DISTRIBUTED DATA BACKUP

• US 20110184913A1
• Filed: 01/28/2010
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hayden, Charles C., Cherukuri, RaviKant, Dai, Fei, Joy, George
• Application Number:
  US12/695,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20110184913A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/652
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/202 where processing functionality is redundant redundant communication control functionality G06F11/2005, redundant storage control functionality G06F11/2089
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2097 maintaining the standby controller/processing unit updated initialisation or re-synchronisation thereof G06F11/1658 and subgroups

Abstract

One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed herein for backing up in-memory working store data. A first server in a plurality of connected servers detects a data change for a key-value pair the distributed in-memory working store. The first server determines a backup location for storing a copy of the key-value pair, which is comprised on a backup location server from the plurality of connected servers, by using a key from the key-value pair to identify the backup location server, and determine if the backup location server is available to store the backup copy. The first server sends the backup copy to the backup location server without prior permission from the backup location server and without subsequent feedback from the backup location server concerning the sending of the backup copy.

Claims

1. A method for backing up in-memory working store data, comprising:

a first server, from a plurality of connected servers, detecting a data change for a key-value pair in a distributed in-memory working store;

the first server determining a backup location for storing a backup copy of the key-value pair, the backup location comprised on a backup location server from the plurality of connected servers, the determining comprising;

using a key from the key-value pair to identify the backup location server; and

determining if the backup location server is available to store the backup copy; and

the first server sending the backup copy to the backup location server without prior permission from the backup location server and without subsequent feedback from the backup location server concerning the sending of the backup copy.

2. The method of claim 1, the first server determining a backup location comprising:

determining that a primary location for the key-value pair is the first server, determining the primary location comprising;

using the key to identify a primary location server; and

determining if the primary location server is available to store the key-value pair;

identifying the backup location server for the key-value pair using the key; and

determining that a status of the backup location sever is a condition that is able to store the backup copy.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising the first server sending the key-value pair to the primary location comprised on the primary location server, if the first server is not the primary location for the key-value pair.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising the first server:

identifying a status change of a server in the plurality of servers;

determining the primary location for a first server working store key-value pair, based on the key from the key-value pair and the status of a primary location server identified by the key; and

if the first server is not the primary location server;

updating primary location metadata associated with the first server working store key-value pair to identify the primary location server; and

sending the first server working store key-value pair to the primary location server.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising the first server:

determining the backup location for a copy of the first server backup store key-value pair, based on the key from the key-value pair and the status of the backup location server identified by the key;

sending the copy of the first server backup store key-value pair to the backup location server identified by backup location metadata associated with the first server backup store key-value pair, if the backup location metadata associated with the first server backup store key-value pair does not correspond to the backup location.

6. The method of claim 4, comprising the first server scheduling removal of the first server working store key-value pair from its working store if:

the primary location metadata associated with the first server working store key-value pair does not identify the first server;

the status of the first server is in an up condition; and

the status of the primary location server is a condition to act as a primary location for the key-value pair.

7. The method of claim 4, identifying a status change of a server in the plurality of servers, comprising receiving a status report for the plurality of servers indicating one or more server status changes.

8. The method of claim 4, where the first server is not the primary location server, comprising the primary location server:

receiving the key-value pair from the first server, comprising a data change in its working store;

determining a backup location for storing a backup copy of the key-value pair, the backup location comprised on a backup location server from the plurality of connected servers; and

sending the backup copy to the backup location server.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising the key-value pair comprising metadata, the metadata comprising one or more of:

backup location metadata that identifies the backup location server that comprises the backup store location for the backup copy;

primary location metadata that identifies the primary location server that comprises the working store location for the key-value pair; and

version number metadata that identifies a version of the value in the key-value pair, where the version number is incremented for respective value changes in the key-value pair.

10. The method of claim 9, determining a backup location for storing a backup copy of the key-value pair comprising using the backup location metadata to identify the backup location.

11. The method of claim 1, when the first server has prior knowledge of an impending status comprising a condition in which the first server is unable to act as a primary location, comprising:

the first server sending one or more copies of key-value pairs from its working store to one or more second primary location servers based on respective keys from the key value pairs and a determination of an availability of the one or more the second primary location servers; and

the first server sending one or more backup copies of key-value pairs from its backup store to one or more second backup location servers based on respective keys from the backup copies of the key value pairs and a determination of an availability of the one or more the second backup location servers.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising using a load balancing determination to select a primary location server or backup location server based on a status of the plurality of servers.

