REPLICA IDENTIFICATION AND COLLISION AVOIDANCE IN FILE SYSTEM REPLICATION

• US 20130325804A1
• Filed: 06/05/2012
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: BACHAR, Yariv, CARO, Aviv, LEVY, Asaf, SONIN, Oded
• Granted Patent: US 9,305,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/634
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/162 Delete operations erasing in storage systems G06F3/0652
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/164 File meta data generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1844 Management specifically adapted to replicated file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1847 specifically adapted to static storage, e.g. adapted to flash memory or SSD

Abstract

A unique file-system node identification (ID) is created for each newly created node in a file system repository by combining a grid identification (ID), a repository identification (ID), and a node identification (ID) to form the unique file-system node ID. The unique file-system node ID is associated with a unique association identification (ID) for creating an association for linking the node from a source repository to a target repository when performing a replication operation between a repository and another repository. The different replication instances of the node in the file system repository are distinguished by the unique association ID assigned to each of the replication instances.

Claims

1. A method for replica identification and collision avoidance in a file-system replication by using a processor device, comprising:

creating a unique file-system node identification (ID) by combining a grid identification (ID), a repository identification (ID), and a node identification (ID) for each newly created node in a file system repository; and

associating the unique file-system node ID with a unique association identification (ID) thereby linking the node from a source repository to a target repository to form an association when performing a replication operation between the source repository and the target repository, wherein different replication instances of the node in one of the source repository and the target repository are distinguished by the unique association ID assigned to each of the replication instances.

2. The method of claim 1, further including performing at least one of:

incrementing a value of the grid ID that facilitates generation of at least one of a plurality of grids within a global environment,

incrementing a value of the repository ID that is assigned to one of the source repository and the target repository at the time one of the source repository and the target repository is assigned to the at least one of the plurality of grids and facilitates an affiliation between one of the source repository and the target repository and the at least one of the plurality of grids, and

incrementing a value of the node ID that corresponds to one of the source repository and the target repository and facilitates allocation of nodes within the file system repository.

3. The method of claim 1, further including linking a replication policy in the source repository to the association in the target repository.

4. The method of claim 3, further including facilitating an affiliation between the replication policy and a new one of the association for incoming replicated nodes to the target repository.

5. The method of claim 1, further including transmitting with the node the unique association ID for determining which one of the association in the target repository to store the node being replicated, wherein the unique association ID is used to differentiate each of the replication instances between one of the source repository and the target repository within the target repository.

6. The method of claim 5, further including preserving the unique file-system node ID of the node in the target repository.

7. The method of claim 6, further including recording the unique association ID in meta data of a replication policy in the source repository.

8. The method of claim 1, further including, upon removing the association, unlinking the unique association ID from a replication policy in a source repository, wherein an initiated replication operation is disabled.

9. A system for replica identification and collision avoidance in a file-system replication in a computing environment, comprising:

at least one processor device operable in the computing environment, wherein the at least one processor device is adapted for;

creating a unique file-system node identification (ID) by combining a grid identification (ID), a repository identification (ID), and a node identification (ID) for each newly created node in a file system repository, and

associating the unique file-system node ID with a unique association identification (ID) thereby linking the node from a source repository to a target repository to form an association when performing a replication operation between the source repository and the target repository, wherein different replication instances of the node in one of the source repository and the target repository are distinguished by the unique association ID assigned to each of the replication instances.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor device performs at least one of:

incrementing a value of the grid ID that facilitates generation of at least one of a plurality of grids within a global environment,

incrementing a value of the repository ID that is assigned to one of the source repository and the target repository at the time one of the source repository and the target repository is assigned to the at least one of the plurality of grids and facilitates an affiliation between one of the source repository and the target repository and the at least one of the plurality of grids, and

incrementing a value of the node ID that corresponds to one of the source repository and the target repository and facilitates allocation of nodes between one of the source repository and the target repository.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor device links a replication policy in the source repository to the association in the target repository.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor device facilitates an affiliation between the replication policy and a new one of the association for incoming replicated nodes to the target repository.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor device transmits with the node the unique association ID for determining which one of the association in the target repository to store the node being replicated, wherein the unique association ID is used to differentiate each of the replication instances between one of the source repository and the target repository within the target repository.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor device preserves the unique file-system node ID of the node in the target repository.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor device records the unique association ID in meta data of a replication policy in the source repository.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor device unlinks the unique association ID from a replication policy in a source repository, wherein an initiated replication operation is disabled.

17. A computer program product for replica identification and collision avoidance in a file-system replication in a computing environment using a processor device, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for creating a unique file-system node identification (ID) by combining a grid identification (ID), a repository identification (ID), and a node identification (ID) for each newly created node in a file system repository; and

a second executable portion for associating the unique file-system node ID with a unique association identification (ID) thereby linking the node from a source repository to a target repository to form an association when performing a replication operation between the source repository and the target repository, wherein different replication instances of the node in one of the source repository and the target repository are distinguished by the unique association ID assigned to each of the replication instances.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further including a third executable portion for performing at least one of:

incrementing a value of the grid ID that facilitates generation of at least one of a plurality of grids within a global environment,

incrementing a value of the repository ID that is assigned to one of the source repository and the target repository at the time one of the source repository and the target repository is assigned to the at least one of the plurality of grids and facilitates an affiliation between one of the source repository and the target repository and the at least one of the plurality of grids, and

incrementing a value of the node ID that corresponds to one of the source repository and the target repository and facilitates allocation of nodes within the file system repository.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, further including a third executable portion for linking a replication policy in the source repository to the association in the target repository.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further including a third executable portion facilitating an affiliation between the replication policy and a new one of the association for incoming replicated nodes to the target repository.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, further including a third executable portion for transmitting with the node the unique association ID for determining which one of the association in the target repository to store the node being replicated, wherein the unique association ID is used to differentiate each of the replication instances between one of the source repository and the target repository within the target repository.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, further including a fourth executable portion for preserving the unique file-system node ID of the node in the target repository.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, further including a fifth executable portion for recording the unique association ID in meta data of a replication policy in the source repository.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, further including a third executable portion for unlinking the unique association ID from a replication policy in a source repository, wherein an initiated replication operation is disabled.