System and method for providing safe data movement using third party copy techniques

• US 7,363,447 B1
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Operating Corporation (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Ohr, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elmore; Stephen C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, DANIEL Y
• Application Number:
  US11/047,172
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 711/154, 711161-163, 710/200, 710/240
• US Class Current: 711/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0614 Improving the reliability of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• 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

Systems, methods, apparatus and software can utilize an extent guard to prevent modification (including relocation) of data in the storage resource while a third-party copy operation directed at the storage resource is occurring. A data transport mechanism such as a data restore application provides an extent list to the extent guard, which monitors read and/or write activity to storage resources described by the extent list. The data transport mechanism requests a data mover to perform a third-party copy operation whereby data is moved from a data source to the storage resource. If a modification attempt is made on the portion of the storage resource described by the extent list, the extent guard stalls the modification attempt until the third-party copy operation is aborted.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

initiating a data restore operation, wherein the data restore operation targets a plurality of blocks of a storage resource;

determining whether an input/output (I/O) operation targets at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource;

preventing the I/O operation from being performed on the at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource when the at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource has not yet been affected by the data restore operation;

allowing the I/O operation to be performed on the at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource subsequent to the preventing the I/O operation from being performed;

notifying at least one of a data mover and a data transport application of a need to abort a third-party copy operation before the allowing the I/O operation to be performed;

sending an extent guard indication to the data transport application;

sending a third-party copy operation abort request from the data transport application to the data mover; and

receiving acknowledgement from the data mover before allowing the I/O operation to be performed.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

allowing the I/O operation to be performed on the at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource when the at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource has been affected by the data restore operation.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

preventing the I/O operation from being performed on the at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource when the at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource has been affected by the data restore operation.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

notifying the data mover application of the need to abort the third-party copy operation.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

evaluating a priority of the I/O operation and selectively performing the preventing the I/O operation from being performed depending on the evaluating.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the initiating a data restore operation further comprises:

receiving an extent list including at least one extent describing a portion of the plurality of blocks of a storage resource; and

verifying the extent list prior to performing the preventing the I/O operation from being performed.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the initiating a data restore operation, the determining, and the preventing the I/O operation from being performed are performed by an extent guard application executing on at least one of a data mover and a computer system.

8. A computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions executable on a processor, the computer readable storage medium being at least one of an electronic storage medium, a magnetic storage medium, and an optical storage medium, wherein the program instructions are operable to:

initiate a data restore operation, wherein the data restore operation targets a plurality of blocks of a storage resource;

determine whether an input/output (I/O) operation targets at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource;

prevent the I/O operation from being performed on the at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource when the at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource has not yet been affected by the data restore operation;

allow the I/O operation to be performed on the at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource subsequent to the preventing the I/O operation from being performed;

notify at least one of a data mover and a data transport application of a need to abort a third-party copy operation before the allowing the I/O operation to be performed;

send an extent guard indication to the data transport application;

send a third-party copy operation abort request from the data transport application to the data mover; and

receive acknowledgement from the data mover before allowing the I/O operation to be performed.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8 further comprising program instructions operable to allow the I/O operation to be performed on the at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource when the at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource has been affected by the data restore operation.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8 further comprising program instructions operable to prevent the I/O operation from being performed on the at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource when the at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource has been affected by the data restore operation.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8 further comprising program instructions operable to:

notify at least one of a data mover and a data transport application of a need to abort a third-party copy operation.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8 further comprising program instructions operable to:

evaluate a priority of the I/O operation and selectively performing the preventing the I/O operation from being performed depending on the evaluating.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein the initiating a data restore operation further comprises program instructions operable to:

receive an extent list including at least one extent describing a portion of the plurality of blocks of a storage resource; and

verify the extent list prior to performing the preventing the I/O operation from being performed.

14. An apparatus comprising:

means for initiating a data restore operation, wherein the data restore operation targets a plurality of blocks of a storage resource;

means for determining whether an input/output (I/O) operation targets at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource; and

means for preventing the I/O operation from being performed on the at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource when the at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource has not yet been affected by the data restore operation;

means for allowing the I/O operation to be performed on the at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource subsequent to the prevention of the performance of the I/O operation;

means for notifying at least one of a data mover and a data transport application of a need to abort a third-party copy operation before the I/O operation is allowed to be performed;

means for sending an extent guard indication to the data transport application;

means for sending a third-party copy operation abort request from the data transport application to the data mover; and

means for receiving acknowledgement from the data mover before allowing the I/O operation to be performed.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising:

means for allowing the I/O operation to be performed on the at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource when the at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource has been affected by the data restore operation.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising:

means for preventing the I/O operation from being performed on the at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource when the at least one of the plurality of blocks of the storage resource has been affected by the data restore operation.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising:

means for evaluating a priority of the I/O operation and selectively performing the preventing the I/O operation from being performed depending on the evaluating.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising:

means for receiving an extent list including at least one extent describing a portion of the plurality of blocks of a storage resource; and

means for verifying the extent list prior to performing the preventing the I/O operation from being performed.