CONVERTING STORAGE OBJECTS BETWEEN FORMATS IN A COPY-FREE TRANSITION

• US 20170235802A1
• Filed: 02/16/2016
• Published: 08/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Inventors: Vully, Vani, Thoppil, Anil, Leong, James, Revsin, Vitaly, Zheng, Qinghua, Simharajan, Srishylam
• Granted Patent: US 10,684,985 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/119 Details of migration of file systems migration mechanisms in storage systems G06F3/0647

Abstract

A copy-free transition tool converts storage objects from a source format associated with a source storage system to a destination format associated with a destination storage system. The transition tool exports configuration information associated with the source storage system to the destination storage system and brings the storage objects offline. Once the transition tool determines that the storage devices containing the storage objects are physically connected to the destination storage system, the tool can convert file systems from the source format to the destination format while leaving data and file layout unchanged. The tool can also modify metadata associated with each of the storage objects to conform to the destination format and store the modified metadata with the destination storage system.

Claims

1. A method of converting a plurality of storage objects from a first format associated with a first storage system to a second format associated with a second storage system, the method being implemented by one or more processors and comprising:

exporting configuration information associated with the first storage system to the second storage system;

taking the plurality of storage objects offline;

for at least one of the plurality of storage objects, converting the storage object'"'"'s file system from the first format to the second format while leaving data and file layout unchanged, wherein the storage object'"'"'s file system is converted when storage devices containing the plurality of storage objects are physically connected to the second storage system;

modifying metadata associated with each of the plurality of storage objects to conform to the second format; and

storing the modified metadata with the second storage system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of storage objects include a first tier of storage objects and a second tier of storage objects; and

storage objects in the second tier are stored within storage objects of the first tier.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first tier of storage objects are aggregates and the second tier of storage objects are volumes.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the metadata associated with each storage object in the first tier of storage objects is modified before storage objects of the second tier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage devices containing the plurality of storage objects are physically connected to the first storage system when the configuration information is exported.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein taking the plurality of storage objects offline makes them unavailable to client access.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising putting each of the plurality of storage objects online once the modified metadata is stored with the second storage system.

8. A system for converting a plurality of storage objects from a first format associated with a first storage system to a second format associated with a second storage system, the system comprising:

a memory resource to store instructions; and

one or more processors using the instructions stored in the memory resource to perform operations including;

exporting configuration information associated with the first storage system to the second storage system;

taking the plurality of storage objects offline;

for at least one of the plurality of storage objects, converting the storage object'"'"'s file system from the first format to the second format while leaving data and file layout unchanged, wherein the storage object'"'"'s file system is converted when storage devices containing the plurality of storage objects are physically connected to the second storage system;

modifying metadata associated with each of the plurality of storage objects to conform to the second format; and

storing the modified metadata with the second storage system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the plurality of storage objects include a first tier of storage objects and a second tier of storage objects; and

storage objects in the second tier are stored within storage objects of the first tier.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first tier of storage objects are aggregates and the second tier of storage objects are volumes.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the metadata associated with each storage object in the first tier of storage objects is modified before storage objects of the second tier.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the storage devices containing the plurality of storage objects are physically connected to the first storage system when the configuration information is exported.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein taking the plurality of storage objects offline makes them unavailable to client access.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising putting each of the plurality of storage objects online once the modified metadata is stored with the second storage system.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores instructions, executable by one or more processors, to cause the one or more processors to perform operations that comprise:

exporting configuration information associated with a first storage system to a second storage system;

taking a plurality of storage objects offline, wherein the plurality of storage objects are in a first format and associated with the first storage system;

for at least one of the plurality of storage objects, converting the storage object'"'"'s file system from the first format to the second format while leaving data and file layout unchanged, wherein the storage object'"'"'s file system is converted when storage devices containing the plurality of storage objects are physically connected to the second storage system;

modifying metadata associated with each of the plurality of storage objects to conform to the second format; and

storing the modified metadata with the second storage system.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein:

the plurality of storage objects include a first tier of storage objects and a second tier of storage objects; and

storage objects in the second tier are stored within storage objects of the first tier.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first tier of storage objects are aggregates and the second tier of storage objects are volumes.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the metadata associated with each storage object in the first tier of storage objects is modified before storage objects of the second tier.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the storage devices containing the plurality of storage objects are physically connected to the first storage system when the configuration information is exported.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein taking the plurality of storage objects offline makes them unavailable to client access.