash memory devices; controlling voltage levels associated
with programming and retrieving contents of Flash cells; etc.
[0053] In one embodiment, the stored energy device 122 may be
sufficient to ensure completion of in-progress operations to the
Flash memory devices 107a-120n stored energy device 122 may power
storage device controller 119 and associated Flash memory devices
(e.g., 120a-n) for those operations, as well as for the storing of
fast-write RAM to Flash memory. Stored energy device 122 may be
used to store accumulated statistics and other parameters kept and
tracked by the Flash memory devices 120a-n and/or the storage
device controller 119. Separate capacitors or stored energy devices
(such as smaller capacitors near or embedded within the Flash
memory devices themselves) may be used for some or all of the
operations described herein.
[0054] Various schemes may be used to track and optimize the life
span of the stored energy component, such as adjusting voltage
levels over time, partially discharging the storage energy device
122 to measure corresponding discharge characteristics, etc. If the
available energy decreases over time, the effective available
capacity of the addressable fast-write storage may be decreased to
ensure that it can be written safely based on the currently
available stored energy.
[0055] FIG. 1D illustrates a third example system 124 for data
storage in accordance with some implementations. In one embodiment,
system 124 includes storage controllers 125a, 125b. In one
embodiment, storage controllers 125a, 125b are operatively coupled
to Dual PCI storage devices 119a, 119b and 119c, 119d,
respectively. Storage controllers 125a, 125b may be operatively
coupled (e.g., via a storage network 130) to some number of host
computers 127a-n.
[0056] In one embodiment, two storage controllers (e.g., 125a and
125b) provide storage services, such as a SCS) block storage array,
a file server, an object server, a database or data analytics
service, etc. The storage controllers 125a, 125b may provide
services through some number of network interfaces (e.g., 126a-d)
to host computers 127a-n outside of the storage system 124. Storage
controllers 125a, 125b may provide integrated services or an
application entirely within the storage system 124, forming a
converged storage and compute system. The storage controllers 125a,
125b may utilize the fast write memory within or across storage
devices 119a-d to journal in progress operations to ensure the
operations are not lost on a power failure, storage controller
removal, storage controller or storage system shutdown, or some
fault of one or more software or hardware components within the
storage system 124.
[0057] In one embodiment, controllers 125a, 125b operate as PCI
masters to one or the other PCI buses 128a, 128b. In another
embodiment, 128a and 128b may be based on other communications
standards (e.g., HyperTransport, InfiniBand, etc.). Other storage
system embodiments may operate storage controllers 125a, 125b as
multi-masters for both PCI buses 128a, 128b. Alternately, a
PCI/NVMe/NVMf switching infrastructure or fabric may connect
multiple storage controllers. Some storage system embodiments may
allow storage devices to communicate with each other directly
rather than communicating only with storage controllers. In one
embodiment, a storage device controller 119a may be operable under
direction from a storage controller 125a to synthesize and transfer
data to be stored into Flash memory devices from data that has been
stored in RAM (e.g., RAM 121 of FIG. 1C). For example, a
recalculated version of RAM content may be transferred after a
storage controller has determined that an operation has fully
committed across the storage system, or when fast-write memory on
the device has reached a certain used capacity, or after a certain
amount of time, to ensure improve safety of the data or to release
addressable fast-write capacity for reuse. This mechanism may be
used, for example, to avoid a second transfer over a bus (e.g.,
128a, 128b) from the storage controllers 125a, 125b. In one
embodiment, a recalculation may include compressing data, attaching
indexing or other metadata, combining multiple data segments
together, performing erasure code calculations, etc.
[0058] In one embodiment, under direction from a storage controller
125a, 125b, a storage device controller 119a, 119b may be operable
to calculate and transfer data to other storage devices from data
stored in RAM (e.g., RAM 121 of FIG. 1C) without involvement of the
storage controllers 125a, 125b. This operation may be used to
mirror data stored in one controller 125a to another controller
125b, or it could be used to offload compression, data aggregation,
and/or erasure coding calculations and transfers to storage devices
to reduce load on storage controllers or the storage controller
interface 129a, 129b to the PCI bus 128a, 128b.
[0059] A storage device controller 119 may include mechanisms for
implementing high availability primitives for use by other parts of
a storage system external to the Dual PCI storage device 118. For
example, reservation or exclusion primitives may be provided so
that, in a storage system with two storage controllers providing a
highly available storage service, one storage controller may
prevent the other storage controller from accessing or continuing
to access the storage device. This could be used, for example, in
cases where one controller detects that the other controller is not
functioning properly or where the interconnect between the two
storage controllers may itself not be functioning properly.
[0060] In one embodiment, a storage system for use with Dual PCI
direct mapped storage devices with separately addressable fast
write storage includes systems that manage erase blocks or groups
of erase blocks as allocation units for storing data on behalf of
the storage service, or for storing metadata (e.g., indexes, logs,
etc.) associated with the storage service, or for proper management
of the storage system itself. Flash pages, which may be a few
kilobytes in size, may be written as data arrives or as the storage
system is to persist data for long intervals of time (e.g., above a
defined threshold of time). To commit data more quickly, or to
reduce the number of writes to the Flash memory devices, the
storage controllers may first write data into the separately
addressable fast write storage on one more storage devices.
[0061] In one embodiment, the storage controllers 125a, 125b may
initiate the use of erase blocks within and across storage devices
(e.g., 118) in accordance with an age and expected remaining
lifespan of the storage devices, or based on other statistics. The
storage controllers 125a, 125b may initiate garbage collection and
data migration data between storage devices in accordance with
pages that are no longer needed as well as to manage Flash page and
erase block lifespans and to manage overall system performance.
[0062] In one embodiment, the storage system 124 may utilize
mirroring and/or erasure coding schemes as part of storing data
into addressable fast write storage and/or as part of writing data
into allocation units associated with erase blocks. Erasure codes
may be used across storage devices, as well as within erase blocks
or allocation units, or within and across Flash memory devices on a
single storage device, to provide redundancy against single or
multiple storage device failures or to protect against internal
corruptions of Flash memory pages resulting from Flash memory
operations or from degradation of Flash memory cells. Mirroring and
erasure coding at various levels may be used to recover from
multiple types of failures that occur separately or in
combination.
[0063] The embodiments depicted with reference to FIGS. 2A-G
illustrate a storage cluster that stores user data, such as user
data originating from one or more user or client systems or other
sources external to the storage cluster. The storage cluster
distributes user data across storage nodes housed within a chassis,
or across multiple chassis, using erasure coding and redundant
copies of metadata. Erasure coding refers to a method of data
protection or reconstruction in which data is stored across a set
of different locations, such as disks, storage nodes or geographic
locations. Flash memory is one type of solid-state memory that may
be integrated with the embodiments, although the embodiments may be
extended to other types of solid-state memory or other storage
medium, including non-solid state memory. Control of storage
locations and workloads are distributed across the storage
locations in a clustered peer-to-peer system. Tasks such as
mediating communications between the various storage nodes,
detecting when a storage node has become unavailable, and balancing
I/Os (inputs and outputs) across the various storage nodes, are all
handled on a distributed basis. Data is laid out or distributed
across multiple storage nodes in data fragments or stripes that
support data recovery in some embodiments. Ownership of data can be
reassigned within a cluster, independent of input and output
patterns. This architecture described in more detail below allows a
storage node in the cluster to fail, with the system remaining
operational, since the data can be reconstructed from other storage
nodes and thus remain available for input and output operations. In
various embodiments, a storage node may be referred to as a cluster
node, a blade, or a server.
[0064] The storage cluster may be contained within a chassis, i.e.,
an enclosure housing one or more storage nodes. A mechanism to
provide power to each storage node, such as a power distribution
bus, and a communication mechanism, such as a communication bus
that enables communication between the storage nodes are included
within the chassis. The storage cluster can run as an independent
system in one location according to some embodiments. In one
embodiment, a chassis contains at least two instances of both the
power distribution and the communication bus which may be enabled
or disabled independently. The internal communication bus may be an
Ethernet bus, however, other technologies such as PCIe, InfiniBand,
and others, are equally suitable. The chassis provides a port for
an external communication bus for enabling communication between
multiple chassis, directly or through a switch, and with client
systems. The external communication may use a technology such as
Ethernet, InfiniBand, Fibre Channel, etc. In some embodiments, the
external communication bus uses different communication bus
technologies for inter-chassis and client communication. If a
switch is deployed within or between chassis, the switch may act as
a translation between multiple protocols or technologies. When
multiple chassis are connected to define a storage cluster, the
storage cluster may be accessed by a client using either
proprietary interfaces or standard interfaces such as network file
system (`NFS`), common internet file system (`CIFS`), small
computer system interface (`SCSI`) or hypertext transfer protocol
(`HTTP`). Translation from the client protocol may occur at the
switch, chassis external communication bus or within each storage
node. In some embodiments, multiple chassis may be coupled or
connected to each other through an aggregator switch. A portion
and/or all of the coupled or connected chassis may be designated as
a storage cluster. As discussed above, each chassis can have
multiple blades, each blade has a media access control (`MAC`)
address, but the storage cluster is presented to an external
network as having a single cluster IP address and a single MAC
address in some embodiments.
[0065] Each storage node may be one or more storage servers and
each storage server is connected to one or more non-volatile solid
state memory units, which may be referred to as storage units or
storage devices. One embodiment includes a single storage server in
each storage node and between one to eight non-volatile solid state
memory units, however this one example is not meant to be limiting.
The storage server may include a processor, DRAM and interfaces for
the internal communication bus and power distribution for each of
the power buses. Inside the storage node, the interfaces and
storage unit share a communication bus, e.g., PCI Express, in some
embodiments. The non-volatile solid state memory units may directly
access the internal communication bus interface through a storage
node communication bus, or request the storage node to access the
bus interface. The non-volatile solid state memory unit contains an
embedded CPU, solid state storage controller, and a quantity of
solid state mass storage, e.g., between 2-32 terabytes (`TB`) in
some embodiments. An embedded volatile storage medium, such as
DRAM, and an energy reserve apparatus are included in the
non-volatile solid state memory unit. In some embodiments, the
energy reserve apparatus is a capacitor, super-capacitor, or
battery that enables transferring a subset of DRAM contents to a
stable storage medium in the case of power loss. In some
embodiments, the non-volatile solid state memory unit is
constructed with a storage class memory, such as phase change or
magnetoresistive random access memory (`MRAM`) that substitutes for
DRAM and enables a reduced power hold-up apparatus.
[0066] One of many features of the storage nodes and non-volatile
solid state storage is the ability to proactively rebuild data in a
storage cluster. The storage nodes and non-volatile solid state
storage can determine when a storage node or non-volatile solid
state storage in the storage cluster is unreachable, independent of
whether there is an attempt to read data involving that storage
node or non-volatile solid state storage. The storage nodes and
non-volatile solid state storage then cooperate to recover and
rebuild the data in at least partially new locations. This
constitutes a proactive rebuild, in that the system rebuilds data
without waiting until the data is needed for a read access
initiated from a client system employing the storage cluster. These
and further details of the storage memory and operation thereof are
discussed below.
[0067] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a storage cluster 161, with
multiple storage nodes 150 and internal solid-state memory coupled
to each storage node to provide network attached storage or storage
area network, in accordance with some embodiments. A network
attached storage, storage area network, or a storage cluster, or
other storage memory, could include one or more storage clusters
161, each having one or more storage nodes 150, in a flexible and
reconfigurable arrangement of both the physical components and the
amount of storage memory provided thereby. The storage cluster 161
is designed to fit in a rack, and one or more racks can be set up
and populated as desired for the storage memory. The storage
cluster 161 has a chassis 138 having multiple slots 142. It should
be appreciated that chassis 138 may be referred to as a housing,
enclosure, or rack unit. In one embodiment, the chassis 138 has
fourteen slots 142, although other numbers of slots are readily
devised. For example, some embodiments have four slots, eight
slots, sixteen slots, thirty-two slots, or other suitable number of
slots. Each slot 142 can accommodate one storage node 150 in some
embodiments. Chassis 138 includes flaps 148 that can be utilized to
mount the chassis 138 on a rack. Fans 144 provide air circulation
for cooling of the storage nodes 150 and components thereof,
although other cooling components could be used, or an embodiment
could be devised without cooling components. A switch fabric 146
couples storage nodes 150 within chassis 138 together and to a
network for communication to the memory. In an embodiment depicted
in herein, the slots 142 to the left of the switch fabric 146 and
fans 144 are shown occupied by storage nodes 150, while the slots
142 to the right of the switch fabric 146 and fans 144 are empty
and available for insertion of storage node 150 for illustrative
purposes. This configuration is one example, and one or more
storage nodes 150 could occupy the slots 142 in various further
arrangements. The storage node arrangements need not be sequential
or adjacent in some embodiments. Storage nodes 150 are hot
pluggable, meaning that a storage node 150 can be inserted into a
slot 142 in the chassis 138, or removed from a slot 142, without
stopping or powering down the system. Upon insertion or removal of
storage node 150 from slot 142, the system automatically
reconfigures in order to recognize and adapt to the change.
Reconfiguration, in some embodiments, includes restoring redundancy
and/or rebalancing data or load.
[0068] Each storage node 150 can have multiple components. In the
embodiment shown here, the storage node 150 includes a printed
circuit board 159 populated by a CPU 156, i.e., processor, a memory
154 coupled to the CPU 156, and a non-volatile solid state storage
152 coupled to the CPU 156, although other mountings and/or
components could be used in further embodiments. The memory 154 has
instructions which are executed by the CPU 156 and/or data operated
on by the CPU 156. As further explained below, the non-volatile
solid state storage 152 includes flash or, in further embodiments,
other types of solid-state memory.
[0069] Referring to FIG. 2A, storage cluster 161 is scalable,
meaning that storage capacity with non-uniform storage sizes is
readily added, as described above. One or more storage nodes 150
can be plugged into or removed from each chassis and the storage
cluster self-configures in some embodiments. Plug-in storage nodes
150, whether installed in a chassis as delivered or later added,
can have different sizes. For example, in one embodiment a storage
node 150 can have any multiple of 4 TB, e.g., 8 TB, 12 TB, 16 TB,
32 TB, etc. In further embodiments, a storage node 150 could have
any multiple of other storage amounts or capacities. Storage
capacity of each storage node 150 is broadcast, and influences
decisions of how to stripe the data. For maximum storage
efficiency, an embodiment can self-configure as wide as possible in
the stripe, subject to a predetermined requirement of continued
operation with loss of up to one, or up to two, non-volatile solid
state storage units 152 or storage nodes 150 within the
chassis.
[0070] FIG. 2B is a block diagram showing a communications
interconnect 171A-F and power distribution bus 172 coupling
multiple storage nodes 150. Referring back to FIG. 2A, the
communications interconnect 171A-F can be included in or
implemented with the switch fabric 146 in some embodiments. Where
multiple storage clusters 161 occupy a rack, the communications
interconnect 171A-F can be included in or implemented with a top of
rack switch, in some embodiments. As illustrated in FIG. 2B,
storage cluster 161 is enclosed within a single chassis 138.
External port 176 is coupled to storage nodes 150 through
communications interconnect 171A-F, while external port 174 is
coupled directly to a storage node. External power port 178 is
coupled to power distribution bus 172. Storage nodes 150 may
include varying amounts and differing capacities of non-volatile
solid state storage 152 as described with reference to FIG. 2A. In
addition, one or more storage nodes 150 may be a compute only
storage node as illustrated in FIG. 2B. Authorities 168 are
implemented on the non-volatile solid state storages 152, for
example as lists or other data structures stored in memory. In some
embodiments the authorities are stored within the non-volatile
solid state storage 152 and supported by software executing on a
controller or other processor of the non-volatile solid state
storage 152. In a further embodiment, authorities 168 are
implemented on the storage nodes 150, for example as lists or other
data structures stored in the memory 154 and supported by software
executing on the CPU 156 of the storage node 150. Authorities 168
control how and where data is stored in the non-volatile solid
state storages 152 in some embodiments. This control assists in
determining which type of erasure coding scheme is applied to the
data, and which storage nodes 150 have which portions of the data.
Each authority 168 may be assigned to a non-volatile solid state
storage 152. Each authority may control a range of inode numbers,
segment numbers, or other data identifiers which are assigned to
data by a file system, by the storage nodes 150, or by the
non-volatile solid state storage 152, in various embodiments.
[0071] Every piece of data, and every piece of metadata, has
redundancy in the system in some embodiments. In addition, every
piece of data and every piece of metadata has an owner, which may
be referred to as an authority. If that authority is unreachable,
for example through failure of a storage node, there is a plan of
succession for how to find that data or that metadata. In various
embodiments, there are redundant copies of authorities 168.
Authorities 168 have a relationship to storage nodes 150 and
non-volatile solid state storage 152 in some embodiments. Each
authority 168, covering a range of data segment numbers or other
identifiers of the data, may be assigned to a specific non-volatile
solid state storage 152. In some embodiments the authorities 168
for all of such ranges are distributed over the non-volatile solid
state storages 152 of a storage cluster. Each storage node 150 has
a network port that provides access to the non-volatile solid state
storage(s) 152 of that storage node 150. Data can be stored in a
segment, which is associated with a segment number and that segment
number is an indirection for a configuration of a RAID (redundant
array of independent disks) stripe in some embodiments. The
assignment and use of the authorities 168 thus establishes an
indirection to data. Indirection may be referred to as the ability
to reference data indirectly, in this case via an authority 168, in
accordance with some embodiments. A segment identifies a set of
non-volatile solid state storage 152 and a local identifier into
the set of non-volatile solid state storage 152 that may contain
data. In some embodiments, the local identifier is an offset into
the device and may be reused sequentially by multiple segments. In
other embodiments the local identifier is unique for a specific
segment and never reused. The offsets in the non-volatile solid
state storage 152 are applied to locating data for writing to or
reading from the non-volatile solid state storage 152 (in the form
of a RAID stripe). Data is striped across multiple units of
non-volatile solid state storage 152, which may include or be
different from the non-volatile solid state storage 152 having the
authority 168 for a particular data segment.
[0072] If there is a change in where a particular segment of data
is located, e.g., during a data move or a data reconstruction, the
authority 168 for that data segment should be consulted, at that
non-volatile solid state storage 152 or storage node 150 having
that authority 168. In order to locate a particular piece of data,
embodiments calculate a hash value for a data segment or apply an
inode number or a data segment number. The output of this operation
points to a non-volatile solid state storage 152 having the
authority 168 for that particular piece of data. In some
embodiments there are two stages to this operation. The first stage
maps an entity identifier (ID), e.g., a segment number, inode
number, or directory number to an authority identifier. This
mapping may include a calculation such as a hash or a bit mask. The
second stage is mapping the authority identifier to a particular
non-volatile solid state storage 152, which may be done through an
explicit mapping. The operation is repeatable, so that when the
calculation is performed, the result of the calculation repeatably
and reliably points to a particular non-volatile solid state
storage 152 having that authority 168. The operation may include
the set of reachable storage nodes as input. If the set of
reachable non-volatile solid state storage units changes the
optimal set changes. In some embodiments, the persisted value is
the current assignment (which is always true) and the calculated
value is the target assignment the cluster will attempt to
reconfigure towards. This calculation may be used to determine the
optimal non-volatile solid state storage 152 for an authority in
the presence of a set of non-volatile solid state storage 152 that
are reachable and constitute the same cluster. The calculation also
determines an ordered set of peer non-volatile solid state storage
152 that will also record the authority to non-volatile solid state
storage mapping so that the authority may be determined even if the
assigned non-volatile solid state storage is unreachable. A
duplicate or substitute authority 168 may be consulted if a
specific authority 168 is unavailable in some embodiments.
[0073] With reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B, two of the many tasks of
the CPU 156 on a storage node 150 are to break up write data, and
reassemble read data. When the system has determined that data is
to be written, the authority 168 for that data is located as above.
When the segment ID for data is already determined the request to
write is forwarded to the non-volatile solid state storage 152
currently determined to be the host of the authority 168 determined
from the segment. The host CPU 156 of the storage node 150, on
which the non-volatile solid state storage 152 and corresponding
authority 168 reside, then breaks up or shards the data and
transmits the data out to various non-volatile solid state storage
152. The transmitted data is written as a data stripe in accordance
with an erasure coding scheme. In some embodiments, data is
requested to be pulled, and in other embodiments, data is pushed.
In reverse, when data is read, the authority 168 for the segment ID
containing the data is located as described above. The host CPU 156
of the storage node 150 on which the non-volatile solid state
storage 152 and corresponding authority 168 reside requests the
data from the non-volatile solid state storage and corresponding
storage nodes pointed to by the authority. In some embodiments the
data is read from flash storage as a data stripe. The host CPU 156
of storage node 150 then reassembles the read data, correcting any
errors (if present) according to the appropriate erasure coding
scheme, and forwards the reassembled data to the network. In
further embodiments, some or all of these tasks can be handled in
the non-volatile solid state storage 152. In some embodiments, the
segment host requests the data be sent to storage node 150 by
requesting pages from storage and then sending the data to the
storage node making the original request.
[0074] In some systems, for example in UNIX-style file systems,
data is handled with an index node or inode, which specifies a data
structure that represents an object in a file system. The object
could be a file or a directory, for example. Metadata may accompany
the object, as attributes such as permission data and a creation
timestamp, among other attributes. A segment number could be
assigned to all or a portion of such an object in a file system. In
other systems, data segments are handled with a segment number
assigned elsewhere. For purposes of discussion, the unit of
distribution is an entity, and an entity can be a file, a directory
or a segment. That is, entities are units of data or metadata
stored by a storage system. Entities are grouped into sets called
authorities. Each authority has an authority owner, which is a
storage node that has the exclusive right to update the entities in
the authority. In other words, a storage node contains the
authority, and that the authority, in turn, contains entities.
[0075] A segment is a logical container of data in accordance with
some embodiments. A segment is an address space between medium
address space and physical flash locations, i.e., the data segment
number, are in this address space. Segments may also contain
meta-data, which enable data redundancy to be restored (rewritten
to different flash locations or devices) without the involvement of
higher level software. In one embodiment, an internal format of a
segment contains client data and medium mappings to determine the
position of that data. Each data segment is protected, e.g., from
memory and other failures, by breaking the segment into a number of
data and parity shards, where applicable. The data and parity
shards are distributed, i.e., striped, across non-volatile solid
state storage 152 coupled to the host CPUs 156 (See FIGS. 2E and
2G) in accordance with an erasure coding scheme. Usage of the term
segments refers to the container and its place in the address space
of segments in some embodiments. Usage of the term stripe refers to
the same set of shards as a segment and includes how the shards are
distributed along with redundancy or parity information in
accordance with some embodiments.
[0076] A series of address-space transformations takes place across
an entire storage system. At the top are the directory entries
(file names) which link to an inode. Inodes point into medium
address space, where data is logically stored. Medium addresses may
be mapped through a series of indirect mediums to spread the load
of large files, or implement data services like deduplication or
snapshots. Medium addresses may be mapped through a series of
indirect mediums to spread the load of large files, or implement
data services like deduplication or snapshots. Segment addresses
are then translated into physical flash locations. Physical flash
locations have an address range bounded by the amount of flash in
the system in accordance with some embodiments. Medium addresses
and segment addresses are logical containers, and in some
embodiments use a 128 bit or larger identifier so as to be
practically infinite, with a likelihood of reuse calculated as
longer than the expected life of the system. Addresses from logical
containers are allocated in a hierarchical fashion in some
embodiments. Initially, each non-volatile solid state storage unit
152 may be assigned a range of address space. Within this assigned
range, the non-volatile solid state storage 152 is able to allocate
addresses without synchronization with other non-volatile solid
state storage 152.
[0077] Data and metadata is stored by a set of underlying storage
layouts that are optimized for varying workload patterns and
storage devices. These layouts incorporate multiple redundancy
schemes, compression formats and index algorithms. Some of these
layouts store information about authorities and authority masters,
while others store file metadata and file data. The redundancy
schemes include error correction codes that tolerate corrupted bits
within a single storage device (such as a NAND flash chip), erasure
codes that tolerate the failure of multiple storage nodes, and
replication schemes that tolerate data center or regional failures.
In some embodiments, low density parity check (`LDPC`) code is used
within a single storage unit. Reed-Solomon encoding is used within
a storage cluster, and mirroring is used within a storage grid in
some embodiments. Metadata may be stored using an ordered log
structured index (such as a Log Structured Merge Tree), and large
data may not be stored in a log structured layout.
[0078] In order to maintain consistency across multiple copies of
an entity, the storage nodes agree implicitly on two things through
calculations: (1) the authority that contains the entity, and (2)
the storage node that contains the authority. The assignment of
entities to authorities can be done by pseudo randomly assigning
entities to authorities, by splitting entities into ranges based
upon an externally produced key, or by placing a single entity into
each authority. Examples of pseudorandom schemes are linear hashing
and the Replication Under Scalable Hashing (`RUSH`) family of
hashes, including Controlled Replication Under Scalable Hashing
(`CRUSH`). In some embodiments, pseudo-random assignment is
utilized only for assigning authorities to nodes because the set of
nodes can change. The set of authorities cannot change so any
subjective function may be applied in these embodiments. Some
placement schemes automatically place authorities on storage nodes,
while other placement schemes rely on an explicit mapping of
authorities to storage nodes. In some embodiments, a pseudorandom
scheme is utilized to map from each authority to a set of candidate
authority owners. A pseudorandom data distribution function related
to CRUSH may assign authorities to storage nodes and create a list
of where the authorities are assigned. Each storage node has a copy
of the pseudorandom data distribution function, and can arrive at
the same calculation for distributing, and later finding or
locating an authority. Each of the pseudorandom schemes requires
the reachable set of storage nodes as input in some embodiments in
order to conclude the same target nodes. Once an entity has been
placed in an authority, the entity may be stored on physical
devices so that no expected failure will lead to unexpected data
loss. In some embodiments, rebalancing algorithms attempt to store
the copies of all entities within an authority in the same layout
and on the same set of machines.
[0079] Examples of expected failures include device failures,
stolen machines, datacenter fires, and regional disasters, such as
nuclear or geological events. Different failures lead to different
levels of acceptable data loss. In some embodiments, a stolen
storage node impacts neither the security nor the reliability of
the system, while depending on system configuration, a regional
event could lead to no loss of data, a few seconds or minutes of
lost updates, or even complete data loss.
[0080] In the embodiments, the placement of data for storage
redundancy is independent of the placement of authorities for data
consistency. In some embodiments, storage nodes that contain
authorities do not contain any persistent storage. Instead, the
storage nodes are connected to non-volatile solid state storage
units that do not contain authorities. The communications
interconnect between storage nodes and non-volatile solid state
storage units consists of multiple communication technologies and
has non-uniform performance and fault tolerance characteristics. In
some embodiments, as mentioned above, non-volatile solid state
storage units are connected to storage nodes via PCI express,
storage nodes are connected together within a single chassis using
Ethernet backplane, and chassis are connected together to form a
storage cluster. Storage clusters are connected to clients using
Ethernet or fiber channel in some embodiments. If multiple storage
clusters are configured into a storage grid, the multiple storage
clusters are connected using the Internet or other long-distance
networking links, such as a "metro scale" link or private link that
does not traverse the internet.
[0081] Authority owners have the exclusive right to modify
entities, to migrate entities from one non-volatile solid state
storage unit to another non-volatile solid state storage unit, and
to add and remove copies of entities. This allows for maintaining
the redundancy of the underlying data. When an authority owner
fails, is going to be decommissioned, or is overloaded, the
authority is transferred to a new storage node. Transient failures
make it non-trivial to ensure that all non-faulty machines agree
upon the new authority location. The ambiguity that arises due to
transient failures can be achieved automatically by a consensus
protocol such as Paxos, hot-warm failover schemes, via manual
intervention by a remote system administrator, or by a local
hardware administrator (such as by physically removing the failed
machine from the cluster, or pressing a button on the failed
machine). In some embodiments, a consensus protocol is used, and
failover is automatic. If too many failures or replication events
occur in too short a time period, the system goes into a
self-preservation mode and halts replication and data movement
activities until an administrator intervenes in accordance with
some embodiments.
[0082] As authorities are transferred between storage nodes and
authority owners update entities in their authorities, the system
transfers messages between the storage nodes and non-volatile solid
state storage units. With regard to persistent messages, messages
that have different purposes are of different types. Depending on
the type of the message, the system maintains different ordering
and durability guarantees. As the persistent messages are being
processed, the messages are temporarily stored in multiple durable
and non-durable storage hardware technologies. In some embodiments,
messages are stored in RAM, NVRAM and on NAND flash devices, and a
variety of protocols are used in order to make efficient use of
each storage medium. Latency-sensitive client requests may be
persisted in replicated NVRAM, and then later NAND, while
background rebalancing operations are persisted directly to
NAND.
[0083] Persistent messages are persistently stored prior to being
transmitted. This allows the system to continue to serve client
requests despite failures and component replacement. Although many
hardware components contain unique identifiers that are visible to
system administrators, manufacturer, hardware supply chain and
ongoing monitoring quality control infrastructure, applications
running on top of the infrastructure address virtualize addresses.
These virtualized addresses do not change over the lifetime of the
storage system, regardless of component failures and replacements.
This allows each component of the storage system to be replaced
over time without reconfiguration or disruptions of client request
processing, i.e., the system supports non-disruptive upgrades.
[0084] In some embodiments, the virtualized addresses are stored
with sufficient redundancy. A continuous monitoring system
correlates hardware and software status and the hardware
identifiers. This allows detection and prediction of failures due
to faulty components and manufacturing details. The monitoring
system also enables the proactive transfer of authorities and
entities away from impacted devices before failure occurs by
removing the component from the critical path in some
embodiments.
[0085] FIG. 2C is a multiple level block diagram, showing contents
of a storage node 150 and contents of a non-volatile solid state
storage 152 of the storage node 150. Data is communicated to and
from the storage node 150 by a network interface controller (`NIC`)
202 in some embodiments. Each storage node 150 has a CPU 156, and
one or more non-volatile solid state storage 152, as discussed
above. Moving down one level in FIG. 2C, each non-volatile solid
state storage 152 has a relatively fast non-volatile solid state
memory, such as nonvolatile random access memory (`NVRAM`) 204, and
flash memory 206. In some embodiments, NVRAM 204 may be a component
that does not require program/erase cycles (DRAM, MRAM, PCM), and
can be a memory that can support being written vastly more often
than the memory is read from. Moving down another level in FIG. 2C,
the NVRAM 204 is implemented in one embodiment as high speed
volatile memory, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) 216,
backed up by energy reserve 218. Energy reserve 218 provides
sufficient electrical power to keep the DRAM 216 powered long
enough for contents to be transferred to the flash memory 206 in
the event of power failure. In some embodiments, energy reserve 218
is a capacitor, super-capacitor, battery, or other device, that
supplies a suitable supply of energy sufficient to enable the
transfer of the contents of DRAM 216 to a stable storage medium in
the case of power loss. The flash memory 206 is implemented as
multiple flash dies 222, which may be referred to as packages of
flash dies 222 or an array of flash dies 222. It should be
appreciated that the flash dies 222 could be packaged in any number
of ways, with a single die per package, multiple dies per package
(i.e. multichip packages), in hybrid packages, as bare dies on a
printed circuit board or other substrate, as encapsulated dies,
etc. In the embodiment shown, the non-volatile solid state storage
152 has a controller 212 or other processor, and an input output
(I/O) port 210 coupled to the controller 212. I/O port 210 is
coupled to the CPU 156 and/or the network interface controller 202
of the flash storage node 150. Flash input output (I/O) port 220 is
coupled to the flash dies 222, and a direct memory access unit
(DMA) 214 is coupled to the controller 212, the DRAM 216 and the
flash dies 222. In the embodiment shown, the I/O port 210,
controller 212, DMA unit 214 and flash I/O port 220 are implemented
on a programmable logic device (`PLD`) 208, e.g., a field
programmable gate array (FPGA). In this embodiment, each flash die
222 has pages, organized as sixteen kB (kilobyte) pages 224, and a
register 226 through which data can be written to or read from the
flash die 222. In further embodiments, other types of solid-state
memory are used in place of, or in addition to flash memory
illustrated within flash die 222.
[0086] Storage clusters 161, in various embodiments as disclosed
herein, can be contrasted with storage arrays in general. The
storage nodes 150 are part of a collection that creates the storage
cluster 161. Each storage node 150 owns a slice of data and
computing required to provide the data. Multiple storage nodes 150
cooperate to store and retrieve the data. Storage memory or storage
devices, as used in storage arrays in general, are less involved
with processing and manipulating the data. Storage memory or
storage devices in a storage array receive commands to read, write,
or erase data. The storage memory or storage devices in a storage
array are not aware of a larger system in which they are embedded,
or what the data means. Storage memory or storage devices in
storage arrays can include various types of storage memory, such as
RAM, solid state drives, hard disk drives, etc. The storage units
152 described herein have multiple interfaces active simultaneously
and serving multiple purposes. In some embodiments, some of the
functionality of a storage node 150 is shifted into a storage unit
152, transforming the storage unit 152 into a combination of
storage unit 152 and storage node 150. Placing computing (relative
to storage data) into the storage unit 152 places this computing
closer to the data itself. The various system embodiments have a
hierarchy of storage node layers with different capabilities. By
contrast, in a storage array, a controller owns and knows
everything about all of the data that the controller manages in a
shelf or storage devices. In a storage cluster 161, as described
herein, multiple controllers in multiple storage units 152 and/or
storage nodes 150 cooperate in various ways (e.g., for erasure
coding, data sharding, metadata communication and redundancy,
storage capacity expansion or contraction, data recovery, and so
on).
[0087] FIG. 2D shows a storage server environment, which uses
embodiments of the storage nodes 150 and storage units 152 of FIGS.
2A-C. In this version, each storage unit 152 has a processor such
as controller 212 (see FIG. 2C), an FPGA (field programmable gate
array), flash memory 206, and NVRAM 204 (which is super-capacitor
backed DRAM 216, see FIGS. 2B and 2C) on a PCIe (peripheral
component interconnect express) board in a chassis 138 (see FIG.
2A). The storage unit 152 may be implemented as a single board
containing storage, and may be the largest tolerable failure domain
inside the chassis. In some embodiments, up to two storage units
152 may fail and the device will continue with no data loss.
[0088] The physical storage is divided into named regions based on
application usage in some embodiments. The NVRAM 204 is a
contiguous block of reserved memory in the storage unit 152 DRAM
216, and is backed by NAND flash. NVRAM 204 is logically divided
into multiple memory regions written for two as spool (e.g.,
spool_region). Space within the NVRAM 204 spools is managed by each
authority 168 independently. Each device provides an amount of
storage space to each authority 168. That authority 168 further
manages lifetimes and allocations within that space. Examples of a
spool include distributed transactions or notions. When the primary
power to a storage unit 152 fails, onboard super-capacitors provide
a short duration of power hold up. During this holdup interval, the
contents of the NVRAM 204 are flushed to flash memory 206. On the
next power-on, the contents of the NVRAM 204 are recovered from the
flash memory 206.
[0089] As for the storage unit controller, the responsibility of
the logical "controller" is distributed across each of the blades
containing authorities 168. This distribution of logical control is
shown in FIG. 2D as a host controller 242, mid-tier controller 244
and storage unit controller(s) 246. Management of the control plane
and the storage plane are treated independently, although parts may
be physically co-located on the same blade. Each authority 168
effectively serves as an independent controller. Each authority 168
provides its own data and metadata structures, its own background
workers, and maintains its own lifecycle.
[0090] FIG. 2E is a blade 252 hardware block diagram, showing a
control plane 254, compute and storage planes 256, 258, and
authorities 168 interacting with underlying physical resources,
using embodiments of the storage nodes 150 and storage units 152 of
FIGS. 2A-C in the storage server environment of FIG. 2D. The
control plane 254 is partitioned into a number of authorities 168
which can use the compute resources in the compute plane 256 to run
on any of the blades 252. The storage plane 258 is partitioned into
a set of devices, each of which provides access to flash 206 and
NVRAM 204 resources.
[0091] In the compute and storage planes 256, 258 of FIG. 2E, the
authorities 168 interact with the underlying physical resources
(i.e., devices). From the point of view of an authority 168, its
resources are striped over all of the physical devices. From the
point of view of a device, it provides resources to all authorities
168, irrespective of where the authorities happen to run. Each
authority 168 has allocated or has been allocated one or more
partitions 260 of storage memory in the storage units 152, e.g.
partitions 260 in flash memory 206 and NVRAM 204. Each authority
168 uses those allocated partitions 260 that belong to it, for
writing or reading user data. Authorities can be associated with
differing amounts of physical storage of the system. For example,
one authority 168 could have a larger number of partitions 260 or
larger sized partitions 260 in one or more storage units 152 than
one or more other authorities 168.
[0092] FIG. 2F depicts elasticity software layers in blades 252 of
a storage cluster, in accordance with some embodiments. In the
elasticity structure, elasticity software is symmetric, i.e., each
blade's compute module 270 runs the three identical layers of
processes depicted in FIG. 2F. Storage managers 274 execute read
and write requests from other blades 252 for data and metadata
stored in local storage unit 152 NVRAM 204 and flash 206.
Authorities 168 fulfill client requests by issuing the necessary
reads and writes to the blades 252 on whose storage units 152 the
corresponding data or metadata resides. Endpoints 272 parse client
connection requests received from switch fabric 146 supervisory
software, relay the client connection requests to the authorities
168 responsible for fulfillment, and relay the authorities' 168
responses to clients. The symmetric three-layer structure enables
the storage system's high degree of concurrency. Elasticity scales
out efficiently and reliably in these embodiments. In addition,
elasticity implements a unique scale-out technique that balances
work evenly across all resources regardless of client access
pattern, and maximizes concurrency by eliminating much of the need
for inter-blade coordination that typically occurs with
conventional distributed locking.
[0093] Still referring to FIG. 2F, authorities 168 running in the
compute modules 270 of a blade 252 perform the internal operations
required to fulfill client requests. One feature of elasticity is
that authorities 168 are stateless, i.e., they cache active data
and metadata in their own blades' 252 DRAMs for fast access, but
the authorities store every update in their NVRAM 204 partitions on
three separate blades 252 until the update has been written to
flash 206. All the storage system writes to NVRAM 204 are in
triplicate to partitions on three separate blades 252 in some
embodiments. With triple-mirrored NVRAM 204 and persistent storage
protected by parity and Reed-Solomon RAID checksums, the storage
system can survive concurrent failure of two blades 252 with no
loss of data, metadata, or access to either.
[0094] Because authorities 168 are stateless, they can migrate
between blades 252. Each authority 168 has a unique identifier.
NVRAM 204 and flash 206 partitions are associated with authorities'
168 identifiers, not with the blades 252 on which they are running
in some. Thus, when an authority 168 migrates, the authority 168
continues to manage the same storage partitions from its new
location. When a new blade 252 is installed in an embodiment of the
storage cluster, the system automatically rebalances load by:
partitioning the new blade's 252 storage for use by the system's
authorities 168, migrating selected authorities 168 to the new
blade 252, starting endpoints 272 on the new blade 252 and
including them in the switch fabric's 146 client connection
distribution algorithm.
[0095] From their new locations, migrated authorities 168 persist
the contents of their NVRAM 204 partitions on flash 206, process
read and write requests from other authorities 168, and fulfill the
client requests that endpoints 272 direct to them. Similarly, if a
blade 252 fails or is removed, the system redistributes its
authorities 168 among the system's remaining blades 252. The
redistributed authorities 168 continue to perform their original
functions from their new locations.
[0096] FIG. 2G depicts authorities 168 and storage resources in
blades 252 of a storage cluster, in accordance with some
embodiments. Each authority 168 is exclusively responsible for a
partition of the flash 206 and NVRAM 204 on each blade 252. The
authority 168 manages the content and integrity of its partitions
independently of other authorities 168. Authorities 168 compress
incoming data and preserve it temporarily in their NVRAM 204
partitions, and then consolidate, RAID-protect, and persist the
data in segments of the storage in their flash 206 partitions. As
the authorities 168 write data to flash 206, storage managers 274
perform the necessary flash translation to optimize write
performance and maximize media longevity. In the background,
authorities 168 "garbage collect," or reclaim space occupied by
data that clients have made obsolete by overwriting the data. It
should be appreciated that since authorities' 168 partitions are
disjoint, there is no need for distributed locking to execute
client and writes or to perform background functions.
[0097] The embodiments described herein may utilize various
software, communication and/or networking protocols. In addition,
the configuration of the hardware and/or software may be adjusted
to accommodate various protocols. For example, the embodiments may
utilize Active Directory, which is a database based system that
provides authentication, directory, policy, and other services in a
WINDOWS' environment. In these embodiments, LDAP (Lightweight
Directory Access Protocol) is one example application protocol for
querying and modifying items in directory service providers such as
Active Directory. In some embodiments, a network lock manager
(`NLM`) is utilized as a facility that works in cooperation with
the Network File System (`NFS`) to provide a System V style of
advisory file and record locking over a network. The Server Message
Block (`SMB`) protocol, one version of which is also known as
Common Internet File System (`CIFS`), may be integrated with the
storage systems discussed herein. SMP operates as an
application-layer network protocol typically used for providing
shared access to files, printers, and serial ports and
miscellaneous communications between nodes on a network. SMB also
provides an authenticated inter-process communication mechanism.
AMAZON.TM. S3 (Simple Storage Service) is a web service offered by
Amazon Web Services, and the systems described herein may interface
with Amazon S3 through web services interfaces (REST
(representational state transfer), SOAP (simple object access
protocol), and BitTorrent). A RESTful API (application programming
interface) breaks down a transaction to create a series of small
modules. Each module addresses a particular underlying part of the
transaction. The control or permissions provided with these
embodiments, especially for object data, may include utilization of
an access control list (`ACL`). The ACL is a list of permissions
attached to an object and the ACL specifies which users or system
processes are granted access to objects, as well as what operations
are allowed on given objects. The systems may utilize Internet
Protocol version 6 (`IPv6`), as well as IPv4, for the
communications protocol that provides an identification and
location system for computers on networks and routes traffic across
the Internet. The routing of packets between networked systems may
include Equal-cost multi-path routing (`ECMP`), which is a routing
strategy where next-hop packet forwarding to a single destination
can occur over multiple "best paths" which tie for top place in
routing metric calculations. Multi-path routing can be used in
conjunction with most routing protocols, because it is a per-hop
decision limited to a single router. The software may support
Multi-tenancy, which is an architecture in which a single instance
of a software application serves multiple customers. Each customer
may be referred to as a tenant. Tenants may be given the ability to
customize some parts of the application, but may not customize the
application's code, in some embodiments. The embodiments may
maintain audit logs. An audit log is a document that records an
event in a computing system. In addition to documenting what
resources were accessed, audit log entries typically include
destination and source addresses, a timestamp, and user login
information for compliance with various regulations. The
embodiments may support various key management policies, such as
encryption key rotation. In addition, the system may support
dynamic root passwords or some variation dynamically changing
passwords.
[0098] FIG. 3A sets forth a diagram of a storage system 306 that is
coupled for data communications with a cloud services provider 302
in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
Although depicted in less detail, the storage system 306 depicted
in FIG. 3A may be similar to the storage systems described above
with reference to FIGS. 1A-1D and FIGS. 2A-2G. In some embodiments,
the storage system 306 depicted in FIG. 3A may be embodied as a
storage system that includes imbalanced active/active controllers,
as a storage system that includes balanced active/active
controllers, as a storage system that includes active/active
controllers where less than all of each controller's resources are
utilized such that each controller has reserve resources that may
be used to support failover, as a storage system that includes
fully active/active controllers, as a storage system that includes
dataset-segregated controllers, as a storage system that includes
dual-layer architectures with front-end controllers and back-end
integrated storage controllers, as a storage system that includes
scale-out clusters of dual-controller arrays, as well as
combinations of such embodiments.
[0099] In the example depicted in FIG. 3A, the storage system 306
is coupled to the cloud services provider 302 via a data
communications link 304. The data communications link 304 may be
embodied as a dedicated data communications link, as a data
communications pathway that is provided through the use of one or
data communications networks such as a wide area network (`WAN`) or
local area network (`LAN`), or as some other mechanism capable of
transporting digital information between the storage system 306 and
the cloud services provider 302. Such a data communications link
304 may be fully wired, fully wireless, or some aggregation of
wired and wireless data communications pathways. In such an
example, digital information may be exchanged between the storage
system 306 and the cloud services provider 302 via the data
communications link 304 using one or more data communications
protocols. For example, digital information may be exchanged
between the storage system 306 and the cloud services provider 302
via the data communications link 304 using the handheld device
transfer protocol (`HDTP`), hypertext transfer protocol (`HTTP`),
internet protocol (`IP`), real-time transfer protocol (`RTP`),
transmission control protocol (`TCP`), user datagram protocol
(`UDP`), wireless application protocol (`WAP`), or other
protocol.
[0100] The cloud services provider 302 depicted in FIG. 3A may be
embodied, for example, as a system and computing environment that
provides services to users of the cloud services provider 302
through the sharing of computing resources via the data
communications link 304. The cloud services provider 302 may
provide on-demand access to a shared pool of configurable computing
resources such as computer networks, servers, storage, applications
and services, and so on. The shared pool of configurable resources
may be rapidly provisioned and released to a user of the cloud
services provider 302 with minimal management effort. Generally,
the user of the cloud services provider 302 is unaware of the exact
computing resources utilized by the cloud services provider 302 to
provide the services. Although in many cases such a cloud services
provider 302 may be accessible via the Internet, readers of skill
in the art will recognize that any system that abstracts the use of
shared resources to provide services to a user through any data
communications link may be considered a cloud services provider
302.
[0101] In the example depicted in FIG. 3A, the cloud services
provider 302 may be configured to provide a variety of services to
the storage system 306 and users of the storage system 306 through
the implementation of various service models. For example, the
cloud services provider 302 may be configured to provide services
to the storage system 306 and users of the storage system 306
through the implementation of an infrastructure as a service
(`IaaS`) service model where the cloud services provider 302 offers
computing infrastructure such as virtual machines and other
resources as a service to subscribers. In addition, the cloud
services provider 302 may be configured to provide services to the
storage system 306 and users of the storage system 306 through the
implementation of a platform as a service (`PaaS`) service model
where the cloud services provider 302 offers a development
environment to application developers. Such a development
environment may include, for example, an operating system,
programming-language execution environment, database, web server,
or other components that may be utilized by application developers
to develop and run software solutions on a cloud platform.
Furthermore, the cloud services provider 302 may be configured to
provide services to the storage system 306 and users of the storage
system 306 through the implementation of a software as a service
(`SaaS`) service model where the cloud services provider 302 offers
application software, databases, as well as the platforms that are
used to run the applications to the storage system 306 and users of
the storage system 306, providing the storage system 306 and users
of the storage system 306 with on-demand software and eliminating
the need to install and run the application on local computers,
which may simplify maintenance and support of the application. The
cloud services provider 302 may be further configured to provide
services to the storage system 306 and users of the storage system
306 through the implementation of an authentication as a service
(`AaaS`) service model where the cloud services provider 302 offers
authentication services that can be used to secure access to
applications, data sources, or other resources. The cloud services
provider 302 may also be configured to provide services to the
storage system 306 and users of the storage system 306 through the
implementation of a storage as a service model where the cloud
services provider 302 offers access to its storage infrastructure
for use by the storage system 306 and users of the storage system
306. Readers will appreciate that the cloud services provider 302
may be configured to provide additional services to the storage
system 306 and users of the storage system 306 through the
implementation of additional service models, as the service models
described above are included only for explanatory purposes and in
no way represent a limitation of the services that may be offered
by the cloud services provider 302 or a limitation as to the
service models that may be implemented by the cloud services
provider 302.
[0102] In the example depicted in FIG. 3A, the cloud services
provider 302 may be embodied, for example, as a private cloud, as a
public cloud, or as a combination of a private cloud and public
cloud. In an embodiment in which the cloud services provider 302 is
embodied as a private cloud, the cloud services provider 302 may be
dedicated to providing services to a single organization rather
than providing services to multiple organizations. In an embodiment
where the cloud services provider 302 is embodied as a public
cloud, the cloud services provider 302 may provide services to
multiple organizations. Public cloud and private cloud deployment
models may differ and may come with various advantages and
disadvantages. For example, because a public cloud deployment
involves the sharing of a computing infrastructure across different
organization, such a deployment may not be ideal for organizations
with security concerns, mission-critical workloads, uptime
requirements demands, and so on. While a private cloud deployment
can address some of these issues, a private cloud deployment may
require on-premises staff to manage the private cloud. In still
alternative embodiments, the cloud services provider 302 may be
embodied as a mix of a private and public cloud services with a
hybrid cloud deployment.
[0103] Although not explicitly depicted in FIG. 3A, readers will
appreciate that additional hardware components and additional
software components may be necessary to facilitate the delivery of
cloud services to the storage system 306 and users of the storage
system 306. For example, the storage system 306 may be coupled to
(or even include) a cloud storage gateway. Such a cloud storage
gateway may be embodied, for example, as hardware-based or
software-based appliance that is located on premise with the
storage system 306. Such a cloud storage gateway may operate as a
bridge between local applications that are executing on the storage
array 306 and remote, cloud-based storage that is utilized by the
storage array 306. Through the use of a cloud storage gateway,
organizations may move primary iSCSI or NAS to the cloud services
provider 302, thereby enabling the organization to save space on
their on-premises storage systems. Such a cloud storage gateway may
be configured to emulate a disk array, a block-based device, a file
server, or other storage system that can translate the SCSI
commands, file server commands, or other appropriate command into
REST-space protocols that facilitate communications with the cloud
services provider 302.
[0104] In order to enable the storage system 306 and users of the
storage system 306 to make use of the services provided by the
cloud services provider 302, a cloud migration process may take
place during which data, applications, or other elements from an
organization's local systems (or even from another cloud
environment) are moved to the cloud services provider 302. In order
to successfully migrate data, applications, or other elements to
the cloud services provider's 302 environment, middleware such as a
cloud migration tool may be utilized to bridge gaps between the
cloud services provider's 302 environment and an organization's
environment. Such cloud migration tools may also be configured to
address potentially high network costs and long transfer times
associated with migrating large volumes of data to the cloud
services provider 302, as well as addressing security concerns
associated with sensitive data to the cloud services provider 302
over data communications networks. In order to further enable the
storage system 306 and users of the storage system 306 to make use
of the services provided by the cloud services provider 302, a
cloud orchestrator may also be used to arrange and coordinate
automated tasks in pursuit of creating a consolidated process or
workflow. Such a cloud orchestrator may perform tasks such as
configuring various components, whether those components are cloud
components or on-premises components, as well as managing the
interconnections between such components. The cloud orchestrator
can simplify the inter-component communication and connections to
ensure that links are correctly configured and maintained.
[0105] In the example depicted in FIG. 3A, and as described briefly
above, the cloud services provider 302 may be configured to provide
services to the storage system 306 and users of the storage system
306 through the usage of a SaaS service model where the cloud
services provider 302 offers application software, databases, as
well as the platforms that are used to run the applications to the
storage system 306 and users of the storage system 306, providing
the storage system 306 and users of the storage system 306 with
on-demand software and eliminating the need to install and run the
application on local computers, which may simplify maintenance and
support of the application. Such applications may take many forms
in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.
For example, the cloud services provider 302 may be configured to
provide access to data analytics applications to the storage system
306 and users of the storage system 306. Such data analytics
applications may be configured, for example, to receive telemetry
data phoned home by the storage system 306. Such telemetry data may
describe various operating characteristics of the storage system
306 and may be analyzed, for example, to determine the health of
the storage system 306, to identify workloads that are executing on
the storage system 306, to predict when the storage system 306 will
run out of various resources, to recommend configuration changes,
hardware or software upgrades, workflow migrations, or other
actions that may improve the operation of the storage system
306.
[0106] The cloud services provider 302 may also be configured to
provide access to virtualized computing environments to the storage
system 306 and users of the storage system 306. Such virtualized
computing environments may be embodied, for example, as a virtual
machine or other virtualized computer hardware platforms, virtual
storage devices, virtualized computer network resources, and so on.
Examples of such virtualized environments can include virtual
machines that are created to emulate an actual computer,
virtualized desktop environments that separate a logical desktop
from a physical machine, virtualized file systems that allow
uniform access to different types of concrete file systems, and
many others.
[0107] For further explanation, FIG. 3B sets forth a diagram of a
storage system 306 in accordance with some embodiments of the
present disclosure. Although depicted in less detail, the storage
system 306 depicted in FIG. 3B may be similar to the storage
systems described above with reference to FIGS. 1A-1D and FIGS.
2A-2G as the storage system may include many of the components
described above.
[0108] The storage system 306 depicted in FIG. 3B may include
storage resources 308, which may be embodied in many forms. For
example, in some embodiments the storage resources 308 can include
nano-RAM or another form of nonvolatile random access memory that
utilizes carbon nanotubes deposited on a substrate. In some
embodiments, the storage resources 308 may include 3D crosspoint
non-volatile memory in which bit storage is based on a change of
bulk resistance, in conjunction with a stackable cross-gridded data
access array. In some embodiments, the storage resources 308 may
include flash memory, including single-level cell (`SLC`) NAND
flash, multi-level cell (`MLC`) NAND flash, triple-level cell
(`TLC`) NAND flash, quad-level cell (`QLC`) NAND flash, and others.
In some embodiments, the storage resources 308 may include
non-volatile magnetoresistive random-access memory (`MRAM`),
including spin transfer torque (`STT`) MRAM, in which data is
stored through the use of magnetic storage elements. In some
embodiments, the example storage resources 308 may include
non-volatile phase-change memory (`PCM`) that may have the ability
to hold multiple bits in a single cell as cells can achieve a
number of distinct intermediary states. In some embodiments, the
storage resources 308 may include quantum memory that allows for
the storage and retrieval of photonic quantum information. In some
embodiments, the example storage resources 308 may include
resistive random-access memory (`ReRAM`) in which data is stored by
changing the resistance across a dielectric solid-state material.
In some embodiments, the storage resources 308 may include storage
class memory (`SCM`) in which solid-state nonvolatile memory may be
manufactured at a high density using some combination of
sub-lithographic patterning techniques, multiple bits per cell,
multiple layers of devices, and so on. Readers will appreciate that
other forms of computer memories and storage devices may be
utilized by the storage systems described above, including DRAM,
SRAM, EEPROM, universal memory, and many others. The storage
resources 308 depicted in FIG. 3A may be embodied in a variety of
form factors, including but not limited to, dual in-line memory
modules (`DIMMs`), non-volatile dual in-line memory modules
(`NVDIMMs`), M.2, U.2, and others.
[0109] The example storage system 306 depicted in FIG. 3B may
implement a variety of storage architectures. For example, storage
systems in accordance with some embodiments of the present
disclosure may utilize block storage where data is stored in
blocks, and each block essentially acts as an individual hard
drive. Storage systems in accordance with some embodiments of the
present disclosure may utilize object storage, where data is
managed as objects. Each object may include the data itself, a
variable amount of metadata, and a globally unique identifier,
where object storage can be implemented at multiple levels (e.g.,
device level, system level, interface level). Storage systems in
accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure utilize
file storage in which data is stored in a hierarchical structure.
Such data may be saved in files and folders, and presented to both
the system storing it and the system retrieving it in the same
format.
[0110] The example storage system 306 depicted in FIG. 3B may be
embodied as a storage system in which additional storage resources
can be added through the use of a scale-up model, additional
storage resources can be added through the use of a scale-out
model, or through some combination thereof. In a scale-up model,
additional storage may be added by adding additional storage
devices. In a scale-out model, however, additional storage nodes
may be added to a cluster of storage nodes, where such storage
nodes can include additional processing resources, additional
networking resources, and so on.
[0111] The storage system 306 depicted in FIG. 3B also includes
communications resources 310 that may be useful in facilitating
data communications between components within the storage system
306, as well as data communications between the storage system 306
and computing devices that are outside of the storage system 306.
The communications resources 310 may be configured to utilize a
variety of different protocols and data communication fabrics to
facilitate data communications between components within the
storage systems as well as computing devices that are outside of
the storage system. For example, the communications resources 310
can include fibre channel (`FC`) technologies such as FC fabrics
and FC protocols that can transport SCSI commands over FC networks.
The communications resources 310 can also include FC over ethernet
(`FCoE`) technologies through which FC frames are encapsulated and
transmitted over Ethernet networks. The communications resources
310 can also include InfiniBand (`IB`) technologies in which a
switched fabric topology is utilized to facilitate transmissions
between channel adapters. The communications resources 310 can also
include NVM Express (`NVMe`) technologies and NVMe over fabrics
(`NVMeoF`) technologies through which non-volatile storage media
attached via a PCI express (`PCIe`) bus may be accessed. The
communications resources 310 can also include mechanisms for
accessing storage resources 308 within the storage system 306
utilizing serial attached SCSI (`SAS`), serial ATA (`SATA`) bus
interfaces for connecting storage resources 308 within the storage
system 306 to host bus adapters within the storage system 306,
internet small computer systems interface (`iSCSI`) technologies to
provide block-level access to storage resources 308 within the
storage system 306, and other communications resources that that
may be useful in facilitating data communications between
components within the storage system 306, as well as data
communications between the storage system 306 and computing devices
that are outside of the storage system 306.
[0112] The storage system 306 depicted in FIG. 3B also includes
processing resources 312 that may be useful in useful in executing
computer program instructions and performing other computational
tasks within the storage system 306. The processing resources 312
may include one or more application-specific integrated circuits
(`ASICs`) that are customized for some particular purpose as well
as one or more central processing units (`CPUs`). The processing
resources 312 may also include one or more digital signal
processors (`DSPs`), one or more field-programmable gate arrays
(`FPGAs`), one or more systems on a chip (`SoCs`), or other form of
processing resources 312. The storage system 306 may utilize the
storage resources 312 to perform a variety of tasks including, but
not limited to, supporting the execution of software resources 314
that will be described in greater detail below.
[0113] The storage system 306 depicted in FIG. 3B also includes
software resources 314 that, when executed by processing resources
312 within the storage system 306, may perform various tasks. The
software resources 314 may include, for example, one or more
modules of computer program instructions that when executed by
processing resources 312 within the storage system 306 are useful
in carrying out various data protection techniques to preserve the
integrity of data that is stored within the storage systems.
Readers will appreciate that such data protection techniques may be
carried out, for example, by system software executing on computer
hardware within the storage system, by a cloud services provider,
or in other ways. Such data protection techniques can include, for
example, data archiving techniques that cause data that is no
longer actively used to be moved to a separate storage device or
separate storage system for long-term retention, data backup
techniques through which data stored in the storage system may be
copied and stored in a distinct location to avoid data loss in the
event of equipment failure or some other form of catastrophe with
the storage system, data replication techniques through which data
stored in the storage system is replicated to another storage
system such that the data may be accessible via multiple storage
systems, data snapshotting techniques through which the state of
data within the storage system is captured at various points in
time, data and database cloning techniques through which duplicate
copies of data and databases may be created, and other data
protection techniques. Through the use of such data protection
techniques, business continuity and disaster recovery objectives
may be met as a failure of the storage system may not result in the
loss of data stored in the storage system.
[0114] The software resources 314 may also include software that is
useful in implementing software-defined storage (`SDS`). In such an
example, the software resources 314 may include one or more modules
of computer program instructions that, when executed, are useful in
policy-based provisioning and management of data storage that is
independent of the underlying hardware. Such software resources 314
may be useful in implementing storage virtualization to separate
the storage hardware from the software that manages the storage
hardware.
[0115] The software resources 314 may also include software that is
useful in facilitating and optimizing I/O operations that are
directed to the storage resources 308 in the storage system 306.
For example, the software resources 314 may include software
modules that perform carry out various data reduction techniques
such as, for example, data compression, data deduplication, and
others. The software resources 314 may include software modules
that intelligently group together I/O operations to facilitate
better usage of the underlying storage resource 308, software
modules that perform data migration operations to migrate from
within a storage system, as well as software modules that perform
other functions. Such software resources 314 may be embodied as one
or more software containers or in many other ways.
[0116] Readers will appreciate that the various components depicted
in FIG. 3B may be grouped into one or more optimized computing
packages as converged infrastructures. Such converged
infrastructures may include pools of computers, storage and
networking resources that can be shared by multiple applications
and managed in a collective manner using policy-driven processes.
Such converged infrastructures may minimize compatibility issues
between various components within the storage system 306 while also
reducing various costs associated with the establishment and
operation of the storage system 306. Such converged infrastructures
may be implemented with a converged infrastructure reference
architecture, with standalone appliances, with a software driven
hyper-converged approach, or in other ways.
[0117] Readers will appreciate that the storage system 306 depicted
in FIG. 3B may be useful for supporting various types of software
applications. For example, the storage system 306 may be useful in
supporting artificial intelligence applications, database
applications, DevOps projects, electronic design automation tools,
event-driven software applications, high performance computing
applications, simulation applications, high-speed data capture and
analysis applications, machine learning applications, media
production applications, media serving applications, picture
archiving and communication systems (`PACS`) applications, software
development applications, and many other types of applications by
providing storage resources to such applications.
[0118] The storage systems described above may operate to support a
wide variety of applications. In view of the fact that the storage
systems include compute resources, storage resources, and a wide
variety of other resources, the storage systems may be well suited
to support applications that are resource intensive such as, for
example, artificial intelligence applications. Such artificial
intelligence applications may enable devices to perceive their
environment and take actions that maximize their chance of success
at some goal. The storage systems described above may also be well
suited to support other types of applications that are resource
intensive such as, for example, machine learning applications.
Machine learning applications may perform various types of data
analysis to automate analytical model building. Using algorithms
that iteratively learn from data, machine learning applications can
enable computers to learn without being explicitly programmed.
[0119] In addition to the resources already described, the storage
systems described above may also include graphics processing units
(`GPUs`), occasionally referred to as visual processing unit
(`VPUs`). Such GPUs may be embodied as specialized electronic
circuits that rapidly manipulate and alter memory to accelerate the
creation of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a
display device. Such GPUs may be included within any of the
computing devices that are part of the storage systems described
above.
[0120] For further explanation, FIG. 4A sets forth a flow chart
illustrating an example method for servicing I/O operations
directed to a dataset (442) that is synchronized across a plurality
of storage systems (438, 440) according to some embodiments of the
present disclosure. Although depicted in less detail, the storage
systems (438, 440) depicted in FIG. 4A may be similar to the
storage systems described above with reference to FIGS. 1A-1D,
FIGS. 2A-2G, FIGS. 3A-3B, or any combination thereof. In fact, the
storage system depicted in FIG. 4A may include the same, fewer,
additional components as the storage systems described above.
[0121] The dataset (442) depicted in FIG. 4A may be embodied, for
example, as the contents of a particular volume, as the contents of
a particular shared of a volume, or as any other collection of one
or more data elements. The dataset (442) may be synchronized across
a plurality of storage systems (438, 440) such that each storage
system (438, 440) retains a local copy of the dataset (442). In the
examples described herein, such a dataset (442) is synchronously
replicated across the storage systems (438, 440) in such a way that
the dataset (442) can be accessed through any of the storage
systems (438, 440) with performance characteristics such that any
one storage system in the cluster doesn't operate substantially
more optimally any other storage system in the cluster, at least as
long as the cluster and the particular storage system being
accessed are running nominally. In such systems, modifications to
the dataset (442) should be made to the copy of the dataset that
resides on each storage system (438, 440) in such a way that
accessing the dataset (442) on any storage system (438, 440) will
yield consistent results. For example, a write request issued to
the dataset must be serviced on all storage systems (438, 440) or
on none of the storage systems (438, 440) that were running
nominally at the beginning of the write and that remained running
nominally through completion of the write. Likewise, some groups of
operations (e.g., two write operations that are directed to same
location within the dataset) must be executed in the same order, or
other steps must be taken as described in greater detail below, on
all storage systems (438, 440) such that the dataset is ultimately
identical on all storage systems (438, 440). Modifications to the
dataset (442) need not be made at the exact same time, but some
actions (e.g., issuing an acknowledgement that a write request
directed to the dataset, enabling read access to a location within
the dataset that is targeted by a write request that has not yet
been completed on both storage systems) may be delayed until the
copy of the dataset on each storage system (438, 440) has been
modified.
[0122] In the example method depicted in FIG. 4A, the designation
of one storage system (440) as the `leader` and another storage
system (438) as the `follower` may refer to the respective
relationships of each storage system for the purposes of
synchronously replicating a particular dataset across the storage
systems. In such an example, and as will be described in greater
detail below, the leader storage system (440) may be responsible
for performing some processing of an incoming I/O operation and
passing such information along to the follower storage system (438)
or performing other tasks that are not required of the follower
storage system (440). The leader storage system (440) may be
responsible for performing tasks that are not required of the
follower storage system (438) for all incoming I/O operations or,
alternatively, the leader-follower relationship may be specific to
only a subset of the I/O operations that are received by either
storage system. For example, the leader-follower relationship may
be specific to I/O operations that are directed towards a first
volume, a first group of volumes, a first group of logical
addresses, a first group of physical addresses, or some other
logical or physical delineator. In such a way, a first storage
system may serve as the leader storage system for I/O operations
directed to a first set of volumes (or other delineator) while a
second storage system may serve as the leader storage system for
I/O operations directed to a second set of volumes (or other
delineator). The example method depicted in FIG. 4A depicts an
embodiment where synchronizing a plurality of storage systems (438,
440) occurs in response to the receipt of a request (404) to modify
a dataset (442) by the leader storage system (440), although
synchronizing a plurality of storage systems (438, 440) may also be
carried out in response to the receipt of a request (404) to modify
a dataset (442) by the follower storage system (438), as will be
described in greater detail below.
[0123] The example method depicted in FIG. 4A includes receiving
(406), by a leader storage system (440), a request (404) to modify
the dataset (442). The request (404) to modify the dataset (442)
may be embodied, for example, as a request to write data to a
location within the storage system (440) that contains data that is
included in the dataset (442), as a request to write data to a
volume that contains data that is included in the dataset (442), as
a request to take a snapshot of the dataset (442), as a virtual
range copy, as an UNMAP operation that essentially represents a
deletion of some portion of the data in the dataset (442), as a
modifying transformations of the dataset (442) (rather than a
change to a portion of data within the dataset), or as some other
operation that results in a change to some portion of the data that
is included in the dataset (442). In the example method depicted in
FIG. 4A, the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) is issued by
a host (402) that may be embodied, for example, as an application
that is executing on a virtual machine, as an application that is
executing on a computing device that is connected to the storage
system (440), or as some other entity configured to access the
storage system (440).
[0124] The example method depicted in FIG. 4A also includes
generating (408), by the leader storage system (440), information
(410) describing the modification to the dataset (442). The leader
storage system (440) may generate (408) the information (410)
describing the modification to the dataset (442), for example, by
determining ordering versus any other operations that are in
progress, by determining the proper outcome of overlapping
modifications (e.g., the appropriate outcome of two requests to
modify the same storage location), calculating any distributed
state changes such as to common elements of metadata across all
members of the pod (e.g., all storage systems across which the
dataset is synchronously replicated), and so on. The information
(410) describing the modification to the dataset (442) may be
embodied, for example, as system-level information that is used to
describe an I/O operation that is to be performed by a storage
system. The leader storage system (440) may generate (408) the
information (410) describing the modification to the dataset (442)
by processing the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) just
enough to figure out what should happen in order to service the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442). For example, the leader
storage system (440) may determine whether some ordering of the
execution of the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) relative
to other requests to modify the dataset (442) is required, or some
other steps must be taken as described in greater detail below, to
produce an equivalent result on each storage system (438, 440).
[0125] Consider an example in which the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442) is embodied as a request to copy blocks from a first
address range in the dataset (442) to a second address range in the
dataset (442). In such an example, assume that three other write
operations (write A, write B, write C) are directed to the first
address range in the dataset (442). In such an example, if the
leader storage system (440) services write A and write B (but does
not service write C) prior to copying the blocks from the first
address range in the dataset (442) to the second address range in
the dataset (442), the follower storage system (438) must also
service write A and write B (but does not service write C) prior to
copying the blocks from the first address range in the dataset
(442) to the second address range in the dataset (442) in order to
yield consistent results. As such, when the leader storage system
(440) generates (408) the information (410) describing the
modification to the dataset (442), in this example, the leader
storage system (440) could generate information (e.g., sequence
numbers for write A and write B) that identifies other operations
that must be completed before the follower storage system (438) can
process the request (404) to modify the dataset (442).
[0126] Consider an additional example in which two requests (e.g.,
Write A and Write B) are directed to overlapping portions of the
dataset (442). In such an example, if the leader storage system
(440) services write A and subsequently services write B, while the
follower storage system (438) services write B and subsequently
services write A, the dataset (442) would not be consistent across
both storage systems (438, 440). As such, when the leader storage
system (440) generates (408) the information (410) describing the
modification to the dataset (442), in this example, the leader
storage system (440) could generate information (e.g., sequence
numbers for write A and write B) that identifies the order in which
the requests should be executed. Alternatively, rather than
generating information (410) describing the modification to the
dataset (442) which requires intermediate behavior from each
storage system (438, 440), the leader storage system (440) may
generate (408) information (410) describing the modification to the
dataset (442) that includes information that identifies the proper
outcome of the two requests. For example, if write B logically
follows write A (and overlaps with write A), the end result must be
that the dataset (442) includes the parts of write B that overlap
with write A, rather than including the parts of write A that
overlap with write B. Such an outcome could be facilitated by
merging a result in memory and writing the result of such a merge
to the dataset (442), rather than strictly requiring that a
particular storage system (438, 440) execute write A and then
subsequently execute write B. Readers will appreciate that more
subtle cases relate to snapshots and virtual address range
copies.
[0127] Readers will further appreciate that correct results for any
operation must be committed to the point of being recoverable
before the operation can be acknowledged. But, multiple operations
can be committed together, or operations can be partially committed
if recovery would ensure correctness. For example, a snapshot could
locally commit with a recorded dependency on an expected write of A
and B, but A or B might not have themselves committed. The snapshot
cannot be acknowledged, and recovery might end up backing out the
snapshot if the missing I/O cannot be recovered from another array.
Also, if write B overlaps with write A, then the leader may "order"
B to be after A, but A could actually be discarded and the
operation to write A would then simply wait for B. Writes A, B, C,
and D, coupled with a snapshot between A,B and C,D could commit
and/or acknowledge some or all parts together as long as recovery
cannot result in a snapshot inconsistency across arrays and as long
as acknowledgement does not complete a later operation before an
earlier operation has been persisted to the point that it is
guaranteed to be recoverable.
[0128] The example method depicted in FIG. 4A also includes sending
(412), from the leader storage system (440) to a follower storage
system (438), information (410) describing the modification to the
dataset (442). Sending (412) information (410) describing the
modification to the dataset (442) from the leader storage system
(440) to a follower storage system (438) may be carried out, for
example, by the leader storage system (440) sending one or more
messages to the follower storage system (438). The leader storage
system (440) may also send, in the same messages or in one or more
different messages, I/O payload (414) for the request (404) to
modify the dataset (442). The I/O payload (414) may be embodied,
for example, as data that is to be written to storage within the
follower storage system (438) when the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442) is embodied as a request to write data to the dataset
(442). In such an example, because the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442) was received (406) by the leader storage system
(440), the follower storage system (438) has not received the I/O
payload (414) associated with the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442). In the example method depicted in FIG. 4A, the
information (410) describing the modification to the dataset (442)
and the I/O payload (414) that is associated with the request (404)
to modify the dataset (442) may be sent (412) from the leader
storage system (440) to the follower storage system (438) via one
or more data communications networks that couple the leader storage
system (440) to the follower storage system (438), via one or more
dedicated data communications links (e.g., a first link for sending
I/O payload and a second link for sending information describing
modifications to datasets) that couples the leader storage system
(440) to the follower storage system (438), or via some other
mechanism.
[0129] The example method depicted in FIG. 4A also includes
receiving (416), by the follower storage system (438), the
information (410) describing the modification to the dataset (442).
The follower storage system (438) may receive (416) the information
(410) describing the modification to the dataset (442) and I/O
payload (414) from the leader storage system (440), for example,
via one or more messages that are sent from the leader storage
system (440) to the follower storage system (438). The one or more
messages may be sent from the leader storage system (440) to the
follower storage system (438) via one or more dedicated data
communications links between the two storage systems (438, 440), by
the leader storage system (440) writing the message to a
predetermined memory location (e.g., the location of a queue) on
the follower storage system (438) using RDMA or a similar
mechanism, or in other ways.
[0130] In one embodiment, the follower storage system (438) may
receive (416) the information (410) describing the modification to
the dataset (442) and I/O payload (414) from the leader storage
system (440) through the use of the use of SCSI requests (writes
from sender to receiver, or reads from receiver to sender) as a
communication mechanism. In such an embodiment, a SCSI Write
request is used to encode information that is intended to be sent
(which includes whatever data and metadata), and which may be
delivered to a special pseudo-device or over a specially configured
SCSI network, or through any other agreed upon addressing
mechanism. Or, alternately, the model can issue a set of open SCSI
read requests from a receiver to a sender, also using special
devices, specially configured SCSI networks, or other agreed upon
mechanisms. Encoded information including data and metadata will be
delivered to the receiver as a response to one or more of these
open SCSI requests. Such a model can be implemented over Fibre
Channel SCSI networks, which are often deployed as the "dark fibre"
storage network infrastructure between data centers. Such a model
also allows the use of the same network lines for
host-to-remote-array multipathing and bulk array-to-array
communications.
[0131] The example method depicted in FIG. 4A also includes
processing (418), by the follower storage system (438), the request
(404) to modify the dataset (442). In the example method depicted
in FIG. 4A, the follower storage system (438) may process (418) the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442) by modifying the contents
of one or more storage devices (e.g., an NVRAM device, an SSD, an
HDD) that are included in the follower storage system (438) in
dependence upon the information (410) describing the modification
to the dataset (442) as well as the I/O payload (414) that was
received from the leader storage system (440). Consider an example
in which the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) is embodied
as a write operation that is directed to a volume that is included
in the dataset (442) and the information (410) describing the
modification to the dataset (442) indicates that the write
operation can only be executed after a previously issued write
operation has been processed. In such an example, processing (418)
the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) may be carried out by
the follower storage system (438) first verifying that the
previously issued write operation has been processed on the
follower storage system (438) and subsequently writing I/O payload
(414) associated with the write operation to one or more storage
devices that are included in the follower storage system (438). In
such an example, the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) may
be considered to have been completed and successfully processed,
for example, when the I/O payload (414) has been committed to
persistent storage within the follower storage system (438).
[0132] The example method depicted in FIG. 4A also includes
acknowledging (420), by the follower storage system (438) to the
leader storage system (440), completion of the request (404) to
modify the dataset (442). In the example method depicted in FIG.
4A, acknowledging (420), by the follower storage system (438) to
the leader storage system (440), completion of the request (404) to
modify the dataset (442) may be carried out by the follower storage
system (438) sending an acknowledgment (422) message to the leader
storage system (440). Such messages may include, for example,
information identifying the particular request (404) to modify the
dataset (442) that was completed as well as any additional
information useful in acknowledging (420) the completion of the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442) by the follower storage
system (438). In the example method depicted in FIG. 4A,
acknowledging (420) completion of the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442) to the leader storage system (440) is illustrated by
the follower storage system (438) issuing an acknowledgment (422)
message to the leader storage system (438).
[0133] The example method depicted in FIG. 4A also includes
processing (424), by the leader storage system (440), the request
(404) to modify the dataset (442). In the example method depicted
in FIG. 4A, the leader storage system (440) may process (424) the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442) by modifying the contents
of one or more storage devices (e.g., an NVRAM device, an SSD, an
HDD) that are included in the leader storage system (440) in
dependence upon the information (410) describing the modification
to the dataset (442) as well as the I/O payload (414) that was
received as part of the request (404) to modify the dataset (442).
Consider an example in which the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442) is embodied as a write operation that is directed to
a volume that is included in the dataset (442) and the information
(410) describing the modification to the dataset (442) indicates
that the write operation can only be executed after a previously
issued write operation has been processed. In such an example,
processing (424) the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) may
be carried out by the leader storage system (440) first verifying
that the previously issued write operation has been processed by
the leader storage system (440) and subsequently writing I/O
payload (414) associated with the write operation to one or more
storage devices that are included in the leader storage system
(440). In such an example, the request (404) to modify the dataset
(442) may be considered to have been completed and successfully
processed, for example, when the I/O payload (414) has been
committed to persistent storage within the leader storage system
(440).
[0134] The example method depicted in FIG. 4A also includes
receiving (426), from the follower storage system (438), an
indication that the follower storage system (438) has processed the
request (404) to modify the dataset (436). In this example, the
indication that the follower storage system (438) has processed the
request (404) to modify the dataset (436) is embodied as an
acknowledgement (422) message sent from the follower storage system
(438) to the leader storage system (440). Readers will appreciate
that although many of the steps described above are depicted and
described as occurring in a particular order, no particular order
is actually required. In fact, because the follower storage system
(438) and the leader storage system (440) are independent storage
systems, each storage system may be performing some of the steps
described above in parallel. For example, the follower storage
system (438) may receive (416) the information (410) describing the
modification to the dataset (442), process (418) the request (404)
to modify the dataset (442), or acknowledge (420) completion of the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442) before the leader storage
system (440) has processed (424) the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442). Alternatively, the leader storage system (440) may
have processed (424) the request (404) to modify the dataset (442)
before the follower storage system (438) has received (416) the
information (410) describing the modification to the dataset (442),
processed (418) the request (404) to modify the dataset (442), or
acknowledged (420) completion of the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442).
[0135] The example method depicted in FIG. 4A also includes
acknowledging (434), by the leader storage system (440), completion
of the request (404) to modify the dataset (442). In the example
method depicted in FIG. 4A, acknowledging (434) completion of the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442) may be carried out
through the use of one or more acknowledgement (436) messages that
are sent from the leader storage system (440) to the host (402) or
via some other appropriate mechanism. In the example method
depicted in FIG. 4A, the leader storage system (440) may determine
(428) whether the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) has
been processed (418) by the follower storage system (438) prior to
acknowledging (434) completion of the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442). The leader storage system (440) may determine (428)
whether the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) has been
processed (418) by the follower storage system (438), for example,
by determining whether the leader storage system (440) has received
an acknowledgment message or other message from the follower
storage system (438) indicating that the request (404) to modify
the dataset (442) has been processed (418) by the follower storage
system (438). In such an example, if the leader storage system
(440) affirmatively (430) determines that the request (404) to
modify the dataset (442) has been processed (418) by the follower
storage system (438) and also processed (424) by the leader storage
system (438), the leader storage system (440) may proceed by
acknowledging (434) completion of the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442) to the host (402) that initiated the request (404) to
modify the dataset (442). If the leader storage system (440)
determines that the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) has
not (432) been processed (418) by the follower storage system (438)
or has not been processed (424) by the leader storage system (438),
however, the leader storage system (440) may not yet acknowledge
(434) completion of the request (404) to modify the dataset (442)
to the host (402) that initiated the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442), as the leader storage system (440) may only
acknowledge (434) completion of the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442) to the host (402) that initiated the request (404) to
modify the dataset (442) when the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442) has been successfully processed on all storage
systems (438, 440) across which a dataset (442) is synchronously
replicated.
[0136] Readers will appreciate that in the example method depicted
in FIG. 4A, sending (412), from the leader storage system (440) to
a follower storage system (438), information (410) describing the
modification to the dataset (442) and acknowledging (420), by the
follower storage system (438) to the leader storage system (440),
completion of the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) can be
carried out using single roundtrip messaging. Single roundtrip
messaging may be used, for example, through the use of Fibre
Channel as a data interconnect. Typically, SCSI protocols are used
with Fibre Channel. Such interconnects are commonly provisioned
between data centers because some older replication technologies
may be built to essentially replicate data as SCSI transactions
over Fibre Channel networks. Also, historically Fibre Channel SCSI
infrastructure had less overhead and lower latencies than networks
based on Ethernet and TCP/IP. Further, when data centers are
internally connected to block storage arrays using Fibre Channel,
the Fibre Channel networks may be stretched to other data centers
so that hosts in one data center can switch to accessing storage
arrays in a remote data center when local storage arrays fail.
[0137] SCSI could be used as a general communication mechanism,
even though it is normally designed for use with block storage
protocols for storing and retrieving data in block-oriented volumes
(or for tape). For example, SCSI READ or SCSI WRITE could be used
to deliver or retrieve message data between storage controllers in
paired storage systems. A typical implementation of SCSI WRITE
requires two message round trips: a SCSI initiator sends a SCSI CDB
describing the SCSI WRITE operation, a SCSI target receives that
CDB and the SCSI target sends a "Ready to Receive" message to the
SCSI initiator. The SCSI initiator then sends data to the SCSI
target and when SCSI WRITE is complete the SCSI target responds to
the SCSI initiator with a Success completion. A SCSI READ request,
on the other hand, requires only one round trip: the SCSI initiator
sends a SCSI CDB describing the SCSI READ operation, a SCSI target
receives that CDB and responds with data and then a Success
completion. As a result, over distance, a SCSI READ incurs half of
the distance-related latency as a SCSI WRITE. Because of this, it
may be faster for a data communications receiver to use SCSI READ
requests to receive messages than for a sender of messages to use
SCSI WRITE requests to send data. Using SCSI READ simply requires a
message sender to operate as a SCSI target, and for a message
receiver to operate as a SCSI initiator. A message receiver may
send some number of SCSI CDB READ requests to any message sender,
and the message sender would respond to one of the outstanding CDB
READ requests when message data is available. Since SCSI subsystems
may timeout if a READ request is outstanding for too long (e.g., 10
seconds), READ requests should be responded to within a few seconds
even if there is no message data to be sent.
[0138] SCSI tape requests, as described in the SCSI Stream Commands
standard from the T10 Technical Committee of the InterNational
Committee on Information Technology Standards, support variable
response data, which can be more flexible for returning
variable-sized message data. The SCSI standard also supports an
Immediate mode for SCSI WRITE requests, which could allow
single-round-trip SCSI WRITE commands. Readers will appreciate that
many of the embodiments described below also utilize single
roundtrip messaging.
[0139] For further explanation, FIG. 4B sets forth a flow chart
illustrating an additional example method for servicing I/O
operations directed to a dataset (442) that is synchronized across
a plurality of storage systems (438, 440, 450) according to some
embodiments of the present disclosure. Although depicted in less
detail, the storage systems (438, 440, 450) depicted in FIG. 4A may
be similar to the storage systems described above with reference to
FIGS. 1A-1D, FIGS. 2A-2G, FIGS. 3A-3B, or any combination thereof.
In fact, the storage system depicted in FIG. 4A may include the
same, fewer, additional components as the storage systems described
above. The example method depicted in FIG. 4B is similar to the
example method depicted in FIG. 4A, as the example method depicted
in FIG. 4B also includes: receiving (406), by a leader storage
system (440), a request (404) to modify the dataset (442);
generating (408), by the leader storage system (440), information
(410) describing the modification to the dataset (442); sending
(412), from the leader storage system (440) to a follower storage
system (438), information (410) describing the modification to the
dataset (442); receiving (416), by the follower storage system
(438), the information (410) describing the modification to the
dataset (442); processing (418), by the follower storage system
(438), the request (404) to modify the dataset (442); acknowledging
(420), by the follower storage system (438) to the leader storage
system (440), completion of the request (404) to modify the dataset
(442); processing (424), by the leader storage system (440), the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442); and acknowledging (434),
by the leader storage system (440), completion of the request (404)
to modify the dataset (442).
[0140] The example method depicted in FIG. 4B differs from the
example method depicted in FIG. 4A, however, as the example method
depicted in FIG. 4B depicts an embodiment in which the dataset
(442) is synchronously replicated across three storage systems,
where one of the storage systems is a leader storage system (440)
and the remaining storage systems are follower storage systems
(438, 450). In such an example, the additional follower storage
system (450) carries out many of the same steps as the follower
storage system (438) that was depicted in FIG. 4A, as the
additional follower storage system (450) can: receive (442), from
the leader storage system (440), information (410) describing the
modification to the data set (442); process (442) the request (404)
to modify the data set (442) in dependence upon the information
(410) describing the modification to the data set (442);
acknowledge (446), to the leader storage system (440), completion
of the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) through the use of
an acknowledgement (448) message or other appropriate mechanism;
and so on.
[0141] In the example method depicted in FIG. 4B, the information
(410) describing the modification to the data set (442) can include
ordering information (452) for the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442). In the example method depicted in FIG. 4B, the
ordering information (452) for the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442) can represent descriptions of relationships between
operations (e.g., requests to modify the dataset) and common
metadata updates that can be described by the leader storage system
(440) as a set of interdependencies between separate requests to
modify the dataset and possibly between requests to modify the
dataset and various metadata changes. These interdependencies can
be described as a set of precursors that one request to modify the
dataset depends on in some way, as predicates that must be true for
that request to modify the dataset to complete.
[0142] A queue predicate is one example of predicates that must be
true for that request to modify the dataset to complete. A queue
predicate can stipulate that a particular request to modify the
dataset cannot complete until a previous request to modify the
dataset completes. Queue predicates can be used, for example, for
overlapping write-type operations. In such an example, the leader
storage system (440) can declare that a second write-type operation
logically follows a first such operation, so the second write-type
operation can't complete until the first write-type operation
completes. Depending on the implementation, the second write-type
operation may not even be made durable until it is ensured that the
first such write-type operation is durable (the two operations can
be made durable together). Queue predicates could also be used for
snapshot operations and virtual block range copy operations, by
declaring that a known set of incomplete precursor (e.g., a set of
write-type) operations must each complete before a snapshot can
complete, and as further operations are identified as following the
snapshot (prior to the snapshot being complete) each of these
operations can be predicated on the snapshot operation itself
completing. This predicate could also indicate that those following
operations apply to the post-snapshot image of a volume rather than
included in the snapshot.
[0143] An alternative predicate that could be used for snapshots is
to assign an identifier to every snapshot, and to associate all
modifying operations that can be included in a particular snapshot
with that identifier. Then, the snapshot can complete when all of
the included modifying operations complete. This can be done with a
counting predicate. Each storage system across which a dataset is
synchronously replicated can implement its own count of operations
associated with time since the last snapshot or since some other
relatively infrequent operation (or for embodiments that implement
multiple leader storage systems, with those operations organized by
a particular leader storage system, a count can be established by
that leader storage system for the parts of a dataset it controls).
The snapshot operation itself can then include a counting predicate
that depends on that number of operations being received and made
durable before the snapshot can itself be made durable or be
signaled as completed. Modifying operations that should follow the
snapshot (prior to the snapshot completing) can either be delayed,
given a queue predicate dependent on the snapshot, or the snapshot
identity can be used as an indication that the modifying operation
should be excluded from the snapshot. Virtual block range copies
(SCSI EXTENDED COPY or similar operations) could use queue
predicates or they could use counting predicates and snapshot or
similar identifiers. With counting predicates and snapshot or
virtual copy identifiers, each virtual block range copy might
establish a new virtual snapshot or virtual copy identifier, even
if copy operation only covers two small regions of one or two
volumes. In the examples described above, the request (404) to
modify the dataset (442) can include a request to take a snapshot
of the dataset (442) and the ordering information (452) for the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442) can therefore include an
identification of one or more other requests to modify the dataset
that must be completed prior to taking the snapshot of the dataset
(442).
[0144] In the example method depicted in FIG. 4B, the information
(410) describing the modification to the data set (442) can include
common metadata information (454) associated with the request (404)
to modify the dataset (442). The common metadata information (454)
associated with the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) may
be used to ensure common metadata that is associated with the
dataset (442) in a storage system (438, 440, 450) that a dataset
(442) is synchronously replicated across. Common metadata in this
context may be embodied, for example, as any data other than the
content stored into the dataset (442) by one or more requests
(e.g., one or more write requests issued by a host). The common
metadata may include data that a synchronous replication
implementation keeps in some way consistent across storage systems
(438, 440, 450) that a dataset (442) is synchronously replicated
across, particularly if that common metadata relates to how the
stored content is managed, recovered, resynchronized, snapshotted,
or asynchronously replicated. Readers will appreciate that two or
more modifying operations may depend on the same common metadata,
where ordering of the modifying operations themselves is
unnecessary, but consistent application of the common metadata once
rather than twice is necessary. One way to handle multiple
dependence on common metadata is to define the metadata in a
separate operation instantiated and described from a leader storage
system. Then, two modifying operations that depend on that common
metadata can be given a queue predicate that depends on that
modifying operation. Another way to handle multiple dependence on
common metadata is to associate the common metadata with a first of
two operations, and make the second operation depend on the first.
A variation makes the second operation dependent only on the common
metadata aspects of the first, such that only that part of the
first operation has to be made durable before the second operation
can be processed. Yet another way of handling multiple dependence
on common metadata is to include the common metadata in all
operation descriptions that depend on that common metadata. This
works well if applying the common metadata can be idempotent, for
example, simply by attaching an identifier to the common metadata.
If that identifier has already been processed it can be ignored. In
some cases, identifiers might be associated with parts of the
common metadata.
[0145] In the example method depicted in FIG. 4B, receiving (426)
an indication that the follower storage system has processed the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442) can include receiving
(456), from each of the follower storage systems (438, 450), an
indication that the follower storage system (438, 450) has
processed the request (404) to modify the dataset (442). In this
example, the indication that each follower storage system (438,
450) has processed the request (404) to modify the dataset (436) is
embodied as distinct acknowledgement (422, 448) messages sent from
each follower storage system (438, 450) to the leader storage
system (440). Readers will appreciate that although many of the
steps described above are depicted and described as occurring in a
particular order, no particular order is actually required. In
fact, because the follower storage systems (438, 450) and the
leader storage system (440) are independent storage systems, each
storage system may be performing some of the steps described above
in parallel. For example, one or more of the follower storage
systems (438, 450) may receive (416, 442) the information (410)
describing the modification to the dataset (442), process (418,
444) the request (404) to modify the dataset (442), or acknowledge
(420, 446) completion of the request (404) to modify the dataset
(442) before the leader storage system (440) has processed (424)
the request (404) to modify the dataset (442). Alternatively, the
leader storage system (440) may have processed (424) the request
(404) to modify the dataset (442) before one or more of the
follower storage systems (438, 450) have received (416, 442) the
information (410) describing the modification to the dataset (442),
processed (418, 444) the request (404) to modify the dataset (442),
or acknowledged (420, 446) completion of the request (404) to
modify the dataset (442).
[0146] The example method depicted in FIG. 4B also includes
determining (458), by the leader storage system (440), whether the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442) has been processed (418,
444) by each of the follower storage systems (438, 450) prior to
acknowledging (434) completion of the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442). The leader storage system (440) may determine (458)
whether the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) has been
processed (418, 444) by each of the follower storage systems (438,
450), for example, by determining whether the leader storage system
(440) has received an acknowledgment messages or other messages
from each of the follower storage systems (438, 450) indicating
that the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) has been
processed (418, 444) by each of the follower storage systems (438,
450). In such an example, if the leader storage system (440)
affirmatively (462) determines that the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442) has been processed (418, 444) by each of the follower
storage systems (438, 450) and also processed (424) by the leader
storage system (438), the leader storage system (440) may proceed
by acknowledging (434) completion of the request (404) to modify
the dataset (442) to the host (402) that initiated the request
(404) to modify the dataset (442). If the leader storage system
(440) determines that the request (404) to modify the dataset (442)
has not (460) been processed (418, 444) by at least one of the
follower storage systems (438, 450) or has not been processed (424)
by the leader storage system (438), however, the leader storage
system (440) may not yet acknowledge (434) completion of the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442) to the host (402) that
initiated the request (404) to modify the dataset (442), as the
leader storage system (440) may only acknowledge (434) completion
of the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) to the host (402)
that initiated the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) when
the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) has been successfully
processed on all storage systems (438, 440, 450) across which a
dataset (442) is synchronously replicated.
[0147] Readers will appreciate that although the example method
depicted in FIG. 4B depicts an embodiment in which the dataset
(442) is synchronously replicated across three storage systems,
where one of the storage systems is a leader storage system (440)
and the remaining storage systems are follower storage systems
(438, 450), other embodiments may include even additional storage
systems. In such other embodiments, additional follower storage
systems may operate in the same way as the follower storage systems
(438, 450) depicted in FIG. 4B.
[0148] For further explanation, FIG. 5A sets forth a flow chart
illustrating an example method for servicing I/O operations
directed to a dataset (442) that is synchronized across a plurality
of storage systems (438, 440) according to some embodiments of the
present disclosure. Although depicted in less detail, the storage
systems (438, 440) depicted in FIG. 5A may be similar to the
storage systems described above with reference to FIGS. 1A-1D,
FIGS. 2A-2G, FIGS. 3A-3B, or any combination thereof. In fact, the
storage system depicted in FIG. 5A may include the same, fewer,
additional components as the storage systems described above.
[0149] The example method depicted in FIG. 5A includes receiving
(502), by a follower storage system (438), a request (404) to
modify the dataset (442). The request (404) to modify the dataset
(442) may be embodied, for example, as a request to write data to a
location within the storage system (438) that contains data that is
included in the dataset (442), as a request to write data to a
volume that contains data that is included in the dataset (442), or
as some other operation that results in a change to some portion of
the data that is included in the dataset (442). In the example
method depicted in FIG. 5A, the request (404) to modify the dataset
(442) is issued by a host (402) that may be embodied, for example,
as an application that is executing on a virtual machine, as an
application that is executing on a computing device that is
connected to the storage system (438), or as some other entity
configured to access the storage system (438).
[0150] The example method depicted in FIG. 5A also includes sending
(504), from the follower storage system (438) to a leader storage
system (440), a logical description (506) of the request (404) to
modify the dataset (442). In the example method depicted in FIG.
5A, the logical description (506) of the request (404) to modify
the dataset (442) may be formatted in a way that is understood by
the leader storage system (438) and may contain information
describing the type of operation (e.g. a read-type operation, a
snapshot-type operation) requested in the request (404) to modify
the dataset (442), information describing a location where I/O
payload is being placed, information describing the size of the I/O
payload, or some other information. In an alternative embodiment,
the follower storage system (438) may simply forward some portion
(including all of) the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) to
the leader storage system (440).
[0151] The example method depicted in FIG. 5A also includes
generating (508), by the leader storage system (440), information
(510) describing the modification to the dataset (442). The leader
storage system (440) may generate (508) the information (510)
describing the modification to the dataset (442), for example, by
determining ordering versus any other operations that are in
progress, calculating any distributed state changes such as to
common elements of metadata across all members of the pod (e.g.,
all storage systems across which the dataset is synchronously
replicated), and so on. The information (510) describing the
modification to the dataset (442) may be embodied, for example, as
system-level information that is used to describe an I/O operation
that is to be performed by a storage system. The leader storage
system (440) may generate (508) the information (510) describing
the modification to the dataset (442) by processing the request
(404) to modify the dataset (442) just enough to figure out what
should happen in order to service the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442). For example, the leader storage system (440) may
determine whether some ordering of the execution of the request
(404) to modify the dataset (442) relative to other requests to
modify the dataset (442) is required to produce an equivalent
result on each storage system (438, 440).
[0152] Consider an example in which the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442) is embodied as a request to copy blocks from a first
address range in the dataset (442) to a second address range in the
dataset (442). In such an example, assume that three other write
operations (write A, write B, write C) are directed to the first
address range in the dataset (442). In such an example, if the
leader storage system (440) orders write A and write B (but does
not order write C) prior to copying the blocks from the first
address range in the dataset (442) to the second address range in
the dataset (442), the follower storage system (438) must also
order write A and write B (but not order write C) prior to copying
the blocks from the first address range in the dataset (442) to the
second address range in the dataset (442) in order to yield
consistent results. As such, when the leader storage system (440)
generates (508) the information (510) describing the modification
to the dataset (442), in this example, the leader storage system
(440) could generate information (e.g., sequence numbers for write
A and write B) that identifies other operations that must be
ordered before the follower storage system (438) can process the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442).
[0153] Readers will further appreciate that correct results for any
operation must be committed to the point of being recoverable
before the operation can be acknowledged. But, multiple operations
can be committed together, or operations can be partially committed
if recovery would ensure correctness. For example, a snapshot could
locally commit with a recorded dependency on an expected write of A
and B, but A or B might not have themselves committed. The snapshot
cannot be acknowledged, and recovery might end up backing out the
snapshot if the missing I/O cannot be recovered from another array.
Also, if write B overlaps with write A, then the leader may "order"
B to be after A, but A could actually be discarded and the
operation to write A would then simply wait for B. Writes A, B, C,
and D, coupled with a snapshot between A,B and C,D could commit
and/or acknowledge some or all parts together as long as recovery
cannot result in a snapshot inconsistency across arrays and as long
as acknowledgement does not complete a later operation before an
earlier operation has been persisted to the point that it is
guaranteed to be recoverable.
[0154] The example method depicted in FIG. 5A also includes sending
(512), from the leader storage system (440) to the follower storage
system (538), the information (510) describing the modification to
the dataset (442). Sending (512) the information (510) describing
the modification to the dataset (442) from the leader storage
system (440) to a follower storage system (438) may be carried out,
for example, by the leader storage system (440) sending one or more
messages to the follower storage system (438). The leader storage
system (440) may not need to send I/O payload for the request (404)
to modify the dataset (442), however, in view of the fact that the
follower storage system (438) was the original recipient of the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442). As such, the follower
storage system (438) may extract the I/O payload from the request
(404) to modify the dataset (442), the follower storage system
(438) may receive the I/O payload as part of one or more other
messages associated with the request (404) to modify the dataset
(442), the follower storage system (438) may have access to the I/O
payload as the I/O payload may have been stored by the host (404)
in a known location (e.g., a buffer in the follower storage system
(438) that was accessed via an RDMA or RDMA-like access), or in
some other way.
[0155] The example method depicted in FIG. 5A also includes
processing (518), by the leader storage system (440), the request
(404) to modify the dataset (442). In the example method depicted
in FIG. 5A, the leader storage system (440) may process (518) the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442), for example, by
modifying the contents of one or more storage devices (e.g., an
NVRAM device, an SSD, an HDD) that are included in the leader
storage system (440) in dependence upon the information (410)
describing the modification to the dataset (442) as well as the I/O
payload that was received from the follower storage system (438).
Consider an example in which the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442) is embodied as a write operation that is directed to
a volume that is included in the dataset (442) and the information
(410) describing the modification to the dataset (442) indicates
that the write operation can only be executed after a previously
issued write operation has been processed. In such an example,
processing (518) the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) may
be carried out by the leader storage system (440) first verifying
that the previously issued write operation has been processed on
the leader storage system (440) and subsequently writing I/O
payload associated with the write operation to one or more storage
devices that are included in the leader storage system (440). In
such an example, the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) may
be considered to have been completed and successfully processed,
for example, when the I/O payload has been committed to persistent
storage within the leader storage system (440).
[0156] The example method depicted in FIG. 5A also includes
acknowledging (520), by the leader storage system (440) to the
follower storage system (438), completion of the request (404) to
modify the dataset (442). In the example method depicted in FIG.
5A, the leader storage system (440) may acknowledge (520)
completion of the request (404) to modify the dataset (442), for
example, through the use of one or more acknowledgement (522)
messages that are sent from the leader storage system (440) to the
follower storage system (438), or via some other appropriate
mechanism.
[0157] The example method depicted in FIG. 5A also includes
receiving (514), from the leader storage system (440), the
information (510) describing the modification to the dataset (442).
The follower storage system (438) may receive (514) the information
(410) describing the modification to the dataset (442) from the
leader storage system (440), for example, via one or more messages
that are sent from the leader storage system (440) to the follower
storage system (438). The one or more messages may be sent from the
leader storage system (440) to the follower storage system (438)
via one or more dedicated data communications links between the two
storage systems (438, 440), by the leader storage system (440)
writing the message to a predetermined memory location (e.g., the
location of a queue) on the follower storage system (438) using
RDMA or a similar mechanism, or in other ways. Readers will
appreciate that in the example method depicted in FIG. 5A, however,
the leader storage system (440) does not need to send I/O payload
associated with the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) to
the follower storage system (438), as the follower storage system
(438) can extract such I/O payload from the request (404) to modify
the dataset (442) that was received by the follower storage system
(438), the follower storage system (438) can extract such I/O
payload from one or more other messages that were received from the
host (402), or the follower storage system (438) can obtain the I/O
payload in some other way by virtue of the fact that the follower
storage system (438) was the target of the request (404) to modify
the dataset (442) that was issued by the host (402).
[0158] In one embodiment, the follower storage system (438) may
receive (514) the information (410) describing the modification to
the dataset (442) from the leader storage system (440) through the
use of the use of SCSI requests (writes from sender to receiver, or
reads from receiver to sender) as a communication mechanism. In
such an embodiment, a SCSI Write request is used to encode
information that we intend to send (which includes whatever data
and metadata), and which may be delivered to a special
pseudo-device or over a specially configured SCSI network, or
through any other agreed upon addressing mechanism. Or,
alternately, the model can issue a set of open SCSI read requests
from a receiver to a sender, also using special devices, specially
configured SCSI networks, or other agreed upon mechanisms. Encoded
information including data and metadata will be delivered to the
receiver as a response to one or more of these open SCSI requests.
Such a model can be implemented over Fibre Channel SCSI networks,
which are often deployed as the "dark fibre" storage network
infrastructure between data centers. Such a model also allows the
use of the same network lines for host-to-remote-array multipathing
and bulk array-to-array communications.
[0159] The example method depicted in FIG. 5A also includes
processing (516), by the follower storage system (438), the request
(404) to modify the dataset (442). In the example method depicted
in FIG. 5A, the follower storage system (438) may process (516) the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442) by modifying the contents
of one or more storage devices (e.g., an NVRAM device, an SSD, an
HDD) that are included in the follower storage system (438) in
dependence upon the information (410) describing the modification
to the dataset (442). Consider an example in which the request
(404) to modify the dataset (442) is embodied as a write operation
that is directed to a volume that is included in the dataset (442)
and the information (410) describing the modification to the
dataset (442) indicates that the write operation can only be
executed after a previously issued write operation has been
processed. In such an example, processing (516) the request (404)
to modify the dataset (442) may be carried out by the follower
storage system (438) first verifying that the previously issued
write operation has been processed on the follower storage system
(438) and subsequently writing I/O payload associated with the
write operation to one or more storage devices that are included in
the follower storage system (438). In such an example, the request
(404) to modify the dataset (442) may be considered to have been
completed and successfully processed, for example, when the I/O
payload associated with the request (404) to modify the dataset
(442) has been committed to persistent storage within the follower
storage system (438).
