Systems and methods for the repartitioning of data

• US 7,530,073 B1
• Filed: 02/16/2005
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nichols, Elizabeth Ann, Shutt, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Portka; Gary J
• Application Number:
  US11/059,828
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 718/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/278 Data partitioning, e.g. horizontal or vertical partitioning

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed toward extending a federation of servers and balancing the data load of said federation of servers, in order to improve accessibility and scope of the system by moving the first backup data structure on the second server to the new server, creating a second data structure on the new server, and creating a second backup data structure for the second data structure on the second server. To balance the load, certain embodiments employ a method comprising suspending writes to the selected logical partitions, copying selected logical partitions to the new physical partition, redirecting reads and writes to the logical partitions in the new physical partition, and removing the original selected logical partitions. Alternative embodiments for balancing data load comprise the substitute steps of creating a temporary replication stream for the selected logical partitions to the new physical partition, copying selected logical partitions to the new physical partition, deconflicting inconsistencies in the logical partitions on the new physical partition, redirecting reads and writes for the selected logical partitions to the logical partitions in the new physical partition, and removing the original selected logical partitions that were copied to the new physical partition.

Claims

1. A method for extending the capacity of a federation of servers comprising at least two servers, wherein a first set of data in a first data structure is stored on a first server, and a backup of the first set of data in a first backup data structure is stored on a second server, said method comprising:

adding a new server;

creating a first temporary replication stream operable to replicate in the new server, during a move of the first backup data structure, any changes that are carried out on the first backup data structure as stored on the second server;

moving the first backup data structure as stored on the second server to the new server by copying the first backup data structure from the second server to the new server while changes are being made to the first backup data structure as stored on the second server during the copying, the copying being performed by way of a copying stream separate from the first temporary replication stream, and by forwarding by way of the first temporary replication stream the changes to the first backup data structure as it is being copied to and stored on the new server;

reconciling conflicts that arise between the first backup data structure as being copied to and stored on the new server and forwarded changes arriving at the new server by way of the first temporary replication stream, each conflict arising when an arriving change is with regard to a portion of the first backup data structure not already copied to and stored on the new server;

creating a second data structure on the new server; and

creating a second backup data structure for the second data structure on the second server.

2. The method of claim 1 creating a second temporary replication stream operable to replicate in the new server, during a move of a data structure, any changes that are carried out on the first data structure stored on the first server.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first data structure and the first backup data structure together comprise a first physical partition.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the first physical partition comprises a first plurality of logical partitions.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein each of said first plurality of logical partitions comprise a subset of the first set of data in one data structure and a backup subset of the backup of the first set of data in another data structure.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the second data structure and the second backup data structure comprise a second physical partition.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first physical partition comprises a first plurality of logical partitions, and the second physical partition comprises a second plurality of logical partitions.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein each of said first plurality of logical partitions comprise a subset of the first set of data in one data structure and a backup subset of the backup of the first set of data in another data structure, and wherein each of said second plurality of logical partitions comprise a subset of a second set of data in one data structure and a backup subset of the backup of the second set of data in another data structure.

9. An extendable federation-of-servers system, said system comprising:

at least two original servers, wherein a first set of data in a first data structure is stored on a first server, and a backup of the first set of data in a first backup data structure is stored on a second server;

a new server;

means for creating a first temporary replication stream operable to replicate in the new server, during a move of the first backup data structure, any changes that are carried out on the first backup data structure as stored on the second server;

means for moving the first backup data structure as stored on the second server to the new server by copying the first backup data structure from the second server to the new server while changes are being made to the first backup data structure as stored on the second server during the copying, the copying being performed by way of a copying stream separate from the first temporary replication stream, and by forwarding by way of the first temporary replication stream the changes to the first backup data structure as it is being copied to and stored on the new server;

means for reconciling conflicts that arise between the first backup data structure as being copied to and stored on the new server and forwarded changes arriving at the new server by way of the first temporary replication stream, each conflict arising when an arriving change is with regard to a portion of the first backup data structure not already copied to and stored on the new server;

means for creating a second data structure on the new server; and

means for creating a second backup data structure for the second data structure on the second server.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the first data structure, the first backup data structure, the second data structure, and the second backup data structure comprise databases.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the first data structure and the first backup data structure together comprise a first physical partition.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the first physical partition comprises a first plurality of logical partitions.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein each of said first plurality of logical partitions comprise a subset of the first set of data in one data structure and a backup subset of the backup of the first set of data in another data structure.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the second data structure and the second backup data structure comprise a second physical partition.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the first physical partition comprises a first plurality of logical partitions, and the second physical partition comprises a second plurality of logical partitions.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein each of said first plurality of logical partitions comprise a subset of the first set of data in one data structure and a backup subset of the backup of the first set of data in another data structure, and wherein each of said second plurality of logical partitions comprise a subset of the second set of data in one data structure and a backup subset of the backup of the second set of data in another data structure.

17. A computer-readable medium for use with an extendable federation-of-servers system comprising servers wherein a first set of data in a first data structure is stored on a first server and a backup of the first set of data in a first backup data structure is stored on a second server, and further comprising a new server;

said computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions for;

creating a first temporary replication stream operable to replicate in the new server, during a move of the first backup data structure, any changes that are carried out on the first backup data structure as stored on the second server;

moving the first backup data structure as stored on the second server to the new server by copying the first backup data structure from the second server to the new server while changes are being made to the first backup data structure as stored on the second server during the copying, the copying being performed by way of a copying stream separate from the first temporary replication stream, and by forwarding by way of the first temporary replication stream the changes to the first backup data structure as it is being copied to and stored on the new server;

reconciling conflicts that arise between the first backup data structure as being copied to and stored on the new server and forwarded changes arriving at the new server by way of the first temporary replication stream, each conflict arising when an arriving change is with regard to a portion of the first backup data structure not already copied to and stored on the new server;

creating a second data structure on the new server; and

creating a second backup data structure for the second data structure on the second server.

18. The computer-readable instructions of claim 17 wherein the first data structure, the first backup data structure, the second data structure, and the second backup data structure comprise databases.

19. The computer-readable instructions of claim 17 wherein, in regard to the system:

the first data structure and the first backup data structure together comprise a first physical partition;

the second data structure and the second backup data structure comprise a second physical partition;

the first physical partition comprises a first plurality of logical partitions;

the second physical partition comprises a second plurality of logical partitions;

each of said first plurality of logical partitions comprise a subset of the first set of data in one data structure and a backup subset of the backup of the first set of data in another data structure; and

each of said second plurality of logical partitions comprise a subset of the second set of data in one data structure and a backup subset of the backup of the second set of data in another data structure.

20. The computer-readable instructions of claim 17 further comprising computer-readable instructions for permitting read operations upon the first backup data structure stored on the second server when the first backup data structure is being moved.