BLOCK STORAGE GATEWAY MODULE, METHOD FOR PROVIDING ACCESS TO BLOCK STORAGE, MEDIATOR SYSTEM AND MEDIATING METHOD FOR STORAGE, CLOUD STORAGE SYSTEM, AND CONTENT DELIVERY APPARATUS

• US 20150186200A1
• Filed: 05/06/2014
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Inventors: CHEN, Chih-Ming
• Granted Patent: US 9,477,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/10 Adding special bits or symbols to the coded information, e.g. parity check, casting out 9's or 11's
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0655 Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a block storage gateway module comprising a receiver unit and an access unit. The receiver unit intercepts an operating system call indicating a local access to a storage volume in order to generate a proximal access command. The access unit proximally accesses a storage array based on the said command. The storage array corresponds to the storage volume; the proximal access corresponds to the local access. Also disclosed herein is a mediator system for storage, the system comprising a load balancer device and one or more storage resource devices. Each storage resource device comprises an aforementioned module and a daemon module. The load balancer device receives a remote access request, selects one storage resource device, and sends an address of the selected storage resource device in a grant message.

Claims

1. A block storage gateway module comprising:

a receiver unit configured to intercept a system call to an operating system in order to generate a proximal access command, the system call indicating a local access to a storage volume; and

an access unit configured to perform, based on the proximal access command, a proximal access to a storage array, the storage array corresponding to the storage volume, the proximal access corresponding to the local access.

2. The block storage gateway module of claim 1, wherein the receiver unit forms at least part of the program code configured to handle the system call in the operating system.

3. The block storage gateway module of claim 2, wherein an entry associated with the system call in a system call table of the operating system is directed toward the receiver unit.

4. The block storage gateway module of claim 1, wherein the proximal access command is an input/output control and at least part of the access unit resides in the user space of the operating system.

5. The block storage gateway module of claim 1, wherein the proximal access command is an inter-process communication and the access unit comprises a driver.

6. The block storage gateway module of claim 1, further comprising:

a codec unit coupled with the access unit and configured to generate a fault-tolerant datum corresponding to an original datum;

wherein the proximal access signifies writing the fault-tolerant datum into the storage array when the local access signifies writing the original datum into the storage volume.

7. The block storage gateway module of claim 6, wherein when the codec unit generates the fault-tolerant datum, the codec unit encodes the original datum using an error-correcting code.

8. The block storage gateway module of claim 7, wherein when the codec unit encodes the original datum using the error-correcting code, the codec unit generates, based on the original datum and the error-correcting code, m datum blocks which form at least part of the fault-tolerant datum, m being a positive integer.

9. The block storage gateway module of claim 8, wherein the storage array comprises a plurality of storage nodes, and when the access unit writes the fault-tolerant datum into the storage array, the access unit writes the m datum blocks respectively and selectively into the storage nodes.

10. The block storage gateway module of claim 8, wherein the codec unit is further configured to restore the original datum from the fault-tolerant datum, and the proximal access signifies reading the fault-tolerant datum from the storage array when the local access signifies reading the original datum from the storage volume.

11. The block storage gateway module of claim 10, wherein when the codec unit restores the original datum from the fault-tolerant datum, the codec unit generates the original datum based on any k datum blocks of the m datum blocks, k being a positive integer not greater than m.

12. The block storage gateway module of claim 1, further comprising:

a codec unit coupled with the access unit and configured to restore an original datum from a fault-tolerant datum corresponding to the original datum;

wherein the proximal access signifies reading the fault-tolerant datum from the storage array when the local access signifies reading the original datum from the storage volume.

