SYSTEM, METHOD AND A NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM FOR REDUCTION OF CONSUMPTION OF STORAGE SYSTEM RESOURCES

• US 20160124660A1
• Filed: 11/02/2014
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infinidat Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Infinidat Ltd.
• Inventors: Brown, Eran, Broido, Jacob
• Granted Patent: US 10,168,916 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1471 involving logging of persistent data for recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0868 Data transfer between cache memory and other subsystems, e.g. storage devices or host systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/463 File
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0614 Improving the reliability of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0643 Management of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0671 In-line storage system

Abstract

A method that may include receiving, by a storage system, a write request for storing in the storage system multiple input data units that are related to a certain file; comparing, by the storage system, the multiple input data units to stored data units of the certain file to find matching and non-matching input data units; wherein each matching input data unit equals a corresponding stored data unit and each non-matching input data unit differs from a corresponding stored data unit; preventing a storage of each matching input data unit; storing each non-matching input data unit; and updating at least one storage system management data structure to reflect a reception of non-matching input data units while not reflecting a reception of matching input data units.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a storage system, a write request for storing in the storage system multiple input data units that are related to a certain file;

comparing, by the storage system, the multiple input data units to stored data units of the certain file to find matching and non-matching input data units;

wherein each matching input data unit equals a corresponding stored data unit and each non-matching input data unit differs from a corresponding stored data unit;

preventing a storage of each matching input data unit;

storing each non-matching input data unit; and

updating at least one storage system management data structure to reflect a reception of non-matching input data units while not reflecting a reception of matching input data units.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising determining whether an aggregate size of the multiple input data units exceeds a certain size threshold;

and wherein the comparing is executed only when the aggregate size of the multiple data units exceeds the certain size threshold.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the certain size threshold is determined based upon an aggregate size of the stored data units of the certain file.

4. The method according to claim 2 wherein the certain size threshold exceeds a half of an aggregate size of the stored data units of the certain file.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the certain file belongs to a certain file system;

wherein the method further comprises monitoring write requests related to the certain file system.

6. The method according to claim 5 comprising determining a certain file system attribute that is indicative of requests to store matching input data units.

7. The method according to claim 6 comprising sending an alert indicative of undesired requests related to the certain file system to store matching input data units.

8. The method according to claim 6 comprising allocating storage system resources to the certain file system in response to a value of the certain file system attribute.

9. The method according to claim 1 comprising allocating storage system resources to different file systems in response to values of file system attributes associated with the different file systems;

wherein each file system attribute is indicative of requests that are related to a file system to store matching input data units.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the comparing comprises caching the stored data file units in a cache memory of the storage system.

11. The method according to claim 10 comprising allocating cache memory resources to different file systems in response to the values of the file system attributes.

12. The method according to claim 1 comprising prioritizing caching of stored data units related to a first file system over caching of stored data units related to a second file system when the first file system is associated with more requests to store matching input data units than the second file system.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the prioritizing comprises preferring a deletion, from the cache, of stored data units that are associated with the second file system.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one storage system management data structure comprises a journal file.

15. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one storage system management data structure comprises a snapshot management data structure.

16. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one storage system management data structure comprises data changes data structure indicative of changes in data stored in the storage system.

18. The method according to claim 16 further comprising updating at least one storage system management data structure to reflect a reception of non-matching input data units while not reflecting a reception of matching input data units.

17. A method comprising:

receiving, by a storage system, a write request for storing in the storage system multiple input data units that are related to a certain file that is stored in the storage system;

comparing, by the storage system and only if an aggregate size of the multiple input data units exceeds a majority of a size of the certain file, the multiple input data units to stored data units of the certain file to find matching and non-matching input data units;

wherein each matching input data unit equals a corresponding stored data unit and each non-matching input data unit differs from a corresponding stored data unit;

preventing a storage of each matching input data; and

storing each non-matching input data unit.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions to be executed by a computerized system for receiving, by a storage system, a write request for storing in the storage system multiple input data units that are related to a certain file;

comparing, by the storage system, the multiple input data units to stored data units of the certain file to find matching and non-matching input data units;

wherein each matching input data unit equals a corresponding stored data unit and each non-matching input data unit differs from a corresponding stored data unit;

preventing a storage of each matching input data unit;

storing each non-matching input data unit; and

updating at least one storage system management data structure to reflect a reception of non-matching input data units while not reflecting a reception of matching input data units.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions to be executed by a computerized system for receiving, by a storage system, a write request for storing in the storage system multiple input data units that are related to a certain file that is stored in the storage system;

comparing, by the storage system and only if an aggregate size of the multiple input data units exceeds a majority of a size of the certain file, the multiple input data units to stored data units of the certain file to find matching and non-matching input data units;

wherein each matching input data unit equals a corresponding stored data unit and each non-matching input data unit differs from a corresponding stored data unit;

preventing a storage of each matching input data; and

storing each non-matching input data unit.

21. A storage system comprising a cache memory and a control module, wherein the storage system is configured to store at least one storage system management data structure;

wherein the control module is configured to receive a write request for storing in the storage system multiple input data units that are related to a certain file;

compare the multiple input data units to stored data units of the certain file to find matching and non-matching input data units;

wherein each matching input data unit equals a corresponding stored data unit and each non-matching input data unit differs from a corresponding stored data unit;

prevent a storage of each matching input data unit;

instruct a storage in the storage system of each non-matching input data unit; and

update the at least one storage system management data structure to reflect a reception of non-matching input data units while not reflecting a reception of matching input data units.

22. A storage system comprising a cache memory and a control module, wherein the control module is configured to receive a write request for storing in the storage system multiple input data units that are related to a certain file that is stored in the storage system;

compare, only if an aggregate size of the multiple input data units exceeds a majority of a size of the certain file, the multiple input data units to stored data units of the certain file to find matching and non-matching input data units;

wherein each matching input data unit equals a corresponding stored data unit and each non-matching input data unit differs from a corresponding stored data unit;

prevent a storage of each matching input data; and

instruct a storing of each non-matching input data unit in the storage system.