Method and system for managing storage system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017371596-A1
Application number	US-201715630863-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 22, 2017
Priority date	Jun 22, 2016
Publication date	Dec 28, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and a system for managing a storage system. In one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for managing a storage system, where the storage system comprises a first controller, a second controller, a first communication area as well as a second communication area. The method comprising: with respect to a storage device in the storage system, in response to the first controller successfully accessing the storage device, writing to the first communication area a first state that indicates a state relationship between the first controller and the storage device, where the first communication area is readable and writable to the first controller and readable to the second controller; reading from the second communication area a second state that indicates a state relationship between the second controller and the storage device, where the second communication area is readable to the first controller and readable and writable to the second controller; and in response to the second state indicating that the second controller successfully accesses the storage device, initializing the storage system. In one embodiment of the present invention, there is further provided a corresponding system and apparatus.

First claim

1 . A method for managing a storage system, the storage system comprising a first controller, a second controller, a first communication area as well as a second communication area, the method comprising: with respect to a storage device in the storage system,
in response to the first controller successfully accessing the storage device, writing to the first communication area a first state that indicates a state relationship between the first controller and the storage device, the first communication area being readable and writable to the first controller and readable to the second controller; reading from the second communication area a second state that indicates a state relationship between the second controller and the storage device, the second communication area being readable to the first controller and readable and writable to the second controller; and in response to the second state, indicating that the second controller successfully accesses the storage device, initializing the storage system.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to the first controller successfully initializing the storage device, setting a first heartbeat timer in the first communication area; and periodically reading the second state from the second communication area before the first heartbeat timer expires.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , further comprising: resetting the first communication area in response to the first heartbeat timer expiring.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the storage system is a Redundant Array of Independent Disks including a plurality of storage devices, and the method further comprises: with respect to each of the plurality of storage devices,
initializing the storage system in response to the second state, associated with the each storage device, indicating the second controller successfully accesses the each storage device.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the first communication area crosses respective storage areas in the plurality of storage devices, and the initializing the storage system comprises:
setting the first state associated with one storage device of the plurality of storage devices as “recovering,” and setting the first state associated with other storage device of the plurality of storage devices as “active;” recovering, based on data in the other storage device whose first state is “active,” data in the storage device whose first state is “recovering;” and updating the first state from “recovering” to “active.”

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the recovering, based on data in the other storage device whose first state is “active,” data in the storage device whose first state is “recovering” comprises:
locking a storage area across the plurality of storage devices; and
in the storage area, recovering data in the storage device whose first state is “recovering,” based on data in the other storage device whose first state is “active.”

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the locking the storage area across the plurality of storage devices comprises:
writing to the first communication area a first lock flag associated with the storage area; reading from the second communication area a second lock flag associated with the storage area; and in response to the second lock flag indicating the storage area is not locked by the second controller, locking the storage area by the first controller.

8 . The method according to claim 5 , further comprising: in response to the first state indicating the first controller cannot access an offline storage device among the plurality of storage devices,
in response to the first controller receiving a write request, writing data associated with the write request to an online storage device that is accessible to the first controller; and writing a notification message to the first communication area to notify the second controller to synchronize data from the online storage device to the offline storage device.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , further comprising: in response to the second controller reading the notification message from the first communication area,
calculating parity data based on data associated with the write request and written to the online device; and writing the parity data to the offline device.

10 . The method according to claim 5 , further comprising:
in response to one storage device among the plurality of storage devices failing, adding a backup storage device to the storage system and updating the first state associated with the backup storage device as “recovering;” recovering data in the storage device whose first state is “recovering,” based on data in the other storage device whose first state is “active;” and updating the first state associated with the backup storage device from “recovering” to “active.”

11 . A system for managing a storage system, comprising:
one or more processors; a memory coupled to at least one processor of the one or more processors; computer program instructions stored in the memory which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to execute a method for managing a storage system, the method comprising: in a storage system comprising a first controller, a second controller, a first communication area as well as a second communication area, with respect to a storage device in the storage system, in response to the first controller successfully accessing the storage device, writing to the first communication area a first state that indicates a state relationship between the first controller and the storage device, the first communication area being readable and writable to the first controller and readable to the second controller; reading from the second communication area a second state that indicates a state relationship between the second controller and the storage device, the second communication area being readable to the first controller and readable and writable to the second controller; and initializing the storage system in response to the second state indicating that the second controller successfully accesses the storage device.

12 . The system according to claim 11 , the method further comprising:
in response to the first controller successfully initializing the storage device, setting a first heartbeat timer in the first communication area; and periodically reading the second state from the second communication area before the first heartbeat timer expires.

13 . The system according to claim 12 , the method further comprising: resetting the first communication area in response to the first heartbeat timer expiring.

14 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein the storage system is a Redundant Array of Independent Disks including a plurality of storage devices, and the method further comprises: with respect to each of the plurality of storage devices,
initializing the storage system in response to the second state, associated with the each storage device, indicating the second controller successfully accesses the each storage device.

15 . The system according to claim 14 , wherein the first communication area crosses respective storage areas in the plurality of storage devices, and the initializing the storage system comprises:
setting the first state associated with one storage device of the plurality of storage devices as “recovering,” and setting the first state associated with other storage device of the plurality of storage devices as “active;” recovering, based on data in the other storage device whose first state

Assignees

• Emc Ip Holding Co Llc

Inventors

• Liu Yousheng
• Kang Jamin Jianbin
• Xu Xinlei
• Jia Ruiyong
• Gao Jian
• Yang Lifeng

Classifications

• G06F11/1076

  Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems · CPC title

• G06F3/0689 Primary

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

• G06F13/3625

  using a time dependent access · CPC title

• G06F3/0635

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

• G06F3/0614 Primary

  Improving the reliability of storage systems · CPC title