Management of redundant objects in storage systems

• US 7,747,577 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2005
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dawson, Colin Scott, Zaremba, Christopher, Kaczmarski, Michael Allen, Cannon, David Maxwell, Edwards, Robert Clair Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): LODHI, ANDALIB FT
• Application Number:
  US11/206,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20070043841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,777 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/650
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture wherein one client node is selected from a plurality of client nodes. A determination is made that an object corresponding to a client node has to be stored. A determination is made as to whether the object has already been stored in the server node by the one selected client node. The object is stored at the server node, in response to determining that the object has not already been stored in the server node by the one selected client node.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

selecting first and second client nodes that are two model nodes from a plurality of client nodes, wherein the two model nodes are selected according to a criterion such that objects to be backed up from the plurality of client nodes to a server node are more likely to have been backed up from the two model nodes than from any other client node of the plurality of client nodes, wherein the two model nodes are selected prior to receiving at the server node a request for storing an object corresponding to a third client node, wherein the two model nodes are updated more frequently with latest updates to an operating system and software applications in comparison to other client nodes in the plurality of client nodes;

determining, in response to the request, that an object corresponding to the third client node has to be stored;

determining whether the object has already been stored in a server node by the two model nodes, wherein the two model nodes are more likely to have backed up objects in comparison to other client nodes in the plurality of client nodes, and wherein the backed up objects can be used by the other client nodes of the plurality of client nodes; and

storing the object at the server node, in response to determining that the object has not already been stored in the server node by the two model nodes, wherein the two model nodes and the server node are different computational devices, wherein the server node stores data backed up by the two model nodes in a direct access storage device, and wherein the server node stores data backed up by those client nodes that are different from the two model nodes in removable storage media.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing database entries corresponding to objects of the plurality of client nodes in the server node, wherein the database entries include metadata corresponding to the objects; and

including in the database entries references directed at those objects that are stored in the server node by the two model nodes.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether the object has already been stored in the server node by the two model nodes further comprises:

computing a checksum for the object that is requested to be stored by the third client node, in response to determining from the database entries that the two model nodes have stored at least one object with the same metadata as the object that is requested to be stored by the third client node; and

determining that the object has already been stored in the server node if the computed checksum for the object is the same as a previously computed checksum for the at least one object stored by the two model nodes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the time complexity for determining for the plurality of client nodes whether objects included in the plurality of client nodes have already been stored in the server node by the two model nodes is linear with respect to the number of the plurality of client nodes, wherein the removable storage media are tapes, and wherein only one or more of the tapes corresponding to those client nodes that are different from the two model nodes have to be mounted and positioned for data restoration to those client nodes that are different from the two model nodes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the server and the plurality of client nodes can communicate in a client server environment and in a peer to peer environment.

6. A method for deploying computing infrastructure, comprising integrating computer-readable code into a computing system, wherein the computer-readable code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing:

selecting first and second client nodes that are two model nodes from a plurality of client nodes, wherein the two model nodes are selected according to a criterion such that objects to be backed up from the plurality of client nodes to a server node are more likely to have been backed up from the two model nodes than from any other client node of the plurality of client nodes, wherein the two model nodes are selected prior to receiving at the server node a request for storing an object corresponding to a third client node, wherein the two model nodes are updated more frequently with latest updates to an operating system and software applications in comparison to other client nodes in the plurality of client nodes;

determining, in response to the request, that an object corresponding to the third client node has to be stored;

determining whether the object has already been stored in a server node by the two model nodes, wherein the two model nodes are more likely to have backed up objects in comparison to other client nodes in the plurality of client nodes, and wherein the backed up objects can be used by the other client nodes of the plurality of client nodes; and

storing the object at the server node, in response to determining that the object has not already been stored in the server node by the two model nodes, wherein the two model nodes and the server node are different computational devices, wherein the server node stores data backed up by the two model nodes in a direct access storage device, and wherein the server node stores data backed up by those client nodes that are different from the two model nodes in removable storage media.

7. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 6, wherein the computer-readable code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing:

storing database entries corresponding to objects of the plurality of client nodes in the server node, wherein the database entries include metadata corresponding to the objects; and

including in the database entries references directed at those objects that are stored in the server node by the two model nodes.

8. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 7, wherein determining whether the object has already been stored in the server node by the two model nodes further comprises:

computing a checksum for the object that is requested to be stored by the third client node, in response to determining from the database entries that the two model nodes have stored at least one object with the same metadata as the object that is requested to be stored by the third client node; and

determining that the object has already been stored in the server node if the computed checksum for the object is the same as a previously computed checksum for the at least one object stored by the two model nodes.

9. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 6, wherein the time complexity for determining for the plurality of client nodes whether objects included in the plurality of client nodes have already been stored in the server node by the two model nodes is linear with respect to the number of the plurality of client nodes, wherein the removable storage media are tapes, and wherein only one or more of the tapes corresponding to those client nodes that are different from the two model nodes have to be mounted and positioned for data restoration to those client nodes that are different from the two model nodes.

10. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 6, wherein the server and the plurality of client nodes can communicate in a client server environment and in a peer to peer environment.

11. A system, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor performs operations, the operations comprising;

selecting first and second client nodes that are two model nodes from a plurality of client nodes, wherein the two model nodes are selected according to a criterion such that objects to be backed up from the plurality of client nodes to a server node are more likely to have been backed up from the two model nodes than from any other client node of the plurality of client nodes, wherein the two model nodes are selected prior to receiving at the server node a request for storing an object corresponding to a third client node, wherein the two model nodes are updated more frequently with latest updates to an operating system and software applications in comparison to other client nodes in the plurality of client nodes;

determining, in response to the request, that an object corresponding to the third client node has to be stored;

determining whether the object has already been stored in a server node by the two model nodes, wherein the two model nodes are more likely to have backed up objects in comparison to other client nodes in the plurality of client nodes, and wherein the backed up objects can be used by the other client nodes of the plurality of client nodes; and

storing the object at the server node, in response to determining that the object has not already been stored in the server node by the two model nodes, wherein the two model nodes and the server node are different computational devices, wherein the server node stores data backed up by the two model nodes in a direct access storage device, and wherein the server node stores data backed up by those client nodes that are different from the two model nodes in removable storage media.

12. The system of claim 11, the operations further comprising:

storing database entries corresponding to objects of the plurality of client nodes in the server node, wherein the database entries include metadata corresponding to the objects; and

including in the database entries references directed at those objects that are stored in the server node by the two model nodes.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein determining whether the object has already been stored in the server node by the two model nodes further comprises:

computing a checksum for the object that is requested to be stored by the third client node, in response to determining from the database entries that the two model nodes have stored at least one object with the same metadata as the object that is requested to be stored by the third client node; and

determining that the object has already been stored in the server node if the computed checksum for the object is the same as a previously computed checksum for the at least one object stored by the two model nodes.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the time complexity for determining for the plurality of client nodes whether objects included in the plurality of client nodes have already been stored in the server node by the two model nodes is linear with respect to the number of the plurality of client nodes, wherein the removable storage media are tapes, and wherein only one or more of the tapes corresponding to those client nodes that are different from the two model nodes have to be mounted and positioned for data restoration to those client nodes that are different from the two model nodes.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the server and the plurality of client nodes can communicate in a client server environment and in a peer to peer environment.

