Dynamically updated user data cache for persistent productivity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9612776-B2
Application number	US-201314144751-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2013
Priority date	Dec 31, 2013
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

The present embodiments describe systems and methods for a dynamically updated user data cache for persistent productivity. In an embodiment, the system includes caching mechanism optimized to support user productivity in the case of a primary storage failure. For example, an embodiment of a method includes establishing a cache for caching user data in a persistent data storage device that is accessible by a first operating system and a second operating system. The method may also include identifying a set of user data to be stored in the cache. Additionally, the method may include storing the set of user data into the cache. The method may also include accessing the set of user data stored in the cache with the second operating system in response to the first operating system being in a degraded condition.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
providing a first Operating System (OS) to a user of an Information Handling System (IHS), wherein the IHS includes a hybrid drive having a magnetic storage portion and a flash storage portion;
establishing a persistent cache in the flash storage portion that is accessible by the first OS;
while the user is operating the first OS, assigning a weight value to each of a plurality of files not yet cached based on the user's behavior, including: (a) assigning a first weight value to a first file due to the first file having been newly created, assigning a second weight value to a second file due to the second file having been read only, and assigning a third weight value to a third file due to the third file having been modified during use; and (b) identifying a set of files among the plurality of files to be stored in the persistent cache based on the weight values assigned to each of the plurality of files;
storing the set of files into the persistent cache;
determining that the first OS is in a degraded condition;
in response to the determination, providing a second OS to the user, wherein the second OS has access to the persistent cache; and
allowing the user to retrieve one or more of the set of files from the persistent cache while the user is operating the second OS.

2. The method claim 1 , further comprising running an agent application on at least one of the first OS and the second OS, the agent application configured to carry out one or more operations for establishing the persistent cache, identifying the set of files, storing the set of files, and accessing the set of files.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying a storage location for the persistent cache.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining an initial set of files to be stored in the persistent cache.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing a file from the cache to create space for a new file to be stored in the persistent cache in response to removal criteria.

6. An Information Handling System (IHS), comprising:
a processor; and
a hybrid drive coupled to the processor, the hybrid drive having a magnetic storage portion and a flash storage portion;
a memory coupled to the processor, the memory including program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the processor, cause the IHS to:
provide a first Operating System (OS) to a user;
establish a persistent cache in the flash storage portion that is accessible by the first OS;
while the user is operating the first OS, identify a set of files to be stored in the persistent cache based on one or more weight values assigned to each file in the set of files and prior to any file of the set of files being stored in the persistent cache, wherein a given file of the set of files is assigned a first weight if the given file has been created by the user or a second weight if the given file has been only read by the user;
store the set of files into the persistent cache;
the first OS is in a degraded condition;
in response to the determination, provide a second OS to the user, wherein the second OS has access to the persistent cache; and
allow the user to retrieve one or more of the set of files from the persistent cache while the user is operating the second OS.

7. The IHS of claim 6 , wherein the program instructions are further configured to cause the IHS to run an agent application on at least one of the first OS and the second OS, the agent application configured to carry out one or more operations for establishing the persistent cache, identifying the set of files, storing the set of files, and accessing the set of files.

8. The IHS of claim 6 , wherein the program instructions further comprise a policy.

9. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the policy comprise a cache initiation policy configured to identify a storage location for the persistent cache and to determine an initial set of files to be stored in the persistent cache.

10. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the policy comprise a data caching policy configured to establish criteria for identifying the set of files to be stored in the persistent cache.

11. The IHS of claim 8 , wherein the policy further comprises criteria for removing a file from the persistent cache to create space for a new file to be stored in the persistent cache.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by an Information Handling System (IHS), cause the IHS to:
provide a first Operating System (OS) to a user of the IHS, wherein the IHS includes a hybrid drive having a magnetic storage portion and a flash storage portion;
establish a persistent cache in the flash storage portion that is accessible by the first OS;
while the user is operating the first OS, assign a weight value to each of a plurality of files not yet cached based on the user's behavior and identify a set of files among the plurality of files to be stored in the persistent cache based on the weight values assigned to each of the plurality of files, wherein a given file of the set of files is assigned a first weight if the given file has been created by the user or a second weight if the given file has been only read by the user;
store the set of files into the persistent cache;
the first OS is in a degraded condition;
in response to the determination, provide a second OS to the user, wherein the second OS has access to the persistent cache; and
allow the user to retrieve one or more of the set of files from the persistent cache while the user is operating the second OS.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the program instructions are further configured to cause the IHS to run an agent application on at least one of the first OS and the second OS, the agent application configured to carry out one or more operations for establishing the persistent cache, identifying the set of files, storing the set of user data, and accessing the set of files.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the program instructions further comprise a policy.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the policy comprise a cache initiation policy configured to identify a storage location for the persistent cache and to determine an initial set of files to be stored in the persistent cache.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the policy comprise a data caching policy configured to establish criteria for identifying the set of files to be stored in the persistent cache.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the policy further comprises criteria for removing a file from the persistent cache to create space for a new file to be stored in the persistent cache.

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Andrews Carlton A
• Huber Gary Douglas
• Bhaskar Manish
• Farhan Munif Mohammed
• Mylvara Satya
• Swierk Todd
• Sauber William F
• Seibert Philip M

Classifications

• G06F9/50

  Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU] · CPC title

• G06F3/0655

  Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices · CPC title

• G06F3/0685 Primary

  Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays · CPC title

• G06F3/0614

  Improving the reliability of storage systems · CPC title

• G06F12/084 Primary

  with a shared cache · CPC title