13. A system for backing up in-memory working store data, comprising:

a plurality of servers, operably coupled over a transport layer, respectively comprising an in-memory working store configured to store a working store key-value pair for respective data stored in the working store;

a first server of the plurality of servers comprising;

a backup store configured to store a backup store key-value pair, the backup store key-value pair comprising a backup copy of a working store key-value pair from a primary location server;

an update manager configured to receive a notification that data has changed for a key-value pair in the working store;

a location determination component operably coupled with the update manager, and configured to determine a backup location for storing a backup copy of the working store key-value pair, comprising;

identifying a backup location server from the plurality of servers that comprises the backup location by using the key from the working store key-value pair; and

determining that the identified backup location server is in a condition to act as the backup location; and

a sender component operably coupled with the location determination component, and configured to send the backup copy to the transport layer to be sent to the backup location server without prior permission from the backup location server and without subsequent feedback from the backup location server concerning the sending of the backup copy; and

the transport layer operably coupled to the respective servers and configured to forward the backup copy from the first server to the backup location server.

14. The system of claim 13, the data change comprising one of:

a creation of a key-value pair;

an alteration of the value in the key-value pair; and

a deletion of the key-value pair.

15. The system of claim 13, the key-value pair comprising metadata, the metadata comprising one or more of:

backup location metadata that identifies the backup location server that comprises the backup store location for the backup copy;

primary location metadata that identifies the primary location server that comprises the working store location for the key-value pair; and

version number metadata that identifies a version of the value in the key-value pair, where the version number is incremented for respective value changes in the key-value pair.

16. The system of claim 13, comprising a slave status tracker configured to disseminate status reports for the plurality of connected servers to the first server, where status reports comprise a notification of a server status of one or more of the plurality of servers, where a server status comprises one of:

a server up;

a server down;

a server coming up; and

a server coming down.

17. The system of claim 16, comprising a recovery manager operably coupled with the slave status tracker, and configured to:

receive server status change notifications from the slave status tracker;

retrieve key-value pairs from the backup store that comprise backup copies of the primary location key-value pairs, when the first primary location server is unable to act as the primary location; and

forward the backup copies of the key-value pairs to the location determination component, the location determination component configured to determine a second primary location for the key-value pairs, comprising, for the respective pairs;

identify a second primary location server from the plurality of servers by using the key from the backup copy of the key-value pair; and

determine that the identified primary location server is in a condition to act as the primary location.

18. The system of claim 16, comprising:

the recovery manager configured to notify the location determination component that the first server has a pending server coming down status;

the location determination component configured to;

determine a second primary location for the respective working store key-value pairs in the working store of the first server; and

determine a second backup location for the respective backup store key-value pairs in the backup store of the first server;

the sending component configured to;

send the respective working store key-value pairs to the respective second primary locations; and

send the respective backup store key-value keys to the respective second backup locations.

19. The system of claim 13, the location determination component comprising:

a backup location determination component configured to determine a backup location server by applying a function to the key from a key-value pair;

a primary location determination component configured to determine a primary location server by applying a function to the key from a key-value pair; and

a server status identification component configured to;

determine if the status of the server identified by the backup location determination component meets a desired status to act as a backup location server;

notify the server status identification component to determine a second backup location if the status does not meet the desired status;

determine if the status of the server identified by the primary location determination component meets a desired status to act as a primary location server; and

notify the server status identification component to determine a second primary location if the status does not meet the desired status.

20. A method for backing up in-memory working store data, comprising:

a first server, connected with a plurality of servers, detecting a state change in a distributed in-memory working store;

if the state change is a change of data associated with a key-value pair, the change of data comprising one of;

creation of the key-value pair, and alteration of a value in the key-value pair;

where the first server is a primary location for the key-value pair;

the first server determining a second server from the plurality of servers for storing a backup copy of the key-value pair, the second server is identified by one or more of;

backup server identification metadata associated with the data key-value pair; and

a data storage load balancing determination for the plurality of servers; and

the first server sending the backup copy to the second server without prior permission from the second server and without subsequent feedback from the second server concerning the sending of the backup copy; and

the first server sending key-value pair to a third server identified by primary server identification metadata associated with the key-value pair without prior permission from the third server and without subsequent feedback from the third server concerning the sending of the key-value pair; and

if the state change is a change of server status of one of the plurality of servers;

the first server determining a primary location and a backup location for a key-value pair in its portion of the distributed working store based on the key in the key-value pair and a status of the server associated with the key;

if the primary location is not the first server and the primary location is not identified by server identification metadata associated with the key-value pair, the first server;

updating the server identification metadata associated with the key-value pair to identify the primary location; and

sending the key-value pair to a server associated with the primary location;

if the backup location is not identified by backup server identification metadata associated with the data key-value pair, the first server sending a backup copy of the key-value pair to a server identified by the backup server identification metadata associated with the data key-value pair; and

if the server identification metadata associated with the key-value pair does not identify the first server, and a first server status condition is up, and the server status condition of the server identified by the server identification metadata associated with the key-value pair is up, the first server removing the key-value pair from its portion of the distributed working store.