Servicing of storage device software components of nodes of a cluster storage system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10693970-B2
Application number	US-201815879727-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2018
Priority date	Feb 17, 2009
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

Described herein are method and apparatus for servicing software components of nodes of a cluster storage system. During data-access sessions with clients, client IDs and file handles for accessing files are produced and stored to clients and stored (as session data) to each node. A serviced node is taken offline, whereby network connections to clients are disconnected. Each disconnected client is configured to retain its client ID and file handles and attempt reconnections. Session data of the serviced node is made available to a partner node (by transferring session data to the partner node). After clients have reconnected to the partner node, the clients may use the retained client IDs and file handles to continue a data-access session with the partner node since the partner node has access to the session data of the serviced node and thus will recognize and accept the retained client ID and file handles.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a first node, an access request from a client device for a data container stored on shared storage accessible over a network to the first node and a second node;
retrieving, by the first node over the network from the second node, stored session data for a prior session where the data container was accessed using a stored user identifier and a stored data container handle;
comparing the stored user identifier and the stored data container handle to a user identifier and a data container handle of the access request to determine whether the client device accessed the data container through the prior session with the second node based upon the user identifier matching the stored user identifier and the data container handle matching the stored data container handle; and
validating and performing the access request upon the data container by the first node based upon the client device being associated with the prior session with the second node, otherwise, denying the access request.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
performing maintenance upon the second node.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
obtaining access to the stored session data based upon the second node being unable to process access requests.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving comprises:
receiving the access request in place of the second node based upon a determination that the second node has failed.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
performing a network disconnect to disconnect the second node from one or more client devices.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data container handle comprises a physical address for the data container.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stored data container handle was generated in response to the second node validating that validated client device having the stored user identifier.

8. A non-transitory machine readable medium comprising instructions for performing a method, which when executed by a machine, causes the machine to:
receive, by a first node, an access request from a client device for a data container stored on shared storage accessible over a network to the first node and a second node;
retrieve, by the first node over the network from the second node, stored session data for a prior session where the data container was accessed using a stored user identifier and a stored data container handle;
compare the stored user identifier and the stored data container handle to a user identifier and a data container handle of the access request to determine whether the client device accessed the data container through the prior session with the second node based upon the user identifier matching the stored user identifier and the data container handle matching the stored data container handle; and
validate and perform the access request upon the data container by the first node based upon the client device being associated with the prior session with the second node, otherwise, deny the access request.

9. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to:
perform an upgrade upon the second node.

10. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to:
obtain access to the stored session data based upon the second node being unable to process access requests.

11. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to:
receive the access request in place of the second node based upon a determination that the second node has failed.

12. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to:
perform a network disconnect to disconnect the second node from one or more client devices.

13. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the data container handle comprises a physical address for the data container.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the stored data container handle was generated in response to the second node validating that validated client device having the stored user identifier.

15. A computing device comprising:
a memory instructions for performing a method; and
a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to execute the instructions to cause the processor to:
receive, by a first node, an access request from a client device for a data container stored on shared storage accessible over a network to the first node and a second node;
retrieve, by the first node over the network from the second node, stored session data for a prior session where the data container was accessed using a stored user identifier and a stored data container handle;
compare the stored user identifier and the stored data container handle to a user identifier and a data container handle of the access request to determine whether the client device accessed the data container through the prior session with the second node based upon the user identifier matching the stored user identifier and the data container handle matching the stored data container handle; and
validate and perform the access request upon the data container by the first node based upon the client device being associated with the prior session with the second node, otherwise, deny the access request.

16. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to:
perform a re-installation for the second node.

17. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to:
obtain access to the stored session data based upon the second node being unable to process access requests.

18. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to:
receive the access request in place of the second node based upon a determination that the second node has failed.

19. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to:
perform a network disconnect to disconnect the second node from one or more client devices.

20. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the data container handle comprises a physical address for the data container.

Assignees

• Netapp Inc

Inventors

• Mu Paul Yuedong
• Le Nam
• Hoffmann John
• Boyles John

Classifications

• H04L63/08

  for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32) · CPC title

• H04L67/1097

  for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS] · CPC title

• H04L63/10

  for controlling access to devices or network resources · CPC title

• H04L67/146 Primary

  Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding · CPC title

• H04L67/143

  Termination or inactivation of sessions, e.g. event-controlled end of session · CPC title