Distributed Data Authority System

• US 20150363424A1
• Filed: 06/11/2014
• Published: 12/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Williams, Anthony J., Strong, Robert Stephen, Jensen, Max Neal, Denney, Timothy A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,569,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1844 Management specifically adapted to replicated file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• 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

An apparatus, system, and method for distributing authority for data objects. Each of the data objects in a replication set is stored at a different data storage site and comprises a copy of a content. An edit authority is assigned to only one of the data storage sites at a time using an edit authority object corresponding to the replication set that is transferable between the data storage sites. Responsive to a change to the content of a data object located at a particular data storage site having the edit authority, an update is propagated to a remaining portion of the data storage sites to affect eventual consistency of the replication set. Usability of the data objects at the remaining portion of the data storage sites is maintained until the update is received and processed to thereby reduce a time and expense associated with maintaining data consistency.

Claims

1. An apparatus for distributing authority to manage data objects, the apparatus comprising:

a replication set comprising a plurality of data objects, wherein each of the plurality of data objects comprises a copy of a content;

a plurality of data storage sites, wherein the each of the plurality of data objects is stored at a different one of the plurality of data storage sites; and

an edit authority object corresponding to the replication set that assigns an edit authority to only one of the plurality of data storage sites at a time and that is transferable between the plurality of data storage sites,

wherein a change to the content of a particular data object of the plurality of data objects at a particular data storage site in the plurality of data storage sites having the edit authority is propagated as an update to a remaining portion of the plurality of data storage sites to affect eventual consistency of the replication set across the plurality of data storage sites; and

wherein a remaining portion of the plurality of data objects at the remaining portion of plurality of data storage sites is usable until the update is received and processed, to thereby reduce a time and an expense associated with maintaining consistency across the replication set.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an ownership authority object corresponding to the replication set, wherein the ownership authority object assigns an ownership authority to only one of the plurality of data storage sites at a time and that is transferable between the plurality of data storage sites.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the edit authority is transferable between the plurality of data storage sites independently of the ownership authority object.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the ownership authority allows a corresponding data storage site in the plurality of data storage sites at which the ownership authority object is located to designate which of the plurality of data storage sites gets assigned the edit authority.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each data object in the plurality of data objects comprises:

an attribute having a value selected from one of a master value and a reference value, wherein only one of the plurality of data objects has the attribute with the master value.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the value of the attribute of the particular data object is changed from the master value to the reference value and the value of the attribute of a different data object at a different data storage site in the plurality of data storage sites is changed from the reference value to the master value in correspondence with the edit authority object being transferred from the particular data storage site to the different data storage site.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data storage sites belongs to a network and wherein the plurality of data storage sites communicate with each other using communications links.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the replication set is a dynamic replication set that allows a data object to be at least one of added to the replication set or removed from the replication set.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data objects in the replication set includes a source data object and a number of replicas of the source data object.

10. A distributed data authority system for storing data objects and distributing authority for managing the data objects comprising:

a plurality of data storage sites in a network;

a replication set comprising a plurality of data objects stored at the plurality of data storage sites, wherein each of the plurality of data objects comprises a copy of a content; and

an edit authority object corresponding to the replication set that assigns an edit authority to only one of the plurality of data storage sites at a time and that is transferable between the plurality of data storage sites,

wherein a change to the content of a particular data object of the plurality of data objects at a particular data storage site in the plurality of data storage sites having the edit authority is propagated as an update to a remaining portion of the plurality of data storage sites to affect eventual consistency of the replication set across the plurality of data storage sites; and

wherein a remaining portion of the plurality of data objects at the remaining portion of the plurality of data storage sites remains usable until the update is received and processed to reduce a time and an expense associated with maintaining consistency across the replication set.

11. The distributed data authority system of claim 10 further comprising:

an ownership authority object corresponding to the replication set, wherein the ownership authority object assigns an ownership authority to only one of the plurality of data storage sites at a time and is transferable between the plurality of data storage sites.

12. A method for distributing authority to manage data objects, the method comprising:

storing each of a plurality of data objects in a replication set at a different one of a plurality of data storage sites, wherein the each of the plurality of data objects comprises a copy of a content;

assigning an edit authority to only one of the plurality of data storage sites at a time using an edit authority object corresponding to the replication set, wherein the edit authority object is transferable between the plurality of data storage sites;

propagating an update to a remaining portion of the plurality of data storage sites to affect eventual consistency of the replication set across the plurality of data storage sites in response to a change to the content of a particular data object of the plurality of data objects located at a particular data storage site having the edit authority object; and

maintaining usability of a remaining portion of the plurality of data objects at the remaining portion of the plurality of data storage sites until the update is received and processed to thereby reduce a time and an expense associated with maintaining consistency across the replication set.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein propagating the update comprises:

generating the update in response to the change to the content of the particular data object, wherein the update is time-stamped;

waiting for an occurrence of an event, wherein the event is selected from one of a lapse of a timer, receiving a request, receiving a command, or receiving input through an input device; and

propagating the update to the remaining portion of the plurality of data storage sites to affect the eventual consistency of the replication set across the plurality of data storage sites in response to the occurrence of the event.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

creating a source data object having the content at the particular data storage site;

replicating the source data object to form a number of replicas of the source data object, wherein the source data object and the number of replicas form the plurality of data objects in the replication set; and

storing the number of replicas at a number of data storage sites in the plurality of data storage sites.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

setting a value of an attribute of the source data object to a master value and of each of the number of replicas to a reference value.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

transferring the edit authority object from the particular data storage site to a different data storage site in the plurality of data storage sites;

changing the master value of the attribute of the source data object to the reference value in correspondence with transferring the edit authority object; and

changing the reference value of the attribute of a replica in the number of replicas at the different data storage site to the master value in correspondence with transferring the edit authority object.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

assigning an ownership authority to the particular data storage site in the plurality of data storage sites by storing an ownership authority object corresponding to the replication set at the particular data storage site, wherein the ownership authority allows the particular data storage site to designate which of the plurality of data storage sites gets assigned the edit authority and wherein the ownership authority object is transferable between the plurality of data storage sites.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

transferring the ownership authority object from the particular data storage site to a different data storage site in the plurality of data storage sites.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

generating a list object that identifies a list of the number of data storage sites authorized to have access to the content of a data object in the plurality of data objects based on a set of attributes of the data object.

20. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

limiting access to a data object in the plurality of data objects by the plurality of data storage sites based on a set of requirements, wherein the set of requirements includes at least one of a set of export license requirements, a set of intellectual property license requirements, or a set of security requirements.