System and method for synchronizing mirrored and striped disk writes

• US 6,745,285 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2000
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Robinson, David, Howard, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Tuan V.
• Application Number:
  US09/740,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20020078315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 711/114, 711/162, 711/100, 711/112, 711/113, 711/148
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2064 while ensuring consistency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2071 using a plurality of controllers

Abstract

A system and method for synchronizing mirrored and striped disk writes. A data storage system may include a client computer system coupled to a first data storage device and a second data storage device and configured to transmit a first data write request. The first storage device may be configured to transmit a sequence number to the client computer system in response to receiving the first data write request. The client computer system may be further configured to transmit a second data write request including the sequence number to the second storage device. The second data storage device may include a counter and is configured to compare a current counter value to the sequence number. If the counter value is equal to the sequence number, the second storage device stores the data bytes corresponding to the second data write request and increments its counter.

Claims

1. A data storage system comprising:

a client computer system configured to transmit a first data write request and a second data write request;

a first storage device coupled to said client computer system, wherein said first storage device is configured to transmit a sequence number in response to receiving said first data write request;

a second storage device coupled to said client computer system, wherein said second storage device is configured to receive said second data write request;

wherein said client computer system is configured to transmit said second data write request including said sequence number;

wherein said second storage device includes a counter and is configured to compare a current counter value to said sequence number;

wherein said second storage device is further configured to store data bytes corresponding to said second data write request in response to detecting a first predetermined relationship between said current counter value and said sequence number;

wherein said second storage device is further configured to increment said counter in response to storing said data bytes corresponding to said second data write request;

wherein said first predetermined relationship is characterized by said current counter value being equal to said sequence number.

2. The data storage system as recited in claim 1, wherein said second storage device is further configured to discard said data bytes corresponding to said second data write request in response to detecting a second predetermined relationship between said current counter value and said sequence number.

3. The data storage system as recited in claim 2, wherein said second predetermined relationship is characterized by said current counter value being larger than said sequence number.

4. The data storage system as recited in claim 3, wherein said second storage device is further configured to store data bytes corresponding to a premature second data write request and to store a premature sequence number and a byte range of said data bytes corresponding to said premature second data write request in a record in response to detecting a third predetermined relationship between said current counter value and said sequence number.

5. The data storage system as recited in claim 4, wherein said third predetermined relationship is characterized by said current counter value being less than said sequence number.

6. The data storage system as recited in claim 5, wherein said second storage device is further configured to discard data bytes corresponding to a third data write request which overlap said data bytes corresponding to said premature second data write request in response to detecting a fourth predetermined relationship between said current counter value and a sequence number associated with said third data write request and in response to detecting a fifth predetermined relationship between a sequence number associated with said third data write request and said premature sequence number associated with said premature second data write request.

7. The data storage system as recited in claim 6, wherein said fourth predetermined relationship is characterized by said current counter value being smaller than said sequence number associated with a third data write request.

8. The data storage system as recited in claim 6, wherein said fifth predetermined relationship is characterized by said sequence number associated with said third data write request being smaller than said premature sequence number.

9. The data storage system as recited in claim 8, wherein said second storage device is further configured to increment said counter in response to receiving said second data write request and detecting said first predetermined relationship between said current counter value and said sequence number, wherein said second data write request contains zero data bytes.

10. The data storage system as recited in claim 9, wherein said second storage device is further configured to transmit said current counter value to said client computer system in response to storing said data bytes corresponding to said second data write request.

11. The data storage system as is recited in claim 1, wherein said first storage device is further configured to transmit said sequence number to said client computer system in response to receiving a first read data request from said client computer system.

12. The data storage system as recited in claim 11, wherein client computer system is further configured to retransmit a second read data request in response to detecting a first predetermined relationship between said current counter value received from said second storage device and said sequence number received from said first storage device.

13. The data storage system as recited in claim 12, wherein said first predetermined relationship is characterized by said current counter value received from said second storage device being smaller than said sequence number received from said first storage device.

14. The data storage system as recited in claim 1, wherein said second data write request is a request to write a mirrored copy of data written in said first data write request.

15. The data storage system as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said first data write request and said second data write request are requests to write a portion of a stripe of data.

26. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising transmitting said sequence number in response to receiving a first read data request.

27. The method as recited in claim 26 further comprising transmitting said current counter value in response to receiving a second read data request.

28. The method as recited in claim 27 further comprising retransmitting said second read data request in response to detecting a first predetermined relationship between said current counter value received and said sequence number received.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein said first predetermined relationship is characterized by said current counter value being smaller than said sequence number.

16. A method of operating a data storage system including a client computer system, a first storage device coupled to said client computer system and a second storage device coupled to said client computer system, said method comprising:

receiving a first data write request;

transmitting a sequence number in response to receiving said first data write request;

receiving a second data write request including said sequence number;

comparing a current counter value to said sequence number;

storing data bytes corresponding to said second data write request in response to detecting a first predetermined relationship between said current counter value and said sequence number;

incrementing said counter in response to storing said data bytes corresponding to said second data write request;

wherein said first predetermined relationship is characterized by said current counter value being equal to said sequence number.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 further comprising discarding said data bytes corresponding to said second data write request in response to detecting a second predetermined relationship between said current counter value and said sequence number.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said second predetermined relationship is characterized by said current counter value being larger than said sequence number.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 further comprising storing data bytes corresponding to a premature second data write request and storing a premature sequence number and a byte range of said data bytes corresponding to said premature second data write request in a record in response to detecting a third predetermined relationship between said current counter value and said sequence number.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein said third predetermined relationship is characterized by said current counter value being less than said sequence number.

21. The method as recited in claim 20 further comprising discarding data bytes corresponding to a third data write request which overlap said data bytes corresponding to said premature second data write request in response to detecting a fourth predetermined relationship between said current counter value and a sequence number associated with said third data write request and in response to detecting a fifth predetermined relationship between a sequence number associated with said third data write request and said premature sequence number associated with said premature second data write request.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein said fourth predetermined relationship is characterized by said current counter value being smaller than said sequence number associated with said third data write request.

23. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein said fifth predetermined relationship is characterized by said sequence number associated with said third data write request being smaller than said premature sequence number associated with said premature second data write request.

24. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising incrementing said counter in response to receiving said second data write request and detecting said first predetermined relationship between said current counter value and said sequence number, wherein said second data write request contains zero data bytes.

25. The method as recited in claim 24 further comprising transmitting said current counter value in response to storing said data bytes corresponding to said second data write request.

30. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said second data write request is a request to write a mirrored copy of data written in said first data write request.

31. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein each of said first data write request and said second data write request are requests to write a portion of a stripe of data.

32. A data storage system comprising:

a client computer system configured to transmit a first data read request and a second data read request;

a first storage device coupled to said client computer system, wherein said first storage device is configured to transmit a sequence number in response to receiving said first data read request;

a second storage device coupled to said client computer system, wherein said second storage device is configured to transmit a current counter value in response to receiving said second read data request;

wherein said second storage device includes a counter and is configured to generate said current counter value;

wherein said client computer system is further configured to retransmit said second read data request in response to detecting a first predetermined relationship between said current counter value received and said sequence number received;

wherein said first predetermined relationship is characterized by said current counter value received being smaller than said sequence number received.