13. A method for providing access to block storage, the method comprising:

intercepting a system call to an operating system in order to generate a proximal access command, the system call indicating a local access to a storage volume; and

performing, based on the proximal access command, a proximal access to a storage array, the storage array corresponding to the storage volume, the proximal access corresponding to the local access.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein when the local access signifies writing an original datum into the storage volume, performing the proximal access to the storage array comprises:

generating a fault-tolerant datum corresponding to the original datum; and

writing the fault-tolerant datum into the storage array.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein generating the fault-tolerant datum comprises encoding the original datum using an error-correcting code.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein encoding the original datum using the error-correcting code comprises generating, based on the original datum and the error-correcting code, m datum blocks which form at least part of the fault-tolerant datum, m being a positive integer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the storage array comprises a plurality of storage nodes, and writing the fault-tolerant datum into the storage array comprises writing the in datum blocks respectively and selectively into the storage nodes.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein when the local access signifies reading the original datum from the storage volume, performing the proximal access to the storage array comprises:

reading the fault-tolerant datum from the storage array; and

restoring the original datum from the fault-tolerant datum.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein restoring the original datum from the fault-tolerant datum comprises generating the original datum based on any k datum blocks of the m datum blocks, k being a positive integer not greater than m.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein when the local access signifies reading an original datum from the storage volume, performing the proximal access to the storage array comprises:

reading from the storage array a fault-tolerant datum corresponding to the original datum; and

restoring the original datum from the fault-tolerant datum.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the proximal access command is an input/output control or an inter-process communication.

22. A mediator system for storage, the mediator system comprising:

one or more storage resource devices, each of which comprising;

a daemon module configured to receive a remote access command in order to generate a system call, the remote access command indicating a remote access to the storage resource device; and

a block storage gateway module configured to intercept the system call and perform, based on the system call, a proximal access to a storage array, the storage array corresponding to the storage resource device, the proximal access corresponding to the remote access; and

a load balancer device configured to receive a remote access request, to select one of the one or more storage resource devices, and to send a grant message comprising an address of the selected storage resource device.

23. The mediator system of claim 22, wherein when the remote access signifies writing an original datum into the storage resource device, the block storage gateway module is further configured to generate a fault-tolerant datum corresponding to the original datum and the proximal access signifies writing the fault-tolerant datum into the storage array.

24. The mediator system of claim 22, wherein when the remote access signifies reading an original datum from the storage resource device, the proximal access signifies reading from the storage array a fault-tolerant datum corresponding to the original datum and the block storage gateway module is further configured to restore the original datum from the fault-tolerant datum.

25. The mediator system of claim 22, wherein each of the one or more storage resource devices further comprises a maintenance module configured to periodically send a heartbeat message, and the load balancer device selecting one of the one or more storage resource devices is based on the heartbeat message from each of the one or more storage resource devices.

26. The mediator system of claim 25, wherein when the load balancer device selects one of the one or more storage resource devices, for each of the one or more storage resource devices the load balancer device determines whether the heartbeat message from the storage resource device is received recently, wherein the load balancer device includes the storage resource device in a candidate set when the heartbeat message from the storage resource device is received recently.

27. The mediator system of claim 26, wherein the selected storage resource device is selected from the candidate set in a round-robin manner.

28. The mediator system of claim 22, wherein the storage array corresponding to each of the one or more storage resource devices comprises one or more storage nodes, at least one of which is directly attached to the storage resource device.

29. The mediator system of claim 28, wherein each of the one or more storage resource devices further comprises a proximal access module configured to perform, to the storage node directly attached to the storage resource device, at least part of the proximal access from another of the one or more storage resource devices.

30. The mediator system of claim 28, wherein the load balancer device is further configured to monitor a load value of each of the one or more storage resource devices, the load value associated with the storage node directly attached to the storage resource device, and when the mediator system comprises a plurality of storage resource devices and when the load value of a first storage resource device of the storage resource devices is significantly greater than the load value of a second storage resource device of the storage resource devices, the load balancer device is further configured to redistribute among the storage resource devices the load of the first storage resource device.

31. A mediating method for storage, the mediating method comprising:

receiving a remote access request;

selecting one of one or more storage resource devices;

sending a grant message comprising an address of the selected storage resource device;

receiving a remote access command in order to generate a system call, the remote access command indicating a remote access to the selected storage resource device;

intercepting the system call; and

performing, based on the system call, a proximal access to a storage array, the storage array corresponding to the selected storage resource device, the proximal access corresponding to the remote access.

