Using a Unix-based file system to manage and serve clones to windows-based computing clients

• US 10,311,150 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2015
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Bansod, Ketan, Parmar, Hiten Suresh, Yao, Bin
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Allen, Nicholas E
• Application Number:
  US14/684,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20160299908A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 707823
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/116 Details of conversion of file system types or formats

Abstract

Systems and methods use a ZFS file system in a Windows-based computing environment without protocol conversion or native ZFS support on Windows-based computing devices. Windows-based computing devices may obtain native Windows-based access to data in a storage volume that is managed by a Unix-based storage management server executing a ZFS volume manager and file system. ZFS clones may be served as logical unit numbers to Windows-based computing devices. The ZFS nature of the accessed storage volume is unbeknownst to the Windows-based machines. This enables Windows-based utilities, applications, and tools executing on a Windows-based computing device to operate upon the data in ZFS-managed space the same as they might have operated on a workspace in an array-created hardware snapshot in the prior art. Users may use storage space from their Windows-based computing devices according to a Windows-based file system such as NTFS. The Windows-based formatting of the contents in the ZFS-managed volumes are unbeknownst to the Unix-based storage management server and to the ZFS volume manager and file system.

Claims

1. A method for using a Unix-based Z file system (ZFS file system) in a Windows-based computing environment, the method comprising:

configuring, by a Unix-based ZFS file system that executes on a Unix-based computing device, a first volume in the ZFS file system,

wherein the first volume is configured in a block storage array in communication with the Unix-based computing device;

mounting the first volume as a ZFS pool to the Unix-based computing device;

configuring a second volume within the ZFS pool, by the Unix-based ZFS file system;

by the Unix-based computing device, presenting the second volume configured within the ZFS pool as a first logical unit number (LUN) to a Windows-based server, thereby enabling the Windows-based server to access the first LUN via the Unix-based computing device;

mounting the first LUN as block storage to the Windows-based server;

by the Windows-based server, communicating to the second volume via the Unix-based computing device,

thereby accessing the second volume mounted as the first LUN; and

formatting the second volume, by a Windows-based file system that executes on the Windows-based server, wherein the formatting comprises storing metadata in the second volume that indicates that the second volume is formatted according to the Windows-based file system, and

wherein the Windows-based server lacks an indication that the second volume which is mounted as the first LUN is configured within the ZFS pool, and

thereby obtaining by the Windows-based server native Windows-based access to data stored in the second volume configured within the ZFS pool without protocol conversion by the Unix-based computing device between the Windows-based file system and the Unix-based ZFS file system.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

by the Unix-based ZFS file system, configuring a third volume as a first ZFS clone of the second volume within the ZFS pool, for a first Windows-based computing device that is distinct from the Windows-based server;

presenting, by the Unix-based computing device, the third volume as a second logical unit number (LUN) to the Windows-based computing device, thereby enabling the Windows-based computing device to access the second LUN via the Unix-based computing device;

mounting the second LUN as block storage to the Windows-based computing device;

by the Windows-based computing device, communicating to the third volume via the Unix-based computing device, thereby accessing the third volume mounted as the second LUN; and

using the third volume as a volume compatible with the Windows-based file system, based on metadata in the third volume which is cloned from the second volume, which metadata indicates that the third volume is formatted according to the Windows-based file system, thereby obtaining native Windows-based access to data stored in the third volume configured as the first ZFS clone within the ZFS pool without protocol conversion by the Unix-based computing device between the Windows-based file system and the Unix-based ZFS file system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the Unix-based computing device lacks an indication that the second volume within the ZFS pool has been formatted by the Windows-based server according to a Windows-based file system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the Windows-based server treats the second volume as block storage under the Windows-based file system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the Windows-based file system is NTFS.

6. A system for using a first file system in a computing environment that is based on a second file system, which is incompatible with the first file system, the system comprising:

a computing device for managing storage space under a first file system, wherein the computing device operates with a first operating system;

a block storage array comprising the storage space managed under the first file system by the computing device;

a server in communication with the computing device, wherein the server operates with a second operating system and uses a second file system that differs from and is incompatible with the first file system;

wherein the computing device is configured to;

configure a first volume in the first file system stored on the storage array,

mount the first volume as a pool under the first file system,

configure a second volume within the pool under the first file system,

present the second volume as a block storage device identified by a first logical unit number (LUN) to the server, thereby enabling the server to access the first LUN via the computing device, and

provide a communicative coupling between the server and the second volume;

wherein the server is configured to;

