BROADCAST DATA OPERATIONS IN DISTRIBUTED FILE SYSTEMS

• US 20150324387A1
• Filed: 05/06/2014
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Squires, Christopher J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,523,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1824 implemented using Network-attached Storage [NAS] architecture distributed or networked storage systems G06F3/067; protocols for distributed storage of data in a network H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/188 Virtual file systems
• 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]

Abstract

Systems, methods, and software for distributed file systems (DFS) are provided herein. In one example, the DFS is operable to respond to a write operation for the DFS by transferring a write command to a selected storage system for broadcast of the write command to a plurality of storage devices associated with a network switch fabric of the selected storage system. Further operations of the DFS can include, responsive to a read operation for the DFS, transferring a read command to a selected storage system for broadcast of the read command to a plurality of storage devices associated with a network switch fabric of the selected storage system.

Claims

1. A hardware arrangement for a distributed file system (DFS), the hardware arrangement comprising:

an interface for the DFS configured to service at least read operations and write operations;

a plurality of storage systems coupled to the interface and configured to store and retrieve data of the DFS, each storage system comprising a plurality of storage devices coupled via a network switch fabric;

the interface configured to respond to a write operation by transferring a write command to a selected storage system for broadcast of the write command to the storage devices associated with a network switch fabric of the selected storage system, wherein one of the storage devices accepts the write command and writes data associated with the write transaction to a storage medium of the one of the storage devices;

the interface configured to respond to a read operation for the data written by the write operation by transferring a read command to the selected storage system for broadcast of the read command to the storage devices associated with the network switch fabric of the selected storage system, wherein the one of the storage devices accepts the read command and transfers the data from the storage medium of the one of the storage devices.

2. The hardware arrangement of claim 1, comprising:

responsive to the write operation, the interface configured to identify a broadcast network address for the selected storage system that prompts the network switch fabric of the selected storage system to broadcast the write command to all storage devices of the selected storage system.

3. The hardware arrangement of claim 1, comprising:

responsive to the read operation, the interface configured to identify a broadcast network address for the selected storage system that prompts the network switch fabric of the selected storage system to broadcast the read command to all storage devices of the selected storage system.

4. The hardware arrangement of claim 1, comprising:

the interface configured to transfer the data retrieved by the read command for delivery to a destination node identified in the read operation.

5. The hardware arrangement of claim 1, wherein the one of the storage devices transfers the data from the storage medium of the one of the storage devices for delivery to a destination node identified in the read operation.

6. The hardware arrangement of claim 1, wherein the selected storage system comprises one or more virtual local area networks (VLANs), each of the one or more VLANs comprising one or more of the storage devices of the selected storage system;

and comprising;

the interface configured to transfer the write command to a network address of a selected VLAN of the selected storage system, the network address associated with all of the storage devices of the selected VLAN.

7. The hardware arrangement of claim 1, wherein the write command comprises a network address for broadcast of the write command to the storage devices associated with the network switch fabric of the selected storage system;

and comprising;

the interface configured to identify the selected storage system to handle the write operation and maintain a data structure relating the network address of the selected storage system to the data associated with the write operation, wherein the data structure does not relate a network address of the one of the storage devices to the data associated with the write operation.

8. The hardware arrangement of claim 7, wherein the read command comprises the network address for broadcast of the read command to the storage devices associated with the network switch fabric of the selected storage system;

and comprising;

the interface configured to identify the selected storage system to handle the read operation based on the data structure by at least identifying the selected storage system and not identifying the one of the storage devices.

9. A computer apparatus to provide a distributed file system (DFS) environment, the computer apparatus comprising:

software instructions configured, when executed by one or more computing systems, to direct the one or more computing systems to;

responsive to a write operation for the DFS, transfer a write command to a first selected storage system of a plurality of storage systems for broadcast of the write command to a plurality of storage devices associated with a network switch fabric of the first selected storage system, wherein a first storage device of the first selected storage system accepts the write command and stores write data associated with the write operation to a storage medium of the first storage device;

responsive to a read operation for the DFS, transferring a read command to a second selected storage system for broadcast of the read command to the storage devices associated with a network switch fabric of the second selected storage system, wherein a second storage device of the second selected storage system accepts the read command and transfers read data associated with the read operation from a storage medium of the second storage device; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the software instructions.

10. The computer apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first storage device comprises the second storage device.

11. The computer apparatus of claim 9, wherein the software instructions are further configured to direct the one or more computing systems to:

responsive to the write operation, identify a broadcast network address for the selected storage system that prompts the network switch fabric of the selected storage system to broadcast the write command to all storage devices of the selected storage system.

12. The computer apparatus of claim 9, wherein the software instructions are further configured to direct the one or more computing systems to:

responsive to the read operation, identify a broadcast network address for the selected storage system that prompts the network switch fabric of the selected storage system to broadcast the read command to all storage devices of the selected storage system.

13. The computer apparatus of claim 9, wherein the software instructions are further configured to direct the one or more computing systems to:

include in the read command instructions to transfer the data retrieved by the read command for delivery to a destination node identified in the read operation.

14. The computer apparatus of claim 9, wherein the selected storage system comprises one or more virtual local area networks (VLANs), each of the one or more VLANs comprising one or more of the storage devices of the selected storage system;

and wherein the software instructions are further configured to direct the one or more computing systems to;

transfer the write command to a network address of a selected VLAN of the selected storage system, the network address associated with all of the storage devices of the selected VLAN.

15. The computer apparatus of claim 9, wherein the write command comprises a network address for broadcast of the write command to the storage devices associated with the network switch fabric of the selected storage system;

and wherein the software instructions are further configured to direct the one or more computing systems to;

identify the selected storage system to handle the write operation and maintain a data structure relating the network address of the selected storage system to the data associated with the write operation, wherein the data structure does not relate a network address of the one of the storage devices to the data associated with the write operation.

16. The computer apparatus of claim 15, wherein the read command comprises the network address for broadcast of the read command to the storage devices associated with the network switch fabric of the selected storage system;

and wherein the software instructions are further configured to direct the one or more computing systems to;

identify the selected storage system to handle the read operation based on the data structure by at least identifying the selected storage system and not identifying the one of the storage devices.

17. A method of operating a distributed file system (DFS) comprising a plurality of storage systems configured to store and retrieve data of the DFS, each storage system comprising a plurality of storage devices coupled via a network switch fabric, the method comprising:

responsive to a write operation for the DFS, transferring a write command to a first selected storage system of the plurality of storage systems for broadcast of the write command to the storage devices associated with the network switch fabric of the first selected storage system, wherein a first storage device of the first selected storage system accepts the write command and stores write data associated with the write operation to a storage medium of the first storage device; and

responsive to a read operation for the DFS, transferring a read command to a second selected storage system for broadcast of the read command to the storage devices associated with the network switch fabric of the second selected storage system, wherein a second storage device of the second selected storage system accepts the read command and transfers read data associated with the read operation from a storage medium of the second storage device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

responsive to the write operation, identifying a broadcast network address for the selected storage system that prompts the network switch fabric of the selected storage system to broadcast the write command to all storage devices of the selected storage system.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

responsive to the read operation, identifying a broadcast network address for the selected storage system that prompts the network switch fabric of the selected storage system to broadcast the read command to all storage devices of the selected storage system.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the selected storage system comprises one or more virtual local area networks (VLANs), each of the one or more VLANs comprising one or more of the storage devices of the selected storage system;

and further comprising;

transferring the write command to a network address of a selected VLAN of the selected storage system, the network address associated with all of the storage devices of the selected VLAN.