Method to pass application knowledge to a storage array and optimize block level operations

• US 10,248,316 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: van Rotterdam, Jeroen Mattijs, Mohen, Michael T., Humby, David, Kumar, Vinod
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertram, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US14/871,280
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0649 Lifecycle management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays

Abstract

A method and system for writing data, including receiving a request to store a file, where the request has context information. The method further includes generating a metadata portion based on the context information, dividing the file into a plurality of data portions, generating a plurality of blocks where each of the plurality of blocks has the metadata portion and one of the plurality of data portions, and storing the plurality of blocks in a storage array.

Claims

1. A method for writing data, comprising:

receiving a write request to store a file, wherein the write request comprises context information specifying at least a bandwidth priority;

generating a metadata portion based on the context information;

dividing the file into a plurality of data portions;

generating a plurality of blocks wherein each of the plurality of blocks comprises the metadata portion and one of the plurality of data portions;

determining at least one location in the storage array in which to store the plurality of blocks based, at least in part, on the context information, wherein the at least one location is one selected from a group consisting of a higher bandwidth location and a lower bandwidth location; and

storing the plurality of blocks in a storage array at the at least one location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the write request is received from a client, wherein the context information is provided by the client.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the write request is received from a content management service, wherein the context information is obtained from a client operatively connected to the content management service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the write request is received from a content management service, wherein context information comprises context information from the content management service and context information from a client operatively connected to the content management service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata portion further comprises content metadata.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the metadata portion based on the context information comprises encoding at least a portion of the context information to obtain context metadata, wherein the context metadata is stored in the metadata portion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the context information further specifies at least one selected from a group consisting of a data type, a security level, a historical data utilization, a predicated data utilization, encryption requirements, user information, read/write access levels, and a data shredding requirement.

8. A method for performing actions on blocks in a storage array, the method comprising:

initiating, by a storage controller, a first action specifying first context information;

identifying, by the storage controller, a first set of blocks in the storage array based on a matching of the first context information to first context metadata included in each block of the first set of blocks; and

performing, by the storage controller, the first action to the first set of blocks,

wherein the first context metadata specifies that each block in the first set of blocks has a high bandwidth priority,

wherein performing the first action moves the first set of blocks from a first storage device in the storage array to a second storage device in the storage array,

wherein the second storage device in the storage array is associated with a higher bandwidth.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first action is initiated upon receipt of a request from one selected from a group consisting of a client and a content management service.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the content management service is a database.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

initiating, by the storage controller, a second action specifying second context information;

identifying, by the storage controller, a second set of blocks in the storage array based on a matching of the second context information to second context metadata included in each block of the second set of blocks; and

performing, by the storage controller, the second action to the second set of blocks.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second context metadata included in each block of the second set of blocks specifies that each block in the second set of blocks is associated with an archived record, wherein performing the second action moves the second set of blocks from a third storage device in the storage array to a fourth storage device in the storage array, wherein the fourth storage device in the storage array is associated with a higher latency.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the second context metadata included in each block of the second set of blocks specifies that each block in the second set of blocks is read-only, wherein the second action is a delete request, and wherein performing the second action comprises denying performance of the second action on the second set of blocks.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the first action is initiated by the storage controller at predetermined intervals.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the second action is a delete action.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the second context information specifies at least one selected from a group consisting of a data type, a security level, a bandwidth priority, a historical data utilization, a predicated data utilization, encryption requirements, user information, read/write access levels, and a data shredding requirement.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the second action results in digital shredding of at least one block in the second set of blocks.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code, which when executed by a computer processor enables the computer processor to:

receive a write request to store a file, wherein the write request comprises context information specifying at least a bandwidth priority;

generate a metadata portion based on the context information;

divide the file into a plurality of data portions;

generate a plurality of blocks wherein each of the plurality of blocks comprises the metadata portion and one of the plurality of data portions;

determine at least one location in a storage array in which to store the plurality of blocks based, at least in part, on the context information, wherein the at least one location is one selected from a group consisting of a higher bandwidth location and a lower bandwidth location; and

store the plurality of blocks in the storage array at the at least one location.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the context information further specifies at least one selected from a group consisting of a data type, a security level, a historical data utilization, a predicated data utilization, encryption requirements, user information, read/write access levels, and a data shredding requirement.