Adaptive storage block data distribution

• US 7,962,609 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2008
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Long, Paula, Hayden, Peter C., Koning, G. Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US12/008,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20080209042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-224, 709/213, 709/246, 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing an efficient partitioned resource server. In one embodiment, the partitioned resource server comprises a plurality of individual servers, and the individual servers appear to be equivalent to a client. Each of the individual servers may include a routing table that includes a reference for each resource that is maintained on the partitioned resource server. Requests from a client are processed as a function of the routing table to route the request to the individual server that maintains or has control over the resource of interest.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of equivalent servers each being responsible for serving a portion of stored data blocks in response to client requests for access to the data blocks;

each of said plurality of equivalent servers having a respective data mover process capable of communicating with another respective data mover process on another server of said plurality of equivalent servers, for coordinating movement of data blocks between the plurality of equivalent servers;

each of said plurality of equivalent servers also having a respective request monitor process communicating with another respective request monitor process on another server of said plurality of equivalent servers;

each of said respective request monitor process monitoring client requests to its respective server and communicating with the other respective request monitor processes on the other equivalent servers to maintain global request information for the plurality of equivalent servers;

said global request information identifying patterns in the client requests made to the plurality of equivalent servers collectively; and

each of said data mover processes reallocating the blocks of data of the identified patterns from one server to another server of the plurality of equivalent servers based on operational characteristics of the plurality of equivalent servers and the identified patterns.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein

the data mover process includes an adaptive moving algorithm for responding to an operational characteristic of the plurality of servers and for identifying a reallocation of block across the plurality of servers.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein

the request monitor process determines a number of requests received by a server to determine a measure of request load carried by the server.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein

the request monitor process measures parameters selected from the group consisting of a number of clients accessing a data volume, a number of I/O requests, and a measure of available storage.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein

the request monitor process identifies whether a group of blocks are accessed together at a frequency above a hot block criterion.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein

the data mover process operates on data generated by the request monitor process to determine a data block to move to a selected server for improving performance.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein

the data mover process applies an adaptive block distribution algorithm to data generated by the request monitor process.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein

the data mover process includes a data striping algorithm for striping selected data blocks across a plurality of servers.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein

the data mover process includes a transaction process for monitoring a transfer of data blocks between servers.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein

the transaction process includes an error log process for logging an error detected during the transfer of data blocks.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein

the request monitor monitors requests made of two or more data volumes.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein

the data mover process moves data blocks associated with two or more data volumes.

13. A process for providing block level data storage, comprising:

providing a plurality of equivalent servers each being responsible for serving a portion of stored data blocks in response to client requests for access to the stored data blocks

each monitoring client requests received by a respective equivalent server;

each of said plurality of equivalent servers having a respective request monitor process for monitoring client requests and for communicating with a request monitor process on another equivalent server;

moving data blocks between the plurality of equivalent servers; and

each of said respective request monitor processes further (a) monitoring client requests to its respective equivalent server and (b) communicating with other respective request monitor processes in the other equivalent servers to maintain global client request information for the plurality of equivalent servers;

analyzing said global client request information to identify patterns in the client requests made to the plurality of equivalent servers; and

wherein

the step of moving data blocks between the plurality of equivalent servers further moves the blocks of data from one equivalent server to another equivalent server based on operational characteristics of the plurality of equivalent servers and the identified patterns.

14. The process of claim 13, wherein

moving data blocks includes applying an adaptive algorithm for responding to an operational characteristic of the plurality of servers and for identifying a reallocation of block across the plurality of servers.

15. The process of claim 13, wherein

monitoring requests includes determining a number of requests received by a server to determine a measure of request load carried by the server.

16. The process of claim 13, wherein

monitoring requests includes measuring parameters selected from the group consisting of a number of clients accessing a data volume, a number of I/O requests, and a measure of available storage.

17. The process according to claim 13, wherein

request monitoring includes identifying whether a group of blocks are accessed together at a frequency above a hot block criterion.

18. The process according to claim 13, wherein

data moving includes striping selected data blocks across a plurality of servers.

19. The process according to claim 13, wherein

data moving includes monitoring a transfer of data blocks between servers.

20. The process according to claim 19, further including

generating an error log for logging an error detected during the transfer of data blocks.

21. The process according to claim 13, wherein

monitoring requests includes monitoring requests made of two or more data volumes.