Systems and methods for restoring an interface to a global file system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10893102-B2
Application number	US-201615204018-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2016
Priority date	Jul 7, 2015
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

A versioned file storage system (VFS) and method for operating and using the same is disclosed. In an aspect, a mechanism is provided wherein a first VFS interface unit coupling the VFS to a local data storage system is replaced with a second VFS interface unit in a coordinated procedure for taking the first unit offline, making a reliable snapshot of its data and cache structure in the VFS, and loading the same data and cache structure into the second VFS interface brought online. The first and second VFS interfaces transfer the necessary data to achieve the switch through respective side-loading daemons running in each interface. Clients in the local data storage system experience minimal interruption of services in the VFS.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. In a cloud storage-based versioned file system (VFS) employing a VFS interface service to a local data storage system, a method to upgrade an active VFS interface without performance degradation, comprising:
taking a first VFS interface that is the active VFS interface offline so that it no longer accepts new data or requests for data from a local data storage system while maintaining the first VFS interface powered and running at least a first side-loading daemon on the first VFS interface;
taking a snapshot of data from the first VFS interface and synchronizing the data from the first VFS interface to the VFS;
while the first VFS interface is offline but powered and running the first side-loading daemon, bringing a second VFS interface online so that it is powered, running at least a second side-loading daemon, and addressable using a network address;
with the first VFS interface still offline, placing the first and second side-loading daemons in data communication with one another;
with the first VFS interface still offline and the second VFS interface online, receiving at the second VFS interface, through the second side-loading daemon, a copy of data from the first VFS interface, the copy of data being provided through the first side-loading daemon as a background data transfer process; and
while the background data transfer process between the first and second side-loading deamons is on-going, and responsive to receipt of a request for information at the second VFS interface directed to the local data storage system and that cannot be serviced at the second VFS interface, retrieving the information from the first VFS interface to the second VFS interface, and returning the information in response to the request, thereby avoiding retrieval of the information from the cloud storage-based VFS.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving said copy of the data comprises secure transmission of said data from the first side-loading daemon to the second side-loading daemon.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising taking a third VFS interface online, and using a third VFS interface, coupling said third VFS interface to the first VFS interface so that both the second and third VFS interfaces replace said first VFS interface in servicing the local data storage system.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving at the second VFS interface, from the first VFS interface, a copy of cached data.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving at the second VFS interface, from the first VFS interface, a copy of a directory structure.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising taking the second VFS interface online by providing the second VFS interface with a reachable network address.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising providing the second VFS interface with a reachable network address by assigning to the second VFS interface a same network address as was previously used by the first VFS interface.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising providing the second VFS interface with a reachable network address by assigning to the second VFS interface a different network address than was previously used by the first VFS interface.

9. The method of claim 1 , said steps representing a process for decommissioning at least one VFS interface, including the first VFS interface, and commissioning at least one VFS interface, including the second VFS interface.

10. A network accessible data storage architecture, comprising:
a network-connected versioned file system (VFS);
a first VFS interface, coupled to the VFS, having a first VFS network address, and configured to service one or more requests from a local data storage system when the first VFS interface is online and addressable by the local data storage system, the first VFS interface including a first side-loading daemon, and a data set stored in the first VFS interface; and
a second VFS interface, coupled to the VFS, having a second network address, and configured to service one or more requests from the local data storage system when the second VFS interface is online and addressable by the local data storage system, the second VFS interface including a second side-loading daemon configured to receive from the first side-loading daemon a copy of the data set in a background data transfer process, whereby the first VFS interface is upgraded to the second VFS interface without performance degradation of the network accessible data storage architecture;
wherein the network accessible data storage architecture is configured to service the one or more requests from the local data storage system, initially from said first VFS interface while the first VFS interface is online and addressable by the local data storage system, then from the second VFS interface after the second VFS interface is populated by the data set through the respective side-loading daemons of the second and first VFS interfaces;
wherein as the background data transfer process is on-going, at least one request is serviced from the local data storage system through the second VFS interface obtaining information from the first VFS interface, thereby avoiding retrieval of the information from the VFS.

11. The architecture of claim 10 , further comprising a cloud interface between said VFS and each of the first and second VFS interfaces.

12. The architecture of claim 10 wherein the information is obtained from the first VFS interface upon a cache miss at the second VFS interface.

13. The architecture of claim 10 further including decommissioning the first VFS interface following completion of the background data transfer process.

14. The architecture of claim 10 wherein the local data storage system includes a cache.

15. A system associated with a local data storage system having a cache, comprising:
a versioned file system (VFS) associated with one or more cloud-based object data stores;
a VFS interface system associated with the local data storage system, the VFS interface system comprising:
a first VFS interface configured as an active VFS interface to the VFS;
a second VFS interface distinct from the first VFS interface; and
program code executed by a processor and configured to decommission the first VFS interface and promote the second VFS interface as the active VFS interface without performance degradation, wherein as the second VFS interface is being promoted as the active VFS interface at least one request for information received at the second VFS interface is serviced from the local data storage system by the second VFS interface actively obtaining information from the first VFS interface, thereby avoiding retrieval of the information from the VFS, the second VFS interface servicing the request for information in response to a cache miss at the second VFS interface;
wherein servicing information requests while decommissioning the first VFS interface and promoting the second VFS interface provides for an improved operation of the VFS interface system.

Assignees

• Nasuni Corp

Inventors

• Lacasse Christopher S
• Baughman Kevin William
• Mason Robert
• Mcdonald Matthew M
• Shaw David M
• Vincent Jon

Classifications

• H04L67/1097 Primary

  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

• H04L67/02

  based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP] · CPC title

• G06F16/1873 Primary

  Versioning file systems, temporal file systems, e.g. file system supporting different historic versions of files · CPC title

• G06F16/1844

  Management specifically adapted to replicated file systems · CPC title

• G06F16/184

  implemented as replicated file system · CPC title