Disk array enclosure configured to determine metadata page location based on metadata identifier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11061618-B1
Application number	US-202016800200-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 25, 2020
Priority date	Feb 25, 2020
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A storage system comprises a disk array enclosure comprising an enclosure controller, a plurality of data storage devices and a plurality of metadata storage devices. The enclosure controller is configured to receive a write operation comprising data to be stored on at least one of the plurality of data storage devices and to determine a logical identifier for the data based at least in part on the received write operation. The enclosure controller is further configured to determine a metadata identifier corresponding to a metadata page stored on the at least one metadata storage device that is associated with the logical identifier and to update the metadata page based at least in part on the metadata identifier. The enclosure controller is further configured to return the logical identifier and the metadata identifier as a response to the received write operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a storage system comprising a disk array enclosure, the disk array enclosure comprising:
at least one enclosure controller comprising at least one processing device coupled to memory;
a plurality of data storage devices in communication with the at least one enclosure controller; and
at least one metadata storage device in communication with the at least one enclosure controller;
wherein the at least one enclosure controller is configured:
to receive a write operation comprising data to be stored on at least one of the plurality of data storage devices;
to determine a logical identifier for the data based at least in part on the received write operation;
to determine a metadata identifier corresponding to a metadata page stored on the at least one metadata storage device that is associated with the logical identifier;
to update the metadata page based at least in part on the metadata identifier; and
to return the logical identifier and the metadata identifier as a response to the received write operation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the metadata identifier comprises a stripe index corresponding to the metadata page.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein determining the metadata identifier corresponding to the metadata page comprises determining a bucket comprising the stripe index based at least in part on the logical identifier.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one enclosure controller is further configured:
to receive a read operation comprising the logical identifier and the metadata identifier;
to obtain the metadata page based at least in part on the metadata identifier included in the read operation;
to determine a physical location of the data on the at least one of the plurality of data storage devices based at least in part on the logical identifier and the obtained metadata page;
to read the data from the determined physical location; and
to return the data as a response to the received read operation.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one enclosure controller is further configured:
to receive an increment operation comprising the logical identifier and the metadata identifier;
to identify the metadata page corresponding to the logical identifier based at least in part on the metadata identifier included in the increment operation; and
to increment a reference count associated with the identified metadata page.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one enclosure controller is further configured:
to receive a decrement operation comprising the logical identifier and the metadata identifier;
to identify the metadata page corresponding to the logical identifier based at least in part on the metadata identifier included in the decrement operation; and
to decrement a reference count associated with the identified metadata page.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one enclosure controller is further configured:
to receive a metadata identifier operation comprising the logical identifier;
to determine the metadata identifier based at least in part on the logical identifier; and
to return the metadata identifier as a response to the received metadata identifier operation.

8. A method comprising:
receiving a write operation comprising data to be stored on at least one of a plurality of data storage devices of a disk array enclosure;
determining a logical identifier for the data based at least in part on the received write operation;
determining a metadata identifier corresponding to a metadata page stored on at least one metadata storage device of the disk array enclosure that is associated with the logical identifier;
updating the metadata page based at least in part on the metadata identifier; and
returning the logical identifier and the metadata identifier as a response to the received write operation;
wherein the method is implemented by at least one enclosure controller of the disk array enclosure.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the metadata identifier comprises a stripe index corresponding to the metadata page.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein determining the metadata identifier corresponding to the metadata page comprises determining a bucket comprising the stripe index based at least in part on the logical identifier.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises:
receiving a read operation comprising the logical identifier and the metadata identifier;
obtaining the metadata page based at least in part on the metadata identifier included in the read operation;
determining a physical location of the data on the at least one of the plurality of data storage devices based at least in part on the logical identifier and the obtained metadata page;
reading the data from the determined physical location; and
returning the data as a response to the received read operation.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises:
receiving an increment operation comprising the logical identifier and the metadata identifier;
identifying the metadata page corresponding to the logical identifier based at least in part on the metadata identifier included in the increment operation; and
incrementing a reference count associated with the identified metadata page.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises:
receiving a decrement operation comprising the logical identifier and the metadata identifier;
identifying the metadata page corresponding to the logical identifier based at least in part on the metadata identifier included in the decrement operation; and
decrementing a reference count associated with the identified metadata page.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the method further comprises:
receiving a metadata identifier operation comprising the logical identifier;
determining the metadata identifier based at least in part on the logical identifier; and
returning the metadata identifier as a response to the received metadata identifier operation.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored therein program code of one or more software programs, the program code when executed by at least one enclosure controller of a disk array enclosure of a storage system, causes the at least one enclosure controller:
to receive a write operation comprising data to be stored on at least one of a plurality of data storage devices of the disk array enclosure;
to determine a logical identifier for the data based at least in part on the received write operation;
to determine a metadata identifier corresponding to a metadata page stored on at least one metadata storage device of the disk array enclosure that is associated with the logical identifier;
to update the metadata page based at least in part on the metadata identifier; and
to return the logical identifier and the metadata identifier as a response to the received write operation.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein:
the metadata identifier comprises a stripe index corresponding to the metadata page; and
determining the metadata identifier corresponding to the metadata page comprises determining a bucket comprising the stripe index based at least in part on the logical identifier.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the program code further causes the at least one enclosure controller:
to receive a read operation comprising the logical identifier and the metadata identifier;
to obtain the met

Assignees

• Emc Ip Holding Co Llc

Inventors

• Glimcher Boris
• Alkalay Amitai

Classifications

• G06F3/0689

  Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD · CPC title

• G06F3/0635

  by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration · CPC title

• G06F3/061 Primary

  Improving I/O performance · CPC title

• G06F3/064

  Management of blocks · CPC title

• G06F3/0604

  Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management · CPC title