METHOD, ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR DATA STORAGE

• US 20200133869A1
• Filed: 09/19/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Liu, Yousheng, Han, Geng, Gao, Jian, Jia, Ruiyong, Kang, Jianbin
• Granted Patent: US 11,294,818 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0811 with multilevel cache hierarchies
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0871 Allocation or management of cache space
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0882 Page mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/286 Mirrored cache memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0656 Data buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/544 Buffers; Shared memory; Pipes

Abstract

Techniques perform data storage. Such techniques may involve writing metadata to a first cache of a first processor, the metadata indicating allocation of a storage resource to user data. Such techniques may further involve determining an address range of the metadata in the first cache. Such techniques may further involve copying only data stored in the address range in the first cache to a second cache of a second processor. Accordingly, the data transmission volume between two processors is reduced, which helps to improve the overall performance of a storage system.

Claims

1. A method for data storage, comprising:

writing metadata to a first cache of a first processor, the metadata indicating allocation of a storage resource to user data;

determining an address range of the metadata in the first cache; and

copying only data stored in the address range in the first cache to a second cache of a second processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata is discontinuously stored in the first cache, and the data copied to the second cache comprises the metadata and other data, stored in the address range, which is different from the metadata.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein writing the metadata to the first cache comprises:

determining a target page and an auxiliary page in the first cache, the target page comprising historical metadata associated with the metadata, and the auxiliary page being allocated in association with the target page for modifying data stored in the target page; and

writing the metadata to the auxiliary page.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein writing the metadata to the auxiliary page comprises:

determining whether a storage resource indicated by the metadata has been allocated;

in response to the storage resource having not been allocated, writing the metadata to the auxiliary page; and

copying data stored in the target page other than the historical metadata to the auxiliary page.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

in response to the storage resource having been allocated, copying data stored in the target page to the auxiliary page;

reading the historical metadata from the auxiliary page to determine the metadata based on the historical metadata; and

writing the determined metadata to the auxiliary page.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

in response to the storage resource having been allocated, reading the historical metadata from the target page to determine the metadata based on the historical metadata;

writing the determined metadata to the auxiliary page; and

copying data stored in the target page other than the historical metadata to the auxiliary page.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein copying data stored in the address range to the second cache comprises:

determining whether a size of the data exceeds a threshold size;

in response to the size of the data being below the threshold size,

transmitting the data to a buffer of the second processor; and

sending to the second processor a message indicating that the data is transmitted to the buffer, so that the second processor copies the data from the buffer to the second cache.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

in response to the size of the data exceeding the threshold size,

transmitting the data to the second cache; and

sending to the second processor a message indicating that the data is directly transmitted to the second cache.

9. A method for data storage, comprising:

receiving from a first processor data stored in a first cache of the first processor, the received data being stored within a first address range of metadata in the first cache, the metadata indicating allocation of a storage resource to user data;

determining a second address range of the received data in a second cache of a second processor based on the first address range; and

writing the received data to the second cache based on the second address range.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the metadata is discontinuously stored in the first cache, and the received data comprises the metadata and other data, stored in the address range, which is different from the metadata.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving from the first processor the data comprises:

receiving a message indicating that the data is transmitted to a buffer of the second processor; and

storing the data from the first processor in the buffer.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving from the first processor the data comprises:

receiving a message indicating that the data is directly transmitted to the second cache; and

receiving the data from the first cache.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein writing the received data to the second cache comprises:

determining a mirror target page and a mirror auxiliary page in the second cache, mirror data associated with the received data being stored in the mirror target page, and the mirror auxiliary page being allocated in association with the mirror target page for modifying data stored in the mirror target page; and

writing the received data to the mirror auxiliary page.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

copying data stored in the mirror target page other than the mirror data to the mirror auxiliary page.

15. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having instructions stored therein, the instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the electronic device to perform acts comprising;

writing metadata to a first cache of a first processor, the metadata indicating allocation of a storage resource to user data;

determining an address range of the metadata in the first cache; and

copying only data stored in the address range in the first cache to a second cache of a second processor.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the metadata is discontinuously stored in the first cache, and the data copied to the second cache comprises the metadata and other data, stored in the address range, which is different from the metadata.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein writing the metadata to the first cache comprises:

determining a target page and an auxiliary page in the first cache, the target page comprising historical metadata associated with the metadata, and the auxiliary page being allocated in association with the target page for modifying data stored in the target page; and

writing the metadata to the auxiliary page.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein writing the metadata to the auxiliary page comprises:

determining whether a storage resource indicated by the metadata has been allocated;

in response to the storage resource having not been allocated, writing the metadata to the auxiliary page; and

copying data stored in the target page other than the historical metadata to the auxiliary page.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the acts further comprise:

in response to the storage resource having been allocated, copying data stored in the target page to the auxiliary page;

reading the historical metadata from the auxiliary page to determine the metadata based on the historical metadata; and

writing the determined metadata to the auxiliary page.

20. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the acts further comprise:

in response to the storage resource having been allocated, reading the historical metadata from the target page to determine the metadata based on the historical metadata;

writing the determined metadata to the auxiliary page; and

copying data stored in the target page other than the historical metadata to the auxiliary page.

21. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein copying data stored in the address range to the second cache comprises:

determining whether a size of the data exceeds a threshold size;

in response to the size of the data being below the threshold size,

transmitting the data to a buffer of the second processor; and

sending to the second processor a message indicating that the data is transmitted to the buffer, so that the second processor copies the data from the buffer to the second cache.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the acts further comprise:

in response to the size of the data exceeding the threshold size,

transmitting the data to the second cache; and

sending to the second processor a message indicating that the data is directly transmitted to the second cache.

23. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having instructions stored therein, the instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the electronic device to perform acts comprising;

receiving from a first processor data stored in a first cache of the first processor, the received data being stored within a first address range of metadata in the first cache, the metadata indicating allocation of a storage resource to user data;

determining a second address range of the received data in a second cache of a second processor based on the first address range; and

writing the received data to the second cache based on the second address range.

24. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the metadata is discontinuously stored in the first cache, and the received data comprises the metadata and other data, stored in the address range, which is different from the metadata.

25. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein receiving from the first processor the data comprises:

receiving a message indicating that the data is transmitted to a buffer of the second processor; and

storing the data from the first processor in the buffer.

26. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein receiving from the first processor the data comprises:

receiving a message indicating that the data is directly transmitted to the second cache; and

receiving the data from the first cache.

27. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein writing the received data to the second cache comprises:

determining a mirror target page and a mirror auxiliary page in the second cache, mirror data associated with the received data being stored in the mirror target page, and the mirror auxiliary page being allocated in association with the mirror target page for modifying data stored in the mirror target page; and

writing the received data to the mirror auxiliary page.

28. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the acts further comprise:

copying data stored in the mirror target page other than the mirror data to the mirror auxiliary page.

29. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium which stores a set of instructions to perform data storage;

the set of instructions, when carried out by computerized circuitry, causing the computerized circuitry to perform a method of;

writing metadata to a first cache of a first processor, the metadata indicating allocation of a storage resource to user data;

determining an address range of the metadata in the first cache; and

copying only data stored in the address range in the first cache to a second cache of a second processor.

30. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium which stores a set of instructions to perform data storage;

the set of instructions, when carried out by computerized circuitry, causing the computerized circuitry to perform a method of;

receiving from a first processor data stored in a first cache of the first processor, the received data being stored within a first address range of metadata in the first cache, the metadata indicating allocation of a storage resource to user data;

determining a second address range of the received data in a second cache of a second processor based on the first address range; and

writing the received data to the second cache based on the second address range.