Methods for improving journal performance in storage networks and devices thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020167084-A1
Application number	US-202016777346-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 30, 2020
Priority date	May 27, 2016
Publication date	May 28, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods, non-transitory computer readable media, and computing devices that execute a storage operation, without journaling the storage operation in a log, and withhold from a file system a list of freed inodes including an indication of an inode freed as a result of the execution of the storage operation. A consistency point operation is then initiated that retrieves storage operations logged as journal entries in the log and commits a result of each of the storage operations to data storage devices. A list of available inodes is updated based on the list of freed inodes, when the consistency point operation is determined to be complete. This technology reduces the number of storage operations that are required to be journaled to maintain consistency of a file system, thereby reducing the runtime resources required to facilitate the journaling and replay resource required to replay the storage operations following a recovery.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
executing, by a computing device, a storage operation, without journaling the storage operation in a log, and withholding from a file system a list of freed inodes comprising an indication of an inode freed as a result of the execution of the storage operation; initiating, by the computing device, a consistency point operation that retrieves storage operations logged as journal entries in the log and commits a result of each of the storage operations to one or more data storage devices; and updating, by the computing device, a list of available inodes based on the list of freed inodes, when the consistency point operation is determined to be complete based on the log being cleared after the results of the storage operations in the journal entries are committed to the one or more data storage devices.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the list of available inodes is accessible to the file system for use in inode assignment when storing new files.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the freed inode is associated with a deleted file that was previously stored in the file system and on one or more of the data storage devices.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising updating, by the computing device, the list of available inodes to include the indication of the freed inode and one or more other inodes freed during the consistency point operation.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising clearing, by the computing device, the list of freed inodes, when the consistency point operation is determined to be complete based on the log being cleared after the results of the storage operations in the journal entries are committed to the one or more data storage devices.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the storage operation is executed prior to initiation of the consistency point operation.

7 . A non-transitory machine readable medium having stored thereon instructions for improved journal performance in a storage network comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine causes the machine to:
execute a storage operation, without journaling the storage operation in a log, and withhold from a file system a list of freed inodes comprising an indication of an inode freed as a result of the execution of the storage operation; initiate a consistency point operation that retrieves storage operations logged as journal entries in the log and commits a result of each of the storage operations to one or more data storage devices; and update a list of available inodes based on the list of freed inodes, when the consistency point operation is determined to be complete.

8 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the list of available inodes is accessible to the file system for use in inode assignment when storing new files.

9 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the freed inode is associated with a deleted file that was previously stored in the file system and on one or more of the data storage devices.

10 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the machine executable code when executed by the machine further causes the machine to update the list of available inodes to include the indication of the freed inode and one or more other inodes freed during the consistency point operation.

11 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the machine executable code when executed by the machine further causes the machine to clear the list of freed inodes, when the consistency point operation is determined to be complete based on the log being cleared after the results of the storage operations in the journal entries are committed to the one or more data storage devices.

12 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the storage operation is executed prior to initiation of the consistency point operation.

13 . The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the consistency point operation is determined to be complete based on the log being cleared after the results of the storage operations in the journal entries are committed to the one or more data storage devices.

14 . A computing device, comprising:
a memory containing machine readable medium comprising machine executable code having stored thereon instructions for improved journal performance in a storage network; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to execute the machine executable code to cause the processor to:
execute a storage operation, without journaling the storage operation in a log, and withhold from a file system a list of freed inodes comprising an indication of an inode freed as a result of the execution of the storage operation;
initiate a consistency point operation; and
update a list of available inodes based on the list of freed inodes, when the consistency point operation is determined to be complete based on the log being cleared after results of storage operations logged as journal entries in the log are committed to one or more data storage devices.

15 . The computing device of claim 14 , wherein the list of available inodes is accessible to the file system for use in inode assignment when storing new files.

16 . The computing device of claim 14 , wherein the freed inode is associated with a deleted file that was previously stored in the file system and on one or more of the data storage devices.

17 . The computing device of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the machine executable code to further cause the processor to update the list of available inodes to include the indication of the freed inode and one or more other inodes freed during the consistency point operation.

18 . The computing device of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the machine executable code to further cause the processor to clear the list of freed inodes, when the consistency point operation is determined to be complete based on the log being cleared after the results of the storage operations in the journal entries are committed to the one or more data storage devices.

19 . The computing device of claim 14 , wherein the storage operation is executed prior to initiation of the consistency point operation.

20 . The computing device of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the machine executable code to further cause the processor to retrieve the storage operations logged as journal entries in the log and commit a result of each of the storage operations to the one or more data storage devices.

Assignees

• Netapp Inc

Inventors

• Kesavan Ram
• Subramanian Ananthan
• Ishii Hiroshi
• Basit Abdul
• Brown Joseph
• Singh Rohit

Classifications

• G06F3/067

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

• G06F3/0619 Primary

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

• G06F3/065

  Replication mechanisms · CPC title

• G06F3/061

  Improving I/O performance · CPC title

• G06F3/0659 Primary

  Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling · CPC title