32. The mediating method of claim 31, wherein when the remote access signifies writing an original datum into the selected storage resource device, performing the proximal access to the storage array comprises:

generating a fault-tolerant datum corresponding to the original datum; and

writing the fault-tolerant datum into the storage array.

33. The mediating method of claim 31, wherein when the remote access signifies reading an original datum from the selected storage resource device, performing the proximal access to the storage array comprises:

reading from the storage array a fault-tolerant datum corresponding to the original datum; and

restoring the original datum from the fault-tolerant datum.

34. The mediating method of claim 31, further comprising:

sending periodically a heartbeat message;

wherein selecting one of the one or more storage resource devices is based on the heartbeat message from each of the one or more storage resource devices.

35. The mediating method of claim 34, wherein selecting one of the one or more storage resource devices comprises:

for each of the one or more storage resource devices, determining whether the heartbeat message from the storage resource device is received recently;

wherein the storage resource device is included in a candidate set when the heartbeat message from the storage resource device is received recently.

36. The mediating method of claim 35, wherein the selected storage resource device is selected from the candidate set in a round-robin manner

37. A cloud storage system comprising:

a plurality of storage nodes;

one or more storage resource devices, each of which configured to receive a remote access command, to intercept a system call corresponding to the remote access command, and to perform, based on the system call, a proximal access to a storage array, the remote access command indicating a remote access to the storage resource device, the storage array corresponding to the storage resource device and comprising one or more of the storage nodes; and

a load balancer device configured to receive a remote access request, to select one of the one or more storage resource devices, and to send a grant message comprising an address of the selected storage resource device.

38. The cloud storage system of claim 37, wherein among the one or more storage nodes of the storage array corresponding to each of the one or more storage resource devices, at least one storage node is directly attached to the storage resource device.

39. The cloud storage system of claim 38, wherein the load balancer device is further configured to monitor a load value of each of the one or more storage resource devices, the load value associated with the storage node directly attached to the storage resource device, and the load balancer device is further configured to redistribute the load of one of the one or more storage resource devices.

40. A content delivery apparatus configured to deploy a computer, causing the computer to be provided with program code which causes the computer to execute a plurality of instructions, the instructions comprising:

intercepting a system call to an operating system in order to generate a proximal access command, the system call indicating a local access to a storage volume; and

performing, based on the proximal access command, a proximal access to a storage array, the storage array corresponding to the storage volume, the proximal access corresponding to the local access.

41. The content delivery apparatus of claim 40, wherein when the local access signifies writing an original datum into the storage volume, performing the proximal access to the storage array comprises:

generating a fault-tolerant datum corresponding to the original datum; and

writing the fault-tolerant datum into the storage array.

42. The content delivery apparatus of claim 41, wherein generating the fault-tolerant datum comprises encoding the original datum using an error-correcting code.

43. The content delivery apparatus of claim 42, wherein encoding the original datum using the error-correcting code comprises generating, based on the original datum and the error-correcting code, m datum blocks which form at least part of the fault-tolerant datum, m being a positive integer.

44. The content delivery apparatus of claim 43, wherein the storage array comprises a plurality of storage nodes, and writing the fault-tolerant datum into the storage array comprises writing the m datum blocks respectively and selectively into the storage nodes.

45. The content delivery apparatus of claim 43, wherein when the local access signifies reading the original datum from the storage volume, performing the proximal access to the storage array comprises:

reading the fault-tolerant datum from the storage array; and

restoring the original datum from the fault-tolerant datum.

46. The content delivery apparatus of claim 45, wherein restoring the original datum from the fault-tolerant datum comprises generating the original datum based on any k datum blocks of the m datum blocks, k being a positive integer not greater than m.

47. The content delivery apparatus of claim 40, wherein when the local access signifies reading an original datum from the storage volume, performing the proximal access to the storage array comprises:

reading from the storage array a fault-tolerant datum corresponding to the original datum; and

restoring the original datum from the fault-tolerant datum.

48. The content delivery apparatus of claim 40, wherein the proximal access command is an input/output control or an inter-process communication.