Distributed file system with disaggregated data management and storage management layers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12461689-B2
Application number	US-202318452814-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2023
Priority date	Jun 7, 2021
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing data storage using a distributed file system are provided. In one example, a file system instance is deployed virtually in a node of a distributed storage system. The file system instance has a dynamic configuration including a set of services corresponding to a cluster management subsystem and a storage management subsystem. The storage management subsystem operates independently of a data management subsystem of the distributed storage system as a result of disaggregation from the data management subsystem. The data management subsystem performs storage and block management functions based on requests received from an application layer. An additional service corresponding to either the data management subsystem or the storage management subsystem is deployed virtually to meet the demand for the additional service in response to determining the presence of a demand for the additional service and availability a set of resources corresponding to the additional service.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
deploying, virtually, a file system instance in a node of a distributed storage system, the file system instance having a dynamic configuration that at a time of deployment includes a set of services corresponding to a cluster management subsystem and a storage management subsystem, wherein the storage management subsystem performs file and data management functions and is operatable independently of a data management subsystem of the distributed storage system as a result of disaggregation of the storage management subsystem from the data management subsystem, and wherein the data management subsystem performs storage and block management functions based on requests received from an application layer; determining a presence of a demand for an additional service corresponding to either the data management subsystem or the storage management subsystem; determining that a set of resources corresponding to the additional service is available; and deploying, virtually, the additional service to meet the demand for the additional service in response to determining that the set of resources is available.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein operation of the storage management subsystem independently of the data management subsystem enables at least one of:
scaling the data management subsystem along with an application running within the application layer; deploying the data management subsystem on an application node within which the application is deployed; deploying the data management subsystem in a stateless form; and altering the dynamic configuration by deploying or turning on the data management subsystem within the node.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said deploying, virtually, the additional service comprises deploying, virtually, the additional service in the node in response to the presence of the demand for the additional service.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising stopping the additional service corresponding to the data management subsystem in the node in response to the demand for the additional service no longer being present.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein deploying, virtually, the additional service comprises deploying, virtually, the additional service in an application within the application layer in response to the presence of the demand for the additional service.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein deploying, virtually, the additional service comprises deploying a file service instance that enables mapping a file system volume to a logical block device in the storage management subsystem.

7 . A distributed storage system comprising:
one or more processors; and a machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed by the one or more processors, cause the distributed storage system to: deploy, virtually, a file system instance in a node of the distributed storage system, the file system instance having a dynamic configuration that at a time of deployment includes a set of services corresponding to a cluster management subsystem and a storage management subsystem, wherein the storage management subsystem performs file and data management functions and is operatable independently of a data management subsystem of the distributed storage system as a result of disaggregation of the storage management subsystem from the data management subsystem, and wherein the data management subsystem performs storage and block management functions based on requests received from an application layer; determine a presence of a demand for an additional service corresponding to either the data management subsystem or the storage management subsystem; determine that a set of resources corresponding to the additional service is available; and deploy, virtually, the additional service to meet the demand for the additional service in response to determining that the set of resources is available.

8 . The distributed storage system of claim 7 , wherein operation of the storage management subsystem independently of the data management subsystem enables at least one of:
scaling the data management subsystem along with an application running within the application layer; deploying the data management subsystem on an application node within which the application is deployed; deploying the data management subsystem in a stateless form; and altering the dynamic configuration by deploying or turning on the data management subsystem within the node.

9 . The distributed storage system of claim 7 , wherein virtual deployment of the additional service comprises deploying, virtually, the additional service in the node in response to the presence of the demand for the additional service.

10 . The distributed storage system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further cause the distributed storage system to stop the additional service corresponding to the data management subsystem in the node in response to the demand for the additional service no longer being present.

11 . The distributed storage system of claim 9 , wherein virtual deployment of the additional service comprises deploying, virtually, the additional service in an application within the application layer in response to the presence of the demand for the additional service.

12 . The distributed storage system of claim 9 , wherein virtual deployment of the additional service comprises deploying a file service instance that enables mapping a file system volume to a logical block device in the storage management subsystem.

13 . A non-transitory machine readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a distributed storage system, cause the distributed storage system to:
deploy, virtually, a file system instance in a node of a distributed storage system, the file system instance having a dynamic configuration that at a time of deployment includes a set of services corresponding to a storage management subsystem, wherein file and data management functions of the storage management subsystem operate independently of storage and block management functions of a data management subsystem; determine a presence of a demand for an additional service within the distributed storage system; deploy, virtually, the additional service in the node or another node of the distributed storage system to meet the demand for the additional service.

14 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13 , wherein operation of the file and data management functions independently of the storage and block management functions is as a result of disaggregation of the storage management subsystem from the data management subsystem.

15 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13 , wherein operation of the storage management subsystem independently of the data management subsystem enables at least one of:
scaling the data management subsystem along with an application running within the application layer; deploying the data management subsystem on an application node within which the application is deployed; deploying the data management subsystem in a stateless form; and altering the dynamic configuration by deploying or turning on the data management subsystem within the node.

16 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13 , wherein virtual deployment of the additional service comprises deploying, virtually, the additional service in the node in response to the presence of the demand for the additional service.

17 . The non-transitory machine readabl

Assignees

• Netapp Inc

Inventors

• Dronamraju Ravikanth
• Banerjee Arindam

Classifications

• G06F3/0644

  Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools · CPC title

• G06F16/188

  Virtual file systems · CPC title

• G06F3/0664

  at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system · CPC title

• G06F3/064

  Management of blocks · CPC title

• G06F16/182

  Distributed file systems · CPC title