16. A computer readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therewith, and wherein the computer-readable program code when executed by a processor causes operations, the operations comprising:

selecting first and second client nodes that are two model nodes from a plurality of client nodes, wherein the two model nodes are selected according to a criterion such that objects to be backed up from the plurality of client nodes to a server node are more likely to have been backed up from the two model nodes than from any other client node of the plurality of client nodes, wherein the two model nodes are selected prior to receiving at the server node a request for storing an object corresponding to a third client node, wherein the two model nodes are updated more frequently with latest updates to an operating system and software applications in comparison to other client nodes in the plurality of client nodes;

determining, in response to the request, that an object corresponding to the third client node has to be stored;

determining whether the object has already been stored in a server node by the two model nodes, wherein the two model nodes are more likely to have backed up objects in comparison to other client nodes in the plurality of client nodes, and wherein the backed up objects can be used by the other client nodes of the plurality of client nodes; and

storing the object at the server node, in response to determining that the object has not already been stored in the server node by the two model nodes, wherein the two model nodes and the server node are different computational devices, wherein the server node stores data backed up by the two model nodes in a direct access storage device, and wherein the server node stores data backed up by those client nodes that are different from the two model nodes in removable storage media.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, the operations further comprising:

storing database entries corresponding to objects of the plurality of client nodes in the server node, wherein the database entries include metadata corresponding to the objects; and

including in the database entries references directed at those objects that are stored in the server node by the two model nodes.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein determining whether the object has already been stored in the server node by the two model nodes further comprises:

computing a checksum for the object that is requested to be stored by the third client node, in response to determining from the database entries that the two model nodes have stored at least one object with the same metadata as the object that is requested to be stored by the third client node; and

determining that the object has already been stored in the server node if the computed checksum for the object is the same as a previously computed checksum for the at least one object stored by the two model nodes.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the time complexity for determining for the plurality of client nodes whether objects included in the plurality of client nodes have already been stored in the server node by the two model nodes is linear with respect to the number of the plurality of client nodes, wherein the removable storage media are tapes, and wherein only one or more of the tapes corresponding to those client nodes that are different from the two model nodes have to be mounted and positioned for data restoration to those client nodes that are different from the two model nodes.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the server and the plurality of client nodes can communicate in a client server environment and in a peer to peer environment.

21. A system, comprising:

a server node;

a plurality of client nodes coupled to the server node;

means for selecting first and second client nodes that are two model nodes from a plurality of client nodes, wherein the two model nodes are selected according to a criterion such that objects to be backed up from the plurality of client nodes to a server node are more likely to have been backed up from the two model nodes than from any other client node of the plurality of client nodes, wherein the two model nodes are selected prior to receiving at the server node a request for storing an object corresponding to a third client node, wherein the two model nodes are updated more frequently with latest updates to an operating system and software applications in comparison to other client nodes in the plurality of client nodes;

means for determining, in response to the request, that an object corresponding to the third client node has to be stored;

means for determining whether the object has already been stored in a server node by the two model nodes, wherein the two model nodes are more likely to have backed up objects in comparison to other client nodes in the plurality of client nodes, and wherein the backed up objects can be used by the other client nodes of the plurality of client nodes; and

means for storing the object at the server node, in response to determining that the object has not already been stored in the server node by the two model nodes, wherein the two model nodes and the server node are different computational devices, wherein the server node stores data backed up by the two model nodes in a direct access storage device, and wherein the server node stores data backed up by those client nodes that are different from the two model nodes in removable storage media.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

means for storing database entries corresponding to objects of the plurality of client nodes in the server node, wherein the database entries include metadata corresponding to the objects; and

means for including in the database entries references directed at those objects that are stored in the server node by the two model nodes.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the means for determining whether the object has already been stored in the server node by the two model nodes further comprises:

means for computing a checksum for the object that is requested to be stored by the third client node, in response to determining from the database entries that the two model nodes have stored at least one object with the same metadata as the object that is requested to be stored by the third client node; and

means for determining that the object has already been stored in the server node if the computed checksum for the object is the same as a previously computed checksum for the at least one object stored by the two model nodes.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the time complexity for determining for the plurality of client nodes whether objects included in the plurality of client nodes have already been stored in the server node by the two model nodes is linear with respect to the number of the plurality of client nodes, wherein the removable storage media are tapes, and wherein only one or more of the tapes corresponding to those client nodes that are different from the two model nodes have to be mounted and positioned for data restoration to those client nodes that are different from the two model nodes.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the server and the plurality of client nodes can communicate in a client server environment and in a peer to peer environment.