Building file system images using cached logical volume snapshots

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016179409-A1
Application number	US-201414573137-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 17, 2014
Priority date	Dec 17, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for building file system images using cached logical volume snapshots. An example method may comprise: producing a buildroot descriptor in view of a list of identifiers of software packages to be included into a new file system image; and responsive to locating, in a storage memory, a logical volume snapshot associated with the buildroot descriptor, creating the new file system image using the logical volume snapshot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
producing, by a processing device, a buildroot descriptor in view of a list of identifiers of software packages to be included into a new file system image; and responsive to locating, in a storage memory, a logical volume snapshot associated with the buildroot descriptor, creating the new file system image using the logical volume snapshot.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the storage memory comprises a logical volume manager (LVM) cache.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein producing the buildroot descriptor comprises:
lexicographically ordering the list of identifiers of the software packages to produce an ordered list comprising one or more elements; concatenating the elements of the ordered list to produce a temporary string; calculating a hash function of the temporary string.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein creating the new file system image comprises cloning the logical volume snapshot.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein cloning the logical volume snapshot produces a new copy-on-write (COW) snapshot associated with the logical volume snapshot.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
moving the buildroot descriptor to a top position of a list of buildroot descriptors associated with the storage memory.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
responsive to failing locate, in the storage memory, a logical volume snapshot identified by the buildroot descriptor, creating the new file system image by installing the software packages identified by the list; and storing, in the storage memory, a snapshot of a logical volume comprising the new file system image.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
removing, from the storage memory, a least recently accessed logical volume snapshot.

9 . A system, comprising:
a memory; and a processing device, coupled to the memory, to:
produce a buildroot descriptor in view of a list of identifiers of software packages to be included into a new file system image; and
responsive to locating, in a storage memory, a logical volume snapshot associated with the buildroot descriptor, create the new file system image using the logical volume snapshot.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the storage memory comprises a logical volume manager (LVM) cache.

11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein producing the buildroot descriptor comprises:
lexicographically ordering the list of identifiers of the software packages to produce an ordered list comprising one or more elements; concatenating the elements of the ordered list to produce a temporary string; calculating a hash function of the temporary string.

12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein creating the new file system image comprises cloning the logical volume snapshot.

13 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
moving the buildroot descriptor to a top position of a list of buildroot descriptors associated with the storage memory.

14 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
responsive to failing locate, in the storage memory, a logical volume snapshot identified by the buildroot descriptor, creating the new file system image by installing the software packages identified by the list; and storing, in the storage memory, a snapshot of a logical volume comprising the new file system image.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing device of a file system server, cause the processing device to:
produce, by the processing device, a buildroot descriptor in view of a list of identifiers of software packages to be included into a new file system image; and responsive to locating, in a storage memory, a logical volume snapshot associated with the buildroot descriptor, create the new file system image using the logical volume snapshot.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the storage memory comprises a logical volume manager (LVM) cache.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein producing the buildroot descriptor comprises:
lexicographically ordering the list of identifiers of the software packages to produce an ordered list comprising one or more elements; concatenating the elements of the ordered list to produce a temporary string; calculating a hash function of the temporary string.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein creating the new file system image comprises cloning the logical volume snapshot.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising:
moving the buildroot descriptor to a top position of a list of buildroot descriptors associated with the storage memory.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising:
responsive to failing locate, in the storage memory, a logical volume snapshot identified by the buildroot descriptor, creating the new file system image by installing the software packages identified by the list; and storing, in the storage memory, a snapshot of a logical volume comprising the new file system image.

Assignees

• Red Hat Inc

Inventors

• Simacek Michael
• Suchy Miroslav

Classifications

• G06F12/0875

  with dedicated cache, e.g. instruction or stack · CPC title

• G06F3/0619 Primary

  in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors · CPC title

• G06F3/065

  Replication mechanisms · CPC title

• G06F12/122

  of the least frequently used [LFU] type, e.g. with individual count value · CPC title

• G06F3/0665

  at area level, e.g. provisioning of virtual or logical volumes · CPC title