Nearline cloud storage based on FUSE framework

• US 10,095,707 B1
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Whitmer, Ray David, Russo, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Mobin, Hasanul
• Application Number:
  US14/578,162
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/166 File name conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1844 Management specifically adapted to replicated file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/196 Specific adaptations of the file system to access devices and non-file objects via standard file system access operations, e.g. pseudo file systems dedicated interfaces to storage systems G06F3/0601
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 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]

Abstract

In one example, a method is provided for presenting cloud based storage as a virtual synthetic using a FUSE module at a client. Initially, a FUSE interface of a FUSE module to request file system information from a datacenter server. After the requested file system information has been received, it is presented, with the FUSE interface, in the form of a file system interface that represents a FUSE file structure. Next, the FUSE module requests a portion of a file that resides at the datacenter. The request specifies a particular byte range associated with the file, and the byte range spans less than the entire file. The received data form a virtual synthetic that includes respective portions of data from each of a plurality of backups residing at the datacenter, and the file system interface enables client access to the virtual synthetic.

Claims

1. A method for presenting cloud based storage as a virtual synthetic comprises:

performing the following operations at a client that includes an application and is configured to communicate with cloud-based storage;

using a Filesystem in Userspace (FUSE) interface of a FUSE module to request file system information from a datacenter server of the cloud-based storage;

receiving, with the FUSE module, the requested file system information from the datacenter server;

presenting, with the FUSE interface, the received file system information at the client in the form of a file system interface that represents a FUSE file structure;

requesting, with the FUSE module, data comprising a portion of a file that resides at the datacenter, wherein the file is compatible for use by the application residing at the client, wherein the request for data by the FUSE module specifies a particular byte range associated with the file, and wherein the byte range spans a plurality of different backups of a baseline dataset residing at the datacenter; and

receiving, with the FUSE module, data in the requested byte range, wherein the data form a virtual synthetic that includes respective portions of data from each of the plurality of backups residing at the datacenter.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the virtual synthetic includes data from one of a mailbox file, a database, or a virtual machine (VM) disk file.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the request for the file system information is made by, or at the direction of, the FUSE module.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the file system interface enables client access to the virtual synthetic.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of backups that contribute data to the virtual synthetic include one or more of an incremental backup, and a full backup.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the request specifies the file as that file existed at a particular time.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving, by way of the FUSE interface at the client, a user command to manipulate the virtual synthetic, wherein the user command comprises one of a read command, write command, move command, delete command, or rename command.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising using the FUSE module to decrypt and decompress data received from the datacenter.

9. A non-transitory storage medium having stored therein computer-executable instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors, presents cloud based storage as a virtual synthetic by:

performing the following operations at a client that includes an application and is configured to communicate with cloud-based storage;

using a Filesystem in Userspace (FUSE) interface of a FUSE module to request file system information from a datacenter server of the cloud-based storage;

receiving, with the FUSE module, the requested file system information from the datacenter server;

presenting, with the FUSE interface, the received file system information at the client in the form of a file system interface that represents a FUSE file structure;

requesting, with the FUSE module, data comprising a portion of a file that resides at the datacenter, wherein the file is compatible for use by the application residing at the client, wherein the request for data by the FUSE module specifies a particular byte range associated with the file, and wherein the byte range spans a plurality of different backups of a baseline dataset residing at the datacenter; and

receiving, with the FUSE module, data in the requested byte range, wherein the data form a virtual synthetic that includes respective portions of data from each of the plurality of backups residing at the datacenter.

10. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the virtual synthetic includes data from one of a mailbox file, a database, or a virtual machine (VM) disk file.

11. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the request for the file system information is made by, or at the direction of, the FUSE module.

12. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the file system interface enables client access to the virtual synthetic.

13. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the plurality of backups that contribute data to the virtual synthetic include one or more of an incremental backup, and a full backup.

14. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 9, further comprising receiving, by way of the FUSE interface at the client, a user command to manipulate the virtual synthetic, wherein the user command comprises one of a read command, write command, move command, delete command, or rename command.

15. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 9, further comprising using the FUSE module to decrypt and decompress data received from the datacenter.

16. The non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 9, further comprising transmitting changes to the virtual synthetic to the datacenter.

17. A physical device, wherein the physical device comprises:

one or more hardware processors; and

a non-transitory storage medium having stored therein computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the one or more hardware processors, presents cloud based storage as a virtual synthetic by;

performing the following operations at a client that includes an application and is configured to communicate with cloud-based storage;

using a Filesystem in Userspace (FUSE) interface of a FUSE module to request file system information from a datacenter server of the cloud-based storage;

receiving, with the FUSE module, the requested file system information from the datacenter server;

presenting, with the FUSE interface, the received file system information at the client in the form of a file system interface that represents a FUSE file structure;

requesting, with the FUSE module, data comprising a portion of a file that resides at the datacenter, wherein the file is compatible for use by the application residing at the client, wherein the request for data by the FUSE module specifies a particular byte range associated with the file, and wherein the byte range spans a plurality of different backups of a baseline dataset residing at the datacenter; and

receiving, with the FUSE module, data in the requested byte range, wherein the data form a virtual synthetic that includes respective portions of data from each of the plurality of backups residing at the datacenter.