Validating data in storage systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11217324-B2
Application number	US-201916265113-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2019
Priority date	Feb 2, 2018
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A method is used in validating data in a storage system. The method writes host data to the storage system during processing of a host I/O operation, where the host is in communication with the storage system. The storage system writes host data and test data associated with the host data to a storage device of the storage system. The method reads the host data and the test data from the storage device for validating the host data, and evaluates the test data to determine whether the host data has been written correctly by the storage system to the storage device. Upon determining that the host data has not been written correctly by the storage system to the storage device due to a failure, the method evaluates the test data to determine a cause of the failure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of validating data in a storage system, the method comprising:
writing host data and test data to the storage system from a host during processing of a host I/O operation, wherein the host is in communication with the storage system, wherein the storage system writes the host data and the test data associated with the host data to a storage device of the storage system, wherein the test data, that enables identification of causes of failures, comprises host specific fields, storage specific fields, and wherein the storage system writes the host data and the test data, wherein a portion of the test data is modified, to the storage device of the storage system when an internal state changes in the storage system, wherein the test data comprises cache states, wherein when a state of a cache object stored in a cache changes, indicating a cache state change, a cache event change time, a cache state before the cache state change, and a cache state after the cache state change are stored in the storage specific field;
reading the host data and the test data from the storage device for validating the host data; and
evaluating the test data to determine whether the host data has been written correctly by the storage system to the storage device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the test data includes a host specific information and a storage system specific information.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the host specific information includes information regarding the host I/O operation, wherein the said information is written when the host data is processed by the storage system during execution of the host I/O operation.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the storage system specific information includes information regarding internal states of the storage system components and historical information regarding a set of events occurring during processing of I/O operations in the storage system, wherein the storage system specific information is written when the host data is read from the storage device by the storage system.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
upon determining that the host data has not been written correctly by the storage system to the storage device due to a failure, evaluating the test data to determine a cause of the failure.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein evaluating the test data to determine whether the host data has been written correctly by the storage system to the storage device further comprises comparing the host specific information of the test data with the host data and the test data read from the storage device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the test data associated with the host data comprises a history associated with at least one of a host write I/O operation and a host read I/O operation.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting a test initiation command from the host to the storage system;
receiving, in response, by the host from the storage system, an acknowledgment of the test initiation command; and
in response to the acknowledgement, transitioning the storage system into a test mode in which the storage system writes test data in addition to writing host data associated with a host I/O operation.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing the host data, and the test data on a storage sector of the storage device of the storage system.

10. A system for use in validating data in a storage system, the system comprising a processor configured to:
write host data and test data to the storage system from a host during processing of a host I/O operation, wherein the host is in communication with the storage system, wherein the storage system writes the host data and the test data associated with the host data to a storage device of the storage system, wherein the test data, that enables identification of causes of failures, comprises host specific fields, storage specific fields, and wherein the storage system writes the host data and the test data, wherein a portion of the test data is modified, to the storage device of the storage system when an internal state changes in the storage system, wherein the test data comprises cache states, wherein when a state of a cache object stored in a cache changes, indicating a cache state change, a cache event change time, a cache state before the cache state change, and a cache state after the cache state change are stored in the storage specific field;
read the host data and the test data from the storage device for validating the host data; and
evaluate the test data to determine whether the host data has been written correctly by the storage system to the storage device.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the test data includes a host specific information and a storage system specific information.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the host specific information includes information regarding the host I/O operation, wherein the said information is written when the host data is processed by the storage system during execution of the host I/O operation.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the storage system specific information includes information regarding internal states of the storage system components and historical information regarding a set of events occurring during processing of I/O operations in the storage system, wherein the storage system specific information is written when the host data is read from the storage device by the storage system.

14. The system of claim 10 , further configured to:
upon determining that the host data has not been written correctly by the storage system to the storage device due to a failure, evaluate the test data to determine a cause of the failure.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor configured to evaluate the test data to determine whether the host data has been written correctly by the storage system to the storage device is further configured to compare the host specific information of the test data with the host data and the test data read from the storage device.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the test data associated with the host data comprises a history associated with at least one of a host write I/O operation and a host read I/O operation.

17. The system of claim 10 , further configured to:
transmit a test initiation command from the host to the storage system;
receive, in response, by the host from the storage system, an acknowledgment of the test initiation command; and
in response to the acknowledgement, transition the storage system into a test mode in which the storage system writes test data in addition to writing host data associated with a host I/O operation.

18. The system of claim 10 , further configured to:
store the host data, and the test data on a storage sector of the storage device of the storage system.

19. A computer program product for validating data in a storage system, the computer program product comprising:
a computer readable storage medium having computer executable program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by a computer processor to:
write host data and test data to the storage system from a host during processing of a host I/O operation, wherein the host is in communication with the storage system, wherein the storage system writes the host data and the test data associated with the host data to a storage device of the storage system, wherein the test data, that enables identification of causes of failures, comprises host specific fields, storage spe

Assignees

• Emc Ip Holding Co Llc

Inventors

• Liu Yousheng
• Yang Lifeng
• Jia Ruiyong
• Xu Xinlei
• Gao Jian

Classifications

• G11C29/38 Primary

  Response verification devices · CPC title

• G11C29/44

  Indication or identification of errors, e.g. for repair · CPC title

• G06F11/3409

  for performance assessment · CPC title

• G11C29/52 Primary

  Protection of memory contents; Detection of errors in memory contents · CPC title