Optimized disk repository for the storage and retrieval of mostly sequential data
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- receiving a data container to be stored to a first nonvolatile storage device, wherein the first nonvolatile storage device contains a plurality of block groups;
selecting a block group from the plurality of block groups, wherein each of the plurality of block groups allows sequential allocation of data blocks for storing the data container to the first nonvolatile storage device;
storing data and associated metadata of the data container together to the selected block group of the plurality of block groups as a single write to contiguous data blocks within the selected block group;
storing a transactional record to a second nonvolatile storage device physically separate from the first nonvolatile storage device, wherein the transactional record corresponds to the single write and contains a header and a corresponding trailer, wherein the header and trailer contain a copy of a subset of the metadata of the data container, wherein the transactional record enables storage of a subset of the metadata in the second nonvolatile storage medium in addition to storage of a complete copy of the metadata in the first non-volatile storage medium, wherein the header is stored to the separate second nonvolatile storage device at a time before the storing of the data container to the first nonvolatile storage device, and the trailer is stored to the separate second nonvolatile storage device at a time after the storing of the data container to the first nonvolatile storage device, and wherein successfully storing the trailer to the second nonvolatile storage device indicates the write has completed without errors;
checking to determine whether the trailer was successfully stored in the second nonvolatile storage device;
committing the storing of the data container to the first nonvolatile only when the trailer has been determined to be successfully stored in the second nonvolatile storage device; and
nullifying the storing of the data container to the first nonvolatile storage device upon failure to successfully store the trailer to the second nonvolatile storage device, wherein failure to store the trailer to the second nonvolatile storage device indicates at least part of the data container has failed to be stored to the selected block group of the plurality of data blocks without errors.
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Abstract
A system for the storage and retrieval of data files includes a data disk, a configuration disk and a controller. Each data file includes one or more data blocks, each data block comprising a data section. The data disk stores the data blocks and is divided into a plurality of block groups. The configuration disk stores a copy of at least a portion of the corresponding meta-data. The controller controls both the data disk and the configuration disk.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving a data container to be stored to a first nonvolatile storage device, wherein the first nonvolatile storage device contains a plurality of block groups; selecting a block group from the plurality of block groups, wherein each of the plurality of block groups allows sequential allocation of data blocks for storing the data container to the first nonvolatile storage device; storing data and associated metadata of the data container together to the selected block group of the plurality of block groups as a single write to contiguous data blocks within the selected block group; storing a transactional record to a second nonvolatile storage device physically separate from the first nonvolatile storage device, wherein the transactional record corresponds to the single write and contains a header and a corresponding trailer, wherein the header and trailer contain a copy of a subset of the metadata of the data container, wherein the transactional record enables storage of a subset of the metadata in the second nonvolatile storage medium in addition to storage of a complete copy of the metadata in the first non-volatile storage medium, wherein the header is stored to the separate second nonvolatile storage device at a time before the storing of the data container to the first nonvolatile storage device, and the trailer is stored to the separate second nonvolatile storage device at a time after the storing of the data container to the first nonvolatile storage device, and wherein successfully storing the trailer to the second nonvolatile storage device indicates the write has completed without errors; checking to determine whether the trailer was successfully stored in the second nonvolatile storage device; committing the storing of the data container to the first nonvolatile only when the trailer has been determined to be successfully stored in the second nonvolatile storage device; and nullifying the storing of the data container to the first nonvolatile storage device upon failure to successfully store the trailer to the second nonvolatile storage device, wherein failure to store the trailer to the second nonvolatile storage device indicates at least part of the data container has failed to be stored to the selected block group of the plurality of data blocks without errors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system comprising:
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a data disk for storing a data container, wherein the data disk contains a plurality of block groups, each of the plurality of block groups allows sequential allocation of data blocks for storing the data container to the data disk; a configuration disk physically separate from the data disk for storing a transactional record corresponding to the storing of the data container to the data disk, wherein the transactional record contains a header and a corresponding trailer to be stored in the configuration disk separate from data of the data container stored in the data disk, wherein the header is stored to the separate configuration disk at a time before the storing of the data container to the data disk, and the trailer is stored to the separate configuration disk at a time after the storing of the data container to the data disk, wherein successfully storing the trailer to the configuration disk indicates .the write has completed without errors; and a controller configured to; select one of the plurality of block groups from the data disk; sequentially allocate a plurality of data blocks from the selected block group; to store data and associated metadata of the data container together to the plurality of data blocks as a single write to contiguous blocks within the selected one of the plurality of block groups; to store the transactional record to the configuration disk wherein the transactional record corresponds to the single write and contains a header and a corresponding trailer, wherein the header and trailer contain a copy of a subset of the metadata of the data container, wherein the transactional record enables storage of a subset of the metadata in the configuration disk in addition to storage of a complete copy of the metadata in the separate data disk; to check whether the trailer was successfully stored in the configuration disk; and to commit the storing of the data container to the data disk only when the trailer of the has been successfully stored to the separate configuration disk, and to nullify the storing of the data container to the data disk upon failure to successfully store the trailer to the configuration disk, wherein failure to successfully store the trailer to the configuration disk indicates at least part of the data container has failed to be stored to the selected block group of the plurality of data blocks without errors. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method comprising:
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receiving a data container to be stored to a first non-volatile storage medium, wherein the first non-volatile storage medium contains a plurality of block groups; selecting a block group from the plurality of block groups, wherein each of the plurality of block groups allows sequential allocation of data blocks for storing the data container to the first non-volatile storage medium; storing data of the data container and associated metadata together to contiguous data blocks in the selected block group of the first non-volatile storage medium as a single contiguous write, the metadata including one or more of a UUID associated with the first non-volatile storage medium, an offset indicator associated with the data container, a sequence change number associated with the data container, a resource fork length associated with the storage container, or an indicator of unused memory within a given block group; storing a transactional record to a second nonvolatile storage medium, wherein the second nonvolatile storage medium is physically separate from the first non-volatile storage medium and has access characteristics different from those of the first nonvolatile storage medium, wherein the transactional record contains a header and a corresponding trailer associated with the write, wherein the header and trailer contain a copy of a subset of the metadata of the data container, wherein the transactional record enables storage of a subset of the metadata in the second nonvolatile storage medium in addition to storage of a complete copy of the metadata in the first non-volatile storage medium, wherein the header is stored to the second nonvolatile storage medium at a time before the storing of the data container to the first nonvolatile storage medium and the trailer is stored to the second nonvolatile storage medium at a time after the storing of the data container to the first nonvolatile storage medium, and wherein successfully storing the trailer to the second nonvolatile storage medium indicates the write has completed without error; checking to determine whether the trailer was successfully stored in the second nonvolatile storage medium; and committing the storing of the data container and associated metadata to the first non-volatile storage medium only when the transactional record was successfully stored to the second non-volatile storage medium; and nullifying the storing of the data container to the data disk upon failure to store the trailer to the second nonvolatile storage medium at the time after the storing of the data container to the data disk, wherein failure to store the trailer to the second nonvolatile storage medium indicates at least part of the data container has failed to be stored to the selected block group of the plurality of data blocks without errors. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification