Non-disruptive controller replacement in a cross-cluster redundancy configuration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10282262-B2
Application number	US-201615361625-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2016
Priority date	Nov 13, 2014
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

During a storage redundancy giveback from a first node to a second node following a storage redundancy takeover from the second node by the first node, the second node is initialized in part by receiving a node identification indicator from the second node. The node identification indicator is included in a node advertisement message sent by the second node during a giveback wait phase of the storage redundancy giveback. The node identification indicator includes an intra-cluster node connectivity identifier that is used by the first node to determine whether the second node is an intra-cluster takeover partner. In response to determining that the second node is an intra-cluster takeover partner, the first node completes the giveback of storage resources to the second node.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
identifying, by a first node, a storage controller identifier specified within a local copy of cross-cluster configuration information stored by the first node, wherein a second node, a third node, a fourth node store copies of the cross-cluster configuration information, and wherein the first node and the second node are partners within a first cluster and the third node and the fourth node are partners within a second cluster;
determining that a storage controller replacement was performed for the first node based upon the storage controller identifier being different than a current storage controller identifier of a storage controller of the first node;
transmitting a message to the second node, the third node, and the fourth node to indicate that the storage controller replacement was performed; and
modifying the local copy of the cross-cluster configuration information stored by the first node based upon a determination that the second node, the third node, and the fourth node have modified locally stored copies of the cross-cluster configuration information based upon the message.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
modifying the local copy of the cross-cluster configuration information stored by the first node based upon a determination that the second node has modified a copy of the cross-cluster configuration information stored by the second node based upon the message.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
modifying the local copy of the cross-cluster configuration information stored by the first node based upon a determination that the third node has modified a copy of the cross-cluster configuration information stored by the third node based upon the message.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of nodes within a distributed computing environment store copies of the cross-cluster configuration information.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the message is transmitted to the plurality of nodes within the distributed computing environment.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message comprises the current storage controller identifier, and the method comprising:
instructing the second node, the third node, and the fourth node to update locally stored copies of the cross-cluster configuration information using the current storage controller identifier within the message.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the local copy is modified based upon the plurality of nodes modifying locally stored copies of the cross-cluster configuration information based upon the message.

8. The method of claim 7 , comprising:
constructing the message to comprise an instruction for the first node, the second node, and the third node to update the local copies of the cross-cluster configuration information with the current storage controller identifier.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second node performed a takeover of the first node based upon a failure of the first node, the method comprising:
performing a storage resource giveback to return storage resources from the second node to the first node based upon a determination that the first node and the second node are intra-cluster takeover partners.

10. A non-transitory machine readable medium having stored thereon instructions which when executed by machine, causes the machine to:
identify, by a first node, a storage controller identifier specified within a local copy of cross-cluster configuration information stored by the first node, wherein a second node, a third node, a fourth node store copies of the cross-cluster configuration information, and wherein the first node and the second node are partners within a first cluster and the third node and the fourth node are partners within a second cluster;
determine that a storage controller replacement was performed for the first node based upon the storage controller identifier being different than a current storage controller identifier of a storage controller of the first node;
transmit a message to the second node, the third node, and the fourth node to indicate that the storage controller replacement was performed; and
modify the local copy of the cross-cluster configuration information stored by the first node based upon a determination that the second node, the third node, and the fourth node have modified locally stored copies of the cross-cluster configuration information based upon the message.

11. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 10 , wherein a plurality of nodes within a distributed computing environment store copies of the cross-cluster configuration information and the message is transmitted to the plurality of nodes.

12. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to:
instruct the second node, the third node, and the fourth node to update locally stored copies of the cross-cluster configuration information using the current storage controller identifier within the message.

13. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the first node and the second node are coupled to storage devices via a switch, and wherein an intra-cluster node connectivity identifier, used by the first node to determine whether the second node is an intra-cluster takeover partner of the first node, comprises an identifier of the switch.

14. A computing device comprising:
a memory having stored thereon instructions for performing a method; and
a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to execute the instructions to cause the processor to:
identify a storage controller identifier specified within a local copy of cross-cluster configuration information stored by a first node, wherein a second node, a third node, a fourth node store copies of the cross-cluster configuration information, and wherein the first node and the second node are partners within a first cluster and the third node and the fourth node are partners within a second cluster;
determine that a storage controller replacement was performed for the first node based upon the storage controller identifier being different than a current storage controller identifier of a storage controller of the first node;
transmit a message to the second node, the third node, and the fourth node to indicate that the storage controller replacement was performed; and
modify the local copy of the cross-cluster configuration information stored by the first node based upon a determination that the second node, the third node, and the fourth node have modified locally stored copies of the cross-cluster configuration information based upon the message.

15. The computing device of claim 14 , wherein a plurality of nodes within a distributed computing environment store copies of the cross-cluster configuration information, the message is transmitted to the plurality of nodes, and the local copy is modified based upon the plurality of nodes modifying locally stored copies of the cross-cluster configuration information based upon the message.

16. The computing device of claim 14 , wherein the instructions to cause the processor to:
modify the local copy of the cross-cluster configuration information stored by the first node based upon a determination that the second node, the third node, and the fourth node have modified locally stored copies of the cross-cluster configuration information based upon the message.

17. The computing device of claim 14 , wherein the instructions to cause the processor to:
instruct the second node to update a copy of the cross-cluster configu

Assignees

• Netapp Inc

Inventors

• Panara Amit V
• Patel Chaitanya V
• Keremane Hrishikesh
• Majmudar Pankti Vinay
• Unnikrishnan Santhosh
• Elpula Sravan Kumar
• Coatney Susan M

Classifications

• G06F11/2092 Primary

  Techniques of failing over between control units · CPC title

• G06F3/067

  Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS] · CPC title

• G06F11/2097

  maintaining the standby controller/processing unit updated (initialisation or re-synchronisation thereof G06F11/1658 and subgroups) · CPC title

• G06F3/0629

  Configuration or reconfiguration of storage systems · CPC title

• G06F3/0617 Primary

  in relation to availability · CPC title