Optimizing replication by distinguishing user and system write activity

• US 10,430,282 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2014
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Inventors: Golden, Christopher, Sharpe, Malcolm, Hodgson, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, Charles J
• Application Number:
  US14/508,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20160098191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,820 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1453 using de-duplication of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/10 Address translation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1016 Performance improvement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1032 Reliability improvement, data loss prevention, degraded operation etc
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/2532 comprising a plurality of modules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/261 Storage comprising a plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0641 De-duplication techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0658 Controller construction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer readable storage mediums for maintaining the history of remapped data in a storage system. A first portion of a first medium may be remapped to a second medium as part of read optimization operations, wherein the second medium is younger than the first medium. A tag associated with the first portion of the first medium may be retained when the first portion is remapped to the second medium. When the second medium is replicated to another storage array, the first portion of the first medium may be prevented from being replicated based on the tag identifying the first portion as being part of a previous replication operation.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more storage devices; and

a storage controller coupled to the one or more storage devices, wherein the storage controller is configured to;

perform a first replication operation that replicates stored data associated with a first logical grouping of data, wherein the first logical grouping of data corresponds to an indication of user write activity wherein user write activity updates a sequence number;

subsequent to performing the first replication operation, perform a read optimization operation that remaps a portion of the first logical grouping of data to generate a second logical grouping of data, wherein a remapping for the stored data within the second logical grouping of data corresponds to an indication of system write activity, wherein system write activity does not update a sequence number;

determining whether the remapping for the stored data within the second logical grouping of data corresponds to system write activity instead of user write activity; and

in response to determining that the remapping for the stored data within the second logical grouping of data corresponds to system write activity instead of user write activity, prevent the stored data from being replicated during a second replication operation involving the second logical grouping of data through use of the sequence number.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first logical grouping of data is older than the second logical grouping of data.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the storage controller is further configured to:

record a current sequence number when the second logical grouping of data is created.

4. A method comprising:

by a storage controller coupled to one or more storage devices;

performing a first replication operation that replicates stored data associated with a first logical grouping of data, wherein the first logical grouping of data corresponds to an indication of user write activity wherein user write activity updates a sequence number;

subsequent to performing the first replication operation, performing a read optimization operation that remaps a portion of the first logical grouping of data to generate a second logical grouping of data, wherein a remapping for the stored data within the second logical grouping of data corresponds to an indication of system write activity, wherein system write activity does not update a sequence number;

determining whether the remapping for the stored data within the second logical grouping of data corresponds to system write activity instead of user write activity; and

in response to determining that the remapping for the stored data within the second logical grouping of data corresponds to system write activity instead of user write activity, prevent the stored data from being replicated during a second replication operation involving the second logical grouping of data through use of the sequence number.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the first logical grouping of data is older than the second logical grouping of data.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

recording a current sequence number when the second logical grouping of data is created.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to:

by a storage controller coupled to one or more storage devices;

perform a first replication operation that replicates stored data associated with a first logical grouping of data, wherein the first logical grouping of data corresponds to an indication of user write activity wherein user write activity updates a sequence number;

subsequent to performing the first replication operation, perform a read optimization operation that remaps a portion of the first logical grouping of data to generate a second logical grouping of data, wherein a remapping for the stored data within the second logical grouping of data corresponds to an indication of system write activity, wherein system write activity does not update a sequence number;

determining whether the remapping for the stored data within the second logical grouping of data corresponds to system write activity instead of user write activity; and

in response to determining that the remapping for the stored data within the second logical grouping of data corresponds to system write activity instead of user write activity, prevent the stored data from being replicated during a second replication operation involving the second logical grouping of data through use of the sequence number.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the first logical grouping of data is older than the second logical grouping of data.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 7, wherein the program instructions are further executable by a processor to:

record a current sequence number when the second logical grouping of data is created.