Managing data inconsistencies in files of file systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10409768-B2
Application number	US-201615281304-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2016
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

A data inconsistency is detected in a file system data block of a file system. The file system includes a set of files, each file includes a set of file system data blocks. Information regarding a file including the data inconsistency is provided to a client of the file system. Based on the information, the client is enabled to determine an action for recovering from the data inconsistency.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, implemented by a computing device, for use in managing data inconsistencies in files of file systems, the method comprising:
detecting a data inconsistency in a file system data block of a file system during recovery of the file system, wherein the file system includes a set of files, each file includes a set of file system data blocks;
responsive to the detecting of the data inconsistency, providing information regarding a file including the data inconsistency to a user of the file system, wherein the information includes a path name of the file and an offset within the file at which the file system data block including the data inconsistency resides, wherein the information is stored in a recovery log;
based on the information, enabling the user to determine a type of action to take for recovering the file system from the data inconsistency;
responsive to the enabling the user to determine the type of action to take, avoiding subsequent I/O operations on the file.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the file system is represented by a file system hierarchy, the file system hierarchy including a set of indirect data blocks, each indirect data block including a set of file system data blocks.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting the data inconsistency further comprising:
evaluating metadata of each file system data block of the set of file system data blocks.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information regarding the data inconsistency includes a file inode number, and a range of inconsistent file system data blocks.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user performs the action based on the information provided to the user.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data inconsistency is detected upon performing a file system recovery operation on the file system, wherein the file system recover operation creates the recovery log.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information regarding the file provided to the user is for the file created by the user on a storage system for accessing the file.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the file system is created using storage space from a lower-level file system, wherein a data inconsistency in file system data blocks of the lower-level file system creates the data inconsistency in the file system data block of the file system.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the file system data block is referred to by at least two files, wherein the information regarding the at least two files is provided to the user.

10. A system for use in managing data inconsistencies in files of file systems, the system comprising a hardware processor configured to:
detect a data inconsistency in a file system data block of a file system during recovery of the file system, wherein the file system includes a set of files, each file includes a set of file system data blocks;
responsive to the detecting of the data inconsistency, provide information regarding a file including the data inconsistency to a user of the file system, wherein the information includes a path name of the file and an offset within the file at which the file system data block including the data inconsistency resides, wherein the information is stored in a recovery log;
based on the information, enable the user to determine a type of action to take for recovering the file system from the data inconsistency;
responsive to the enabling the user to determine the type of action to take, avoid subsequent I/O operations on the file.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the file system is represented by a file system hierarchy, the file system hierarchy including a set of indirect data blocks, each indirect data block including a set of file system data blocks.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the detecting the data inconsistency further comprising:
evaluating metadata of each file system data block of the set of file system data blocks.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the information regarding the data inconsistency includes a file inode number, and a range of inconsistent file system data blocks.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the user performs the action based on the information provided to the user.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the data inconsistency is detected upon performing a file system recovery operation on the file system, wherein the file system recover operation creates the recovery log.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the information regarding the file provided to the user is for the file created by the user on a storage system for accessing the file.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the file system is created using storage space from a lower-level file system, wherein a data inconsistency in file system data blocks of the lower-level file system creates the data inconsistency in the file system data block of the file system.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the file system data block is referred to by at least two files, wherein the information regarding the at least two files is provided to the user.

Assignees

• Emc Ip Holding Co Llc

Inventors

• Kuang Yaming
• Fang Frankie Wei
• Forrester Walter C
• Chen Yunfei
• Zhang Feng
• Wu Marshall Hansi

Classifications

• G06F16/17

  Details of further file system functions · CPC title

• G06F16/13

  File access structures, e.g. distributed indices (arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06) · CPC title

• G06F16/11 Primary

  File system administration, e.g. details of archiving or snapshots (error detection or correction of the data by redundancy in operations G06F11/14) · CPC title