Provisioning and managing replicated data instances

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9336292-B2
Application number	US-201213621044-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2012
Priority date	Oct 26, 2009
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

A replicated database can be provisioned that provides primary and secondary replicas located in different data zones or geographical locations. The database can be installed on the primary replica, and both the primary and secondary replica can include a block level replication mechanism that allows any I/O operation to be replicated between the replicas. Any failure of the primary replica can be addressed by performing a failover operation to the secondary replica. A DNS name or other such approach can be used such that the name can be aliased to the secondary replica during a failover. The creation of the database and provisioning of the replicated instance can be initiated using a Web service call to a control environment. A replicated database can also be scaled according to storage or computing capacity with no disruption of service using a Web service call to the control environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method of creating a replicated database, comprising:
under control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,
providing an interface to enable one or more service requests to be submitted to a control environment, each of the one or more service requests corresponding to a respective specified action to be performed with respect to a database in a data environment, the control environment being separate from the data environment;
obtaining a service request to create a replicated database through the interface;
causing a first instance replica and a second instance replica for the replicated database to be provisioned in the data environment via a workflow service in the control environment, the workflow service generating one or more workflow tasks corresponding to the service request and providing a respective state for the one or more workflow tasks;
causing a replication mechanism to be configured for the replicated database to apply any write operation of the first instance replica to the second instance replica;
providing a Domain Name System (DNS) name or network address information associated with the first instance replica to enable access to the replicated database via the first instance replica; and
automatically causing the DNS name or the network address information associated with the first instance replica to be associated with the second instance replica upon a failure of the first instance replica.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first instance replica and the second instance replica are provisioned in a single data zone, in separate data zones at separate geographical locations, in a single data zone across multiple geographical locations, or across multiple data zones in a single geographical region.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the interface enables specification of at least one of a first location where the first instance replica is to be provisioned or a second location where the second instance replica is to be provisioned.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more workflow tasks correspond to one or more host tasks to be performed by one or more host managers in the data environment.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein causing the first instance replica to be provisioned in the data environment comprises at least one of causing the first instance replica to be instantiated, causing one or more block storage volumes to be allocated and attached for the first instance replica, causing a security group to be created that performs functions similar to a firewall for the replicated database, causing a host manager for the first instance replica to be installed and started, causing the block storage volumes for the first instance replica to be mounted, causing a file system for the first instance replica to be created, causing one or more logical volumes for the first instance replica to be created, causing the replication mechanism to be started, causing a security mechanism to be installed for the host manager, cause a database engine for the first instance replica to be downloaded and installed, causing a root password for the first instance replica to be updated, causing a root user to be created for the first instance replica, or starting the first instance replica.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein causing the second instance replica to be provisioned in the data environment comprises at least one of causing the second instance replica to be instantiated, causing to be taken one or more block storage snapshots of one or more first block storage volumes of the first instance replica, causing a scale compute of the second instance replica to be performed, causing a host manager for the second instance replica to be started, causing second block storage volumes for the second instance replica to be mounted, causing the first instance replica and the second instance replica to be connected, or starting the second instance replica.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the interface enables a non-replicated database to be converted to the replicated database.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the interface enables specification of one of a plurality of database engines for the replicated database.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring for failure of the first instance replica or the second instance replica using one or more monitoring components in the control environment.

10. A computer-implemented method of scaling storage for a replicated database, comprising:
under control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,
providing an interface to enable one or more service requests to be submitted to a control environment, each of the one or more service requests corresponding to a respective specified action to be performed with respect to a database in a data environment, the control environment being separate from the data environment;
obtaining a service request to scale storage for a replicated database through the interface;
executing a workflow via a workflow service in the control environment for causing scaling of the storage for a first instance replica and a second instance replica of the replicated database, the workflow service generating one or more workflow tasks corresponding to the service request and providing a respective state for the one or more workflow tasks;
causing a replication mechanism of the replicated database to be resized according to a respective new configuration for each of the first instance replica and the second instance replica, the replication mechanism configured to apply any write operation of the first instance replica to the second instance replica; and
automatically causing a DNS name or network address information associated with the first instance replica to be associated with the second instance replica upon a failure of the first instance replica.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the service request is based upon at least one of a user request, user preferences, or configuration information.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more workflow tasks correspond to at least one of modifying an existing number of respective block storage volumes of each of the first instance replica and the second instance replica to a new number of block storage volumes, causing one or more of the block storage volumes to be rebalanced according to the new number of block storage volumes, causing one or more respective logical volumes for each of the first instance replica and the second instance replica to be resized according to the new number of block storage volumes, and causing a respective file system for each of the first instance replica and the second instance replica to be resized according to the new number of block storage volumes.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein executing the workflow for scaling the storage for the first instance replica and the second instance replica comprises:
executing a first portion of the workflow for scaling the storage for the second instance replica to completion before beginning execution a second portion of the workflow for scaling the storage for the first instance replica;
causing the first instance replica to failover to the second instance replica; and
executing the second portion of the workflow for scaling the storage for the first instance replica.

Assignees

• Mcalister Grant Alexander Macdonald
• Sivasubramanian Swaminathan
• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Mcalister Grant Alexander Macdonald
• Sivasubramanian Swaminathan

Classifications

• G06F11/2076

  Synchronous techniques · CPC title

• G06F16/275 Primary

  Synchronous replication · CPC title

• G06F11/0727

  in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system (drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097) · CPC title

• G06F11/0766

  Error or fault reporting or storing · CPC title

• G06F11/1446

  Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data · CPC title