mount the first LUN as the block storage device for the server,

access, via the computing device, the second volume represented by the first LUN using the communicative coupling provided by the computing device,

format the second volume according to the second file system,

wherein metadata stored to the second volume indicates that the second volume is formatted under the second file system, and

wherein the server lacks an indication that the second volume was created within the pool under the first file system, and

wherein the server lacks native support for the first file system and, by using the second file system obtains native access to data stored in the second volume as configured in the first file system, and without using protocol conversion by the computing device between the second file system and the first file system; and

wherein the computing device lacks an indication that the second volume within the pool has been formatted by the server according to the second file system.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the computing device is further configured to manage the first volume as a pool under the first file system.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the server is configured to use the second volume stored in the storage array as a volume under the second file system, and wherein the second volume was created, by the computing device, within the pool under the first file system without an indication thereof to the server.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the first file system is a ZFS file system and wherein the second operating system used by the server is Windows-based.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the first operating system used by the computing device is Unix-based.

11. A system for using a Unix-based ZFS file system in a Windows-based computing environment, the system comprising:

a block storage array comprising a storage space;

a Unix-based computing device for managing the storage space on the block storage array as a ZFS file system;

wherein the Unix-based computing device is configured to;

configure a first volume under the ZFS file system, which first volume is stored on the block storage array,

mount the first volume as a ZFS pool,

using the ZFS file system, configure a second volume within the ZFS pool on the block storage array, and

present the second volume as a block storage device identified by a first logical unit number (LUN) to a first Windows-based computing device in communication with the Unix-based computing device, thereby enabling the first Windows-based computing device to access the first LUN via the Unix-based computing device; and

wherein the first Windows-based computing device is configured to;

mount the first logical unit number (LUN), and

obtain native Windows-based access to data stored in the second volume, which was configured using the ZFS file system, as the block storage device under a Windows-based file system executing on the first Windows-based computing device without protocol conversion by the Unix-based computing device between the Windows-based file system and the Unix-based ZFS file system.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the Unix-based computing device is further configured to:

using the ZFS file system, create a ZFS clone within the first storage volume,

wherein the ZFS clone is also part of the ZFS pool, and

wherein the ZFS clone represents a copy of the second volume; and

present the ZFS clone to a second Windows-based computing device as a block storage device identified by a second logical unit number (LUN), which lacks an indication that the block storage device identified by the second LUN is a ZFS clone, thereby enabling the second Windows-based computing device to access the second LUN via the Unix-based computing device.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the Unix-based computing device is further configured to:

using the ZFS file system, create a ZFS clone within the first storage volume,

wherein the ZFS clone is also part of the ZFS pool, and

wherein the ZFS clone represents a copy of the second volume; and

present the ZFS clone to a second Windows-based computing device as a block storage device identified by a second logical unit number (LUN), thereby enabling the second Windows-based computing device to access the second LUN via the Unix-based computing device, and

wherein the second Windows-based computing device is in communication with the Unix-based computing device; and

wherein the second Windows-based computing device is configured to;

mount the second logical unit number (LUN), and

obtain native Windows-based access to data stored in the copy of the second volume, which was configured as a ZFS clone within the ZFS pool, under a Windows-based file system executing on the second Windows-based computing device without protocol conversion by the Unix-based computing device between the Windows-based file system and the Unix-based ZFS file system.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the Unix-based computing device is further configured to:

create a ZFS clone within the first storage volume configured under the ZFS file system,

wherein the ZFS clone is also part of the ZFS pool, and

wherein the ZFS clone represents a copy of the second volume; and

present the ZFS clone to a second Windows-based computing device as a block storage device identified by a second logical unit number (LUN), thereby enabling the second Windows-based computing device to obtain native access to the second LUN via the Unix-based computing device.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the Unix-based computing device is further configured to:

within the ZFS pool create a ZFS clone within the first storage volume, wherein the ZFS clone represents a copy of the second volume;

present the ZFS clone to a second Windows-based computing device as a block storage device identified by a second logical unit number (LUN), thereby enabling the second Windows-based computing device to access the second LUN via the Unix-based computing device; and

wherein the second Windows-based computing device is configured to;

mount the second logical unit number (LUN) as presented by the Unix-based computing device, and

under a Windows-based file system executing on the second Windows-based computing device and without protocol conversion by the Unix-based computing device between the Windows-based file system and the Unix-based ZFS file system,

obtain Windows-based native access to data stored in the copy of the second volume, which was configured under the ZFS file system.