[0160] The example method depicted in FIG. 5A also includes
receiving (524), from the leader storage system (440), an
indication that the leader storage system (440) has processed the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442). In this example, the
indication that the leader storage system (440) has processed the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442) is embodied as an
acknowledgement (522) message sent from the leader storage system
(440) to the follower storage system (438). Readers will appreciate
that although many of the steps described above are depicted and
described as occurring in a particular order, no particular order
is actually required. In fact, because the follower storage system
(438) and the leader storage system (440) are independent storage
systems, each storage system may be performing some of the steps
described above in parallel. For example, the follower storage
system (438) may receive (524), from the leader storage system
(440), an indication that the leader storage system (440) has
processed the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) prior to
processing (516) the request (404) to modify the dataset (442).
Likewise, the follower storage system (438) may receive (524), from
the leader storage system (440), an indication that the leader
storage system (440) has processed the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442) prior to receiving (514) the information (410)
describing the modification to the dataset (442) from the leader
storage system (440).
[0161] The example method depicted in FIG. 5A also includes
acknowledging (526), by the follower storage system (438),
completion of the request (404) to modify the dataset (442).
Acknowledging (526) completion of the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442) may be carried out, for example, by the follower
storage system (438) issuing an acknowledgement (528) message to
the host (402) that issued the request (404) to modify the dataset
(442). In the example method depicted in FIG. 5A, the follower
storage system (438) may determine whether the request (404) to
modify the dataset (442) has been processed (518) by the leader
storage system (440) prior to acknowledging (528) completion of the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442). The follower storage
system (438) may determine whether the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442) has been processed (518) by the leader storage system
(440), for example, by determining whether the follower storage
system (438) has received an acknowledgment message or other
message from the leader storage system (440) indicating that the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442) has been processed (518)
by the leader storage system (440). In such an example, if the
follower storage system (438) affirmatively determines that the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442) has been processed (518)
by the leader storage system (440) and the follower storage system
(438) has also processed (516) the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442), the follower storage system (438) may proceed by
acknowledging (526) completion of the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442) to the host (402) that initiated the request (404) to
modify the dataset (442). If the leader storage system (440)
determines that the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) has
not been processed (518) by the leader storage system (440) or the
follower storage system (438) has not yet processed (516) the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442), however, the follower
storage system (438) may not yet acknowledge (526) completion of
the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) to the host (402)
that initiated the request (404) to modify the dataset (442), as
the follower storage system (438) may only acknowledge (434)
completion of the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) to the
host (402) that initiated the request (404) to modify the dataset
(442) when the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) has been
successfully processed on all storage systems (438, 440) across
which the dataset (442) is synchronously replicated.
[0162] For further explanation, FIG. 5B sets forth a flow chart
illustrating an example method for servicing I/O operations
directed to a dataset (442) that is synchronized across a plurality
of storage systems (438, 440, 534) according to some embodiments of
the present disclosure. Although depicted in less detail, the
storage systems (438, 440, 534) depicted in FIG. 5A may be similar
to the storage systems described above with reference to FIGS.
1A-1D, FIGS. 2A-2G, FIGS. 3A-3B, or any combination thereof. In
fact, the storage system depicted in FIG. 5A may include the same,
fewer, additional components as the storage systems described
above.
[0163] The example method depicted in FIG. 5B may be similar to the
example method depicted in FIG. 5A, as the example method depicted
in FIG. 5B also includes: receiving (502), by a follower storage
system (438), a request (404) to modify the dataset (442); sending
(504), from the follower storage system (438) to a leader storage
system (440), a logical description (506) of the request (404) to
modify the dataset (442); generating (508), by the leader storage
system (440), information (510) describing the modification to the
dataset (442); processing (518), by the leader storage system
(440), the request (404) to modify the dataset (442); acknowledging
(520), by the leader storage system (440) to the follower storage
system (438), completion of the request (404) to modify the dataset
(442); receiving (514), from the leader storage system (440), the
information (510) describing the modification to the dataset (442);
processing (516), by the follower storage system (438), the request
(404) to modify the dataset (442); receiving (524), from the leader
storage system (440), an indication that the leader storage system
(440) has processed the request (404) to modify the dataset (442);
and acknowledging (526), by the follower storage system (438),
completion of the request (404) to modify the dataset (442).
[0164] The example method depicted in FIG. 5B differs from the
example method depicted in FIG. 5A, however, as the example method
depicted in FIG. 5B depicts an embodiment in which the dataset
(442) is synchronously replicated across three storage systems,
where one of the storage systems is a leader storage system (440)
and the remaining storage systems are follower storage systems
(438, 534). In such an example, the additional follower storage
system (534) carries out many of the same steps as the follower
storage system (438) that was depicted in FIG. 5A, as the
additional follower storage system (534) can: receive (442), from
the leader storage system (440), information (410) describing the
modification to the data set (442) and also process (442) the
request (404) to modify the data set (442) in dependence upon the
information (410) describing the modification to the data set
(442).
[0165] In the example method depicted in FIG. 5B, the leader
storage system (440) can send (538) the information (410)
describing the modification to the data set (442) to all of the
follower storage systems (438, 534). In the example method depicted
in FIG. 5B, the additional follower storage system (534) can also
acknowledge (530) completion of the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442) to the follower storage system (438) that received
(502) the request (404) to modify the dataset (442). In the example
method depicted in FIG. 5B, the additional follower storage system
(534) can acknowledge (530) completion of the request (404) to
modify the dataset (442) to the follower storage system (438) that
received (502) the request (404) to modify the dataset (442), for
example, through the use of one or more acknowledgement (532)
messages that are sent from the additional follower storage system
(534) to the follower storage system (438) that received (502) the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442), or via some other
appropriate mechanism.
[0166] In the example method depicted in FIG. 5B, the follower
storage system (438) that received (502) the request (404) to
modify the dataset (442) may also receive (536) an indication that
all other follower storage systems (534) have processed the request
(404) to modify the dataset (442). In this example, the indication
all other follower storage systems (534) have processed the request
(404) to modify the dataset (442) is embodied as an acknowledgement
(532) message sent from the other follower storage system (534) to
the follower storage system (438) that received (502) the request
(404) to modify the dataset (442). Readers will appreciate that
although many of the steps described above are depicted and
described as occurring in a particular order, no particular order
is actually required. In fact, because the follower storage systems
(438, 534) and the leader storage system (440) are each independent
storage systems, each storage system may be performing some of the
steps described above in parallel. For example, the follower
storage system (438) may receive (524), from the leader storage
system (440), an indication that the leader storage system (440)
has processed the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) prior
to processing (516) the request (404) to modify the dataset (442).
In addition, the follower storage system (438) may receive (536) an
indication that all other follower storage systems (534) have
processed the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) prior to
receiving (524) an indication that the leader storage system (440)
has processed the request (404) to modify the dataset (442).
Alternatively, the follower storage system (438) may receive (536)
an indication that all other follower storage systems (534) have
processed the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) prior to
processing (516) the request (404) to modify the dataset (442).
Likewise, the follower storage system (438) may receive (524), from
the leader storage system (440), an indication that the leader
storage system (440) has processed the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442) prior to receiving (514) the information (410)
describing the modification to the dataset (442) from the leader
storage system (440). In addition, the follower storage system
(438) may receive (536) an indication that all other follower
storage systems (534) have processed the request (404) to modify
the dataset (442) prior to receiving (514) the information (410)
describing the modification to the dataset (442) from the leader
storage system (440).
[0167] Although not expressly depicted in FIG. 5B, the follower
storage system (438) may determine whether the request (404) to
modify the dataset (442) has been processed (518) by the leader
storage system (440) and also processed (444) by all other follower
storage systems (534) prior to acknowledging (528) completion of
the request (404) to modify the dataset (442). The follower storage
system (438) may determine whether the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442) has been processed (518) by the leader storage system
(440) and also processed (444) by all other follower storage
systems (534), for example, by determining whether the follower
storage system (438) has received an acknowledgment messages from
the leader storage system (440) and all other follower storage
systems (534) indicating that the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442) has been processed (518, 444) by each storage system
(440, 534). In such an example, if the follower storage system
(438) affirmatively determines that the request (404) to modify the
dataset (442) has been processed by the leader storage system
(440), all other follower storage systems (534), and the follower
storage system (438), the follower storage system (438) may proceed
by acknowledging (526) completion of the request (404) to modify
the dataset (442) to the host (402) that initiated the request
(404) to modify the dataset (442). If the leader storage system
(440) determines that the request (404) to modify the dataset (442)
has not been processed by at least one of the leader storage system
(440), all other follower storage systems (534), or the follower
storage system (438), however, the follower storage system (438)
may not yet acknowledge (526) completion of the request (404) to
modify the dataset (442) to the host (402) that initiated the
request (404) to modify the dataset (442), as the follower storage
system (438) may only acknowledge (434) completion of the request
(404) to modify the dataset (442) to the host (402) that initiated
the request (404) to modify the dataset (442) when the request
(404) to modify the dataset (442) has been successfully processed
on all storage systems (438, 440, 534) across which the dataset
(442) is synchronously replicated.
[0168] Although not expressly depicted in FIG. 5B, in some
embodiments, in an effort to unblock any concurrent overlapping
reads executing on the one or the storage systems (438, 440, 534),
the follower storage system (438) that received (502) the request
(404) to modify the dataset (422) can send a message back to the
leader storage system (440) and to other follower storage systems
(534) to signal that the modifying operation has completed
everywhere. Alternately, the follower storage system (438) that
received (502) the request (404) to modify the dataset (422) could
send that message to the leader storage system (438) and the leader
storage system (438) could send a message to propagate the
completion and unblock reads elsewhere.
[0169] Readers will appreciate that although the example method
depicted in FIG. 5B depicts an embodiment in which the dataset
(442) is synchronously replicated across three storage systems,
where one of the storage systems is a leader storage system (440)
and the remaining storage systems are follower storage systems
(438, 534), other embodiments may include even additional storage
systems. In such other embodiments, additional follower storage
systems may operate in the same way as the other follower storage
system (534) depicted in FIG. 5B.
[0170] Readers will also appreciate that although only the example
depicted in FIG. 4B expressly depicts an embodiments in which the
information (510) describing the modification to the dataset (442)
includes ordering information (452) for the request (404) to modify
the dataset (442), common metadata information (454) associated
with the request (404) to modify the dataset (442), and I/O payload
(414) associated with the request (404) to modify the dataset
(442), the information (510) describing the modification to the
dataset (442) can include all of (or a subset) of such information
in the examples depicted in the remaining figures. Further, in
embodiments where the request (404) to modify the dataset (442)
includes a request to take a snapshot of the dataset (442), the
information (510) describing the modification to the dataset (442)
can also include an identification of one or more other requests to
modify the dataset (442) that are to be included in the content of
the snapshot of the dataset (442) in each of the figures described
above.
[0171] Readers will appreciate that as a result of the information
(510) describing the modification to the dataset (442) including an
identification of one or more other requests to modify the dataset
(442) that are to be included in the content of the snapshot of the
dataset (442), rather than including information identifying one or
more other requests to modify the dataset (442) that must be
completed prior to taking the snapshot, a few situations can be
addressed. One is that an atomic operation could perform a snapshot
and complete the last few writes in the same atomic update, meaning
that the last few writes do not complete "prior" to the snapshot.
Another is that writes could actually be completed after the
snapshot point is taken as long as when the writes are completed
they are included and as long as the snapshot itself isn't
considered complete until all writes are completed by all in-sync
storage systems. Finally, a write that had not been indicated to a
requestor as completed prior to the snapshot being received could
be included or left out of the snapshot as a result of recovery
actions. Essentially, recovery can rewrite the detailed history of
received operations as long as the result is consistent and doesn't
violate any guarantees related to operations that were signaled as
having completed.
[0172] Example embodiments are described largely in the context of
a fully functional system. Readers of skill in the art will
recognize, however, that the present disclosure also may be
embodied in a computer program product disposed upon computer
readable storage media for use with any suitable data processing
system. Such computer readable storage media may be any storage
medium for machine-readable information, including magnetic media,
optical media, or other suitable media. Examples of such media
include magnetic disks in hard drives or diskettes, compact disks
for optical drives, magnetic tape, and others as will occur to
those of skill in the art. Persons skilled in the art will
immediately recognize that any computer system having suitable
programming means will be capable of executing the steps of the
method as embodied in a computer program product. Persons skilled
in the art will recognize also that, although some of the example
embodiments described in this specification are oriented to
software installed and executing on computer hardware,
nevertheless, alternative embodiments implemented as firmware or as
hardware are well within the scope of the present disclosure.
[0173] Embodiments can include be a system, a method, and/or a
computer program product. The computer program product may include
a computer readable storage medium (or media) having computer
readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to
carry out aspects of the present disclosure.
[0174] The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible
device that can retain and store instructions for use by an
instruction execution device. The computer readable storage medium
may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage
device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an
electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or
any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of
more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium
includes the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk,
a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable
programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static
random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only
memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a
floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or
raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon,
and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable
storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being
transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely
propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves
propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g.,
light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical
signals transmitted through a wire.
[0175] Computer readable program instructions described herein can
be downloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a
computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or
external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a
local area network, a wide area network and/or a wireless network.
The network may comprise copper transmission cables, optical
transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls,
switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers. A network adapter
card or network interface in each computing/processing device
receives computer readable program instructions from the network
and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage
in a computer readable storage medium within the respective
computing/processing device.
[0176] Computer readable program instructions for carrying out
operations of the present disclosure may be assembler instructions,
instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine
instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware
instructions, state-setting data, or either source code or object
code written in any combination of one or more programming
languages, including an object oriented programming language such
as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, and conventional procedural
programming languages, such as the "C" programming language or
similar programming languages. The computer readable program
instructions may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on
the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on
the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on
the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote
computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type
of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area
network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external
computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet
Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry
including, for example, programmable logic circuitry,
field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays
(PLA) may execute the computer readable program instructions by
utilizing state information of the computer readable program
instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, in order to
perform aspects of the present disclosure.
[0177] Aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with
reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of
methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products
according to some embodiments of the disclosure. It will be
understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or
block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart
illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer
readable program instructions.
[0178] These computer readable program instructions may be provided
to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose
computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to
produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via
the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing
apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts
specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
These computer readable program instructions may also be stored in
a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a
programmable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to
function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable
storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an
article of manufacture including instructions which implement
aspects of the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block
diagram block or blocks.
[0179] The computer readable program instructions may also be
loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing
apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps
to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or
other device to produce a computer implemented process, such that
the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable
apparatus, or other device implement the functions/acts specified
in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
[0180] The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate
the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible
implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products
according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this
regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent
a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one
or more executable instructions for implementing the specified
logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the
functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in
the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in
fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may
sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the
functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of
the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations
of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can
be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that
perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations
of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.
[0181] Readers will appreciate that the steps described herein may
be carried out in a variety ways and that no particular ordering is
required. It will be further understood from the foregoing
description that modifications and changes may be made in various
embodiments of the present disclosure without departing from its
true spirit. The descriptions in this specification are for
purposes of illustration only and are not to be construed in a
limiting sense. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only
by the language of the following claims.
* * * * *