DISTRIBUTED STORAGE SYSTEM INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF PROXY SERVERS AND METHOD FOR MANAGING OBJECTS

• US 20120166611A1
• Filed: 12/23/2011
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KT Corporation
• Original Assignee: KT Corporation
• Inventors: KIM, Mi-Jeom, Kim, Hyo-Min, Hwang, Jin-Kyung, Park, Chang-Sik
• Granted Patent: US 9,888,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1006 with static server selection, e.g. the same server being selected for a specific client
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 based on client or server locations
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54

Abstract

A distributed storage system including a plurality of proxy server and a method for managing objects. The distributed storage system may include a plurality of data nodes, a plurality of proxy server, and a global load balancer. Each one of the plurality of data nodes may be configured to perform at least one management operation and output an operation result. Each one of the plurality of proxy servers may be configured to perform operations for controlling the plurality of data nodes to perform the at least one management operation in response to an operation request from a respective client. The global load balancer may be configured to select one proxy server from the plurality of proxy servers and allocate the selected proxy server to the respective client as the responsible proxy server. The respective client may perform the management operation through the allocated responsible proxy server.

Claims

1. A distributed storage system comprising:

a plurality of data nodes, each configured to perform at least one management operation and output an operation result;

a plurality of proxy servers, each configured to perform operations for controlling the plurality of data nodes to perform the at least one management operation in response to an operation request from a respective client; and

a global load balancer configured to select one proxy server from the plurality of proxy servers and allocate the selected proxy server to the respective client as a responsible proxy server,

wherein the respective client performs the management operation through the allocated responsible proxy server.

2. The distributed storage system of claim 1, wherein the global load balancer select the responsible proxy server from the plurality of proxy servers based on a location of the respective client and locations and processing load of the plurality of proxy servers.

3. The distributed storage system of claim 1, wherein the global load balancer selects a proxy server having less processing load and closer to the respective client than the other proxy servers as the responsible proxy server.

4. The distributed storage system of claim 1, wherein the global load balancer authenticates clients accessing the distributed storage system and manages information on locations of the plurality of proxy servers and a number of clients allocated to each one of the plurality of proxy servers.

5. The distributed storage system of claim 1, wherein:

the global load balancer transmits an authentication key and an address of the responsible proxy server; and

the respective client accesses the responsible proxy server based on the authentication key and the address of the selected proxy server from the global load balancer.

6. The distributed storage system of claim 1, wherein:

the responsible proxy server is configured to;

receive the operation request from the respective client;

determine a target data node from the plurality of data nodes based on a metadata;

deliver the operation request to the determined target data node, and the target data node is configured to;

receive the operation request from the responsible proxy server;

perform the at least one management operation in response to the operation request; and

transmit the operation result to one of the respective client and the responsible proxy server.

7. The distributed storage system of claim 6, wherein:

the at least one management operation includes operations for storing a target object in a target data node, for reading a stored target object from a target data node, for changing a target data node storing a target object, and for modifying a stored target object;

the target object is an object that the client want to store, search for, or read; and

the target data node is a data node storing the target object or selected to store the target object.

8. The distributed storage system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of metadata servers each configured to store and manage a metadata,

wherein the metadata includes information on a target object and a target data node storing the target object.

9. The distributed storage system of claim 8, wherein:

a metadata stored in one of the plurality of metadata servers is synchronized with other metadata stored in other metadata servers; and

one of the plurality of metadata servers is allocated with each one of the plurality of proxy as a default metadata server.

10. The distributed storage system of claim 9, wherein:

a proxy server refers to a corresponding default metadata server when the corresponding default metadata server is in an active state; and

a proxy server refers to another metadata server when the corresponding default metadata server is in an inactive state.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

authenticating the client when the client accesses the distributed storage system.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the authenticating the client is performed by the global load balancer.

11. A method for managing objects in a distributed storage system including a plurality of proxy servers, the method comprising:

receiving an operation request from a respective client;

selecting one of the plurality of proxy servers as a responsible proxy server and allocating the responsible proxy server to the respective client; and

performing at least one management operation through the responsible proxy server.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein in the selecting one of the plurality of proxy servers:

the responsible proxy server is selected from the plurality of proxy servers based on locations of the plurality of proxy servers, processing load of each one of the proxy servers, and a location of a respective client; and

the responsible proxy server is selected by a global load balancer.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein in the selecting one of the plurality of proxy servers, a proxy server having less processing load and closer to the client than other proxy servers is selected from the plurality of proxy servers as the responsible proxy server.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein in the performing at least one management operation through the responsible proxy server:

the responsible proxy server receive the operation request from the respective client, determine a target data node from the plurality of data nodes based on a metadata, and deliver the operation request to the determined target data node; and

the target data node receive the operation request from the responsible proxy server, perform the at least one management operation in response to the operation request, and transmit the operation result to one of the respective client and the responsible proxy server.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

updating a metadata based on the operation result of the at least one management operation,

wherein the metadata includes information on a target object and a target data node storing the target object and the metadata is managed and stored by a plurality of metadata servers.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the at least one management operation includes operations for storing a target object in a target data node, for reading a stored target object from a target data node, for changing a target data node storing a target object, and for modifying a stored target object;

the target object is an object that the client want to store, search for, or read; and

the target data node is a data node storing the target object or selected to store the target object.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

a metadata stored in one of the metadata server is synchronized with other metadata stored in other metadata servers; and

one of the plurality of metadata servers is allocated with each one of the plurality of proxy as a default metadata server.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein:

a proxy server refers to a corresponding default metadata server when the corresponding default metadata server is in an active state; and

the proxy server refers to another metadata server when the corresponding default metadata server is in an inactive state.