Managing dispersed storage network background tasks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11645013-B2
Application number	US-201916694315-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2019
Priority date	Nov 25, 2019
Publication date	May 9, 2023
Grant date	May 9, 2023

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing conflicting background tasks in a dispersed storage network are provided. In embodiments, a method includes: gathering scheduled future task data for scheduled future tasks from a plurality of task scheduling modules within a dispersed storage network, wherein the scheduled future tasks are tasks associated with stored data objects; monitoring the scheduled future task data for scheduling conflicts based on stored rules; determining that a scheduling conflict exists between a first future task of the scheduled future tasks and a second future task of the scheduled future tasks; issuing instructions to at least one of the plurality of task scheduling modules to update the first future task or the second future task based on the scheduling conflict; and updating, by the at least one of the plurality of task scheduling modules, the first future task or the second future task based on the instructions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
gathering, by a computing device, scheduled future task data for scheduled future tasks from a plurality of task scheduling modules within a dispersed storage network, wherein the scheduled future tasks are tasks associated with stored data objects;
monitoring, by the computing device, the scheduled future task data for conflicts between the scheduled future tasks based on stored rules;
determining, by the computing device and based on the monitoring, that a conflict exists between a first future task of the scheduled future tasks and a second future task of the scheduled future tasks, wherein the conflict comprises one of the first future task and the second future task rendering the other of the first future task and the second future task unnecessary or causing redundancies in work performed by the dispersed storage network;
issuing instructions, by the computing device, to update the first future task or the second future task based on the conflict; and
updating, by the at least one of the plurality of task scheduling modules, the first future task based on the instructions thereby creating updated scheduled future tasks, wherein at least one of the updated scheduled future tasks are performed in the dispersed storage network and the performance of the at least one of the updated scheduled future tasks requires less computational resources than performance of the scheduled future tasks, wherein the first future task comprises repairing one of the stored data objects at a first storage module, the second future task comprises moving the one of the stored data objects from the first storage module to a second storage module, the instructions comprise instructions to cancel the first future task, and the second future task is performed in response to execution of the instructions.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the scheduled future tasks further comprise a third task of repairing a second one of the stored data objects and a fourth task of deleting the second one of the stored data objects, and wherein the method further comprises issuing a second set of instructions to cancel the third task in response to determining that a second conflict exists between the third task and the fourth task.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of task scheduling modules comprises a rebuilding module configured to repair a selected object of the stored data objects dispersed among a plurality of storage modules as slices of the selected object.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys and supports the computing device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring, determining and issuing are provided by a service provider on a subscription, advertising, and/or fee basis.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device includes software provided as a service in a cloud environment.

7. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to:
gather scheduled future task data for scheduled future tasks from a plurality of task scheduling modules in a dispersed storage network, wherein the scheduled future tasks are tasks associated with stored data objects in the dispersed storage network;
monitor the scheduled future tasks for conflicts;
determine, based on the monitoring, a conflict exists between a first future task and a second future task of the scheduled future tasks; and
issue instructions to update the first future task or the second future task based on the conflict, wherein:
the first future task comprises repairing a selected data object of the stored data objects at a first storage module and the second future task comprises moving the selected data object from the first storage module to a second storage module;
the instructions comprise instructions to cancel the first future task; and

the program instructions are further executable to perform the second future task in response to execution of the instructions.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to:
determine, based on the monitoring, a second conflict exists between a third future task and a fourth future task; and
issue instructions to update the third future task or the fourth future task based on the second conflict;
wherein the updating the third future task or the fourth future task is selected from the group consisting of: cancelling the third future task; changing an order in which the third task and fourth future task are to be executed to minimize a number of operations of the computing device; and prioritizing the third future task over the fourth future task when the third future task is repairing a second selected data object of the stored data objects that is not scheduled to be tiered or expired.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to:
determine, based on the monitoring, a second conflict exists between a third future task and a fourth future task; and
issue instructions based on the second conflict;
wherein the third future task comprises repairing a second selected data object of the stored data objects and the fourth future task comprises deleting the second selected data object, and wherein the program instructions are further executable to cancel the third future task.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein one of the plurality of task scheduling modules comprises a rebuilding module configured to repair the selected data object of the stored data objects dispersed among a plurality of storage modules as slices of the selected data object.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the second conflict comprises one of the third future task and the fourth future task rendering the other of the third future task and the fourth future task unnecessary or causing redundancies in work performed by the dispersed storage network.

12. A system comprising:
a processor, a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage medium associated with a computing device;
program instructions to monitor scheduled future task data for scheduled future tasks within a dispersed storage network for conflicts based on stored rules, wherein the scheduled future tasks are tasks associated with stored data objects;
program instructions to determine, based on the monitoring, that a conflict exists with respect to a first future task of the scheduled future tasks based on the stored rules;
program instructions to issue instructions to update the first future task based on the conflict, wherein:
the first future task comprises repairing a selected data object of the stored data objects at a first storage module,
the second future task comprises moving the selected data object from the first storage module to a second storage module,
the instructions comprise instructions to cancel the first future task, and
the program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium for execution by the processor via the computer readable memory; and

program instructions are further executable to perform the second future task in response to execution of the instructions.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising program instructions to receive the scheduled future tasks from a plurali

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Viraraghavan Praveen
• Gray Adam
• Reid Tyler Kenneth
• Kim Peter
• Manupriya Fnu
• Shah Anuraag
• Gopalam Sridhar
• Bolen David Brittain
• Cabral Bruno

Classifications

• G06F3/0652

  Erasing, e.g. deleting, data cleaning, moving of data to a wastebasket · CPC title

• G06F3/067 Primary

  Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS] · CPC title

• G06F3/0685

  Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays · CPC title

• G06F3/0653

  Monitoring storage devices or systems · CPC title

• G06F9/52

  Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores · CPC title