Data management of UNIX file systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10310945-B2
Application number	US-201615141382-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2016
Priority date	Apr 28, 2016
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments relate to techniques that allow for file system support to be rapidly deployed for new or updated operating system distributions. In some embodiments, a management component is provided perform data management on file systems. When a data management operation on a file system is requested, an operation component searches in a predetermined location for a named module that implements certain types of operations. The operation component then calls these operations (including validate, build and deport operations for the file system) to implement data management procedures in the file system. Implementing support for a new operating system or file system does not require that the management entity be rebuilt. Upon release of a new operating system or file system, a new named module can be written and placed in the predetermined location where the operation module is configured to search.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving by a processor a request for a file system implemented by an operating system of a computing device with access to data stored by a storage system; wherein the request is for a storage service associated with the data;
retrieving by the processor, instructions from a predetermined location corresponding to a file system type that varies based on a protocol used by the computing device to communicate with the storage system and an operating system type to execute an operation for the request; wherein predetermined locations store a plurality of instructions corresponding to file system and operating system types for executing storage service related operations; and
executing the operation based on the retrieved instructions using a plugin interfacing with the storage system for a storage related function and an application plugin interfacing with an application that accesses the data;
wherein when the operation is a validate operation a restore type operation is selected based on the file system type; wherein a first restore type operation is selected when a current state of the file system and a backup state of the file system are the same and a second restore type operation is selected when the current state and the backup state are different.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operating system is a UNIX®-based operating system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the operation is a build operation, then the instructions are used to generate a host side stack after a storage data unit has been restored using the plugin for the storage system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the restore type operation is selected from one of a connect-and-copy restore of the file system, and an in-place restore of the file system.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operation implements an initialization procedure, a run procedure, and a terminate procedure.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein for a new type of operating system, new instructions are stored specific to the new operating system type at a predetermined location without rebuilding a management component that performs the operation.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a management device executes the plugin for interfacing with the storage system and manages the application plugin of the computing device.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions for performing a method, comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the machine to:
receive a request for a file system implemented by an operating system of a computing device with access to data stored by a storage system; wherein the request is for a storage service associated with the data;
retrieve instructions from a predetermined location corresponding to a file system type that varies based on a protocol used by the computing device to communicate with the storage system and an operating system type to execute an operation for the request; wherein predetermined locations store a plurality of instructions corresponding to file system and operating system types for executing storage service related operations; and
execute the operation based on the retrieved instructions using a plugin interfacing with the storage system for a storage related function and an application plugin interfacing with an application that accesses the data;
wherein when the operation is a validate operation a restore type operation is selected based on the file system type; wherein a first restore type operation is selected when a current state of the file system and a backup state of the file system are the same and a second restore type operation is selected when the current state and the backup state are different.

9. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 8 , wherein when the operation is a build operation, then the instructions are used to generate a host side stack after a storage data unit has been restored using the plugin for the storage system.

10. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the restore type operation is selected from one of a connect-and-copy restore of the file system, and an in-place restore of the file system.

11. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the operation implements an initialization procedure, a run procedure, and a terminate procedure.

12. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 8 , wherein for a new type of operating system, new instructions are stored specific to the new operating system type at a predetermined location without rebuilding a management component that performs the operation.

13. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 8 , wherein a management device executes the plugin for interfacing with the storage system and manages the application plugin of the computing device.

14. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the operating system is a UNIX®-based operating system.

15. A system comprising:
a memory containing machine readable medium comprising machine executable code having stored thereon instructions; and a processor module coupled to the memory, the processor module configured to execute the machine executable code to:
receive a request for a file system implemented by an operating system of a computing device with access to data stored by a storage system; wherein the request is for a storage service associated with the data;
retrieve instructions from a predetermined location corresponding to a file system type that varies based on a protocol used by the computing device to communicate with the storage system and an operating system type to execute an operation for the request; wherein predetermined locations store a plurality of instructions corresponding to file system and operating system types for executing storage service related operations; and
execute the operation based on the retrieved instructions using a plugin interfacing with the storage system for a storage related function and an application plugin interfacing with an application that accesses the data;
wherein when the operation is a validate operation a restore type operation is selected based on the file system type; wherein a first restore type operation is selected when a current state of the file system and a backup state of the file system are the same and a second restore type operation is selected when the current state and the backup state are different.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein when the operation is a build operation, then the instructions are used to generate a host side stack after a storage data unit has been restored using the plugin for the storage system.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the restore type operation is selected from one of a connect-and-copy restore of the file system, and an in-place restore of the file system.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the operation implements an initialization procedure, a run procedure, and a terminate procedure.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein for a new type of operating system, new instructions are stored specific to the new operating system type at a predetermined location without rebuilding a management component that performs the operation.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein a management device executes the plugin for interfacing with the storage system and manages the application plugin of the computing device.

21. The system of claim 15 , wherein the operating system is a UNIX®-based operating syste

Assignees

• Netapp Inc

Inventors

• Prabhu Vasantha
• Kaplingat Nikhil
• Kumar Girish

Classifications

• G06F16/122 Primary

  using management policies (point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data G06F11/1446; file migration policies for HSM systems G06F16/185) · CPC title

• G06F11/1435 Primary

  using file system or storage system metadata · CPC title

• G06F2201/805

  Real-time · CPC title

• G06F2201/80

  Database-specific techniques · CPC title

• G06F11/1446

  Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data · CPC title