State management for transactional backup consistency

• US 7,991,971 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2006
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Groff, Dana D., Kusters, Norbert P., Johnson, James E., Cargille, Jonathan M., Verma, Surendra, Kalach, Ran
• Primary Examiner(s): Elmore; Reba I
• Application Number:
  US11/515,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20070072163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,792 Days
• Field of Search: 711/111, 711/147, 711/156, 711/162
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1471 involving logging of persistent data for recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1474 in transactions G06F16/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/82 Solving problems relating to consistency ensuring consistency in mirrored systems G06F11/2064

Abstract

Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to transactions. In aspects, a consistency requester such as a shadow copy service requests to have a consistent view of a set of resources. In response, transactions that are in a problematic state are allowed to exit the problematic state while new and existing transactions that are not in the problematic state are allowed to perform any work except work that takes them into the problematic state. After no transactions are in the problematic state, a consistent view of the set of resources is available. This view may be used by the consistency requester as desired. Afterwards, the consistency requester may indicate that a consistent view is no longer needed. Transactions are then allowed to enter the problematic state. Transactions may also be allowed to enter the problematic state if a timeout elapses.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions, which when stored in a system memory of a computer and executed by a processing unit of the computer perform actions, comprising:

receiving a shadow copy service request to provide a consistent view of a set of resources managed by the computer, a first resource manager potentially involved in a transaction affecting at least one resource of the set of resources, the first resource manager executed at least in part by the processing unit;

allowing the first resource manager to enter the transaction after the shadow copy service request is received if the transaction would not cause the first resource manager to enter a problematic state that makes the view inconsistent;

preventing the first resource manager from entering into the transaction after the shadow copy service request is received if the transaction would cause the first resource manager to enter a problematic state that makes the view inconsistent;

creating a shadow copy of at least a first resource after the consistent view is available; and

performing a recovery of the shadow copy.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, comprising:

allowing the first resource manager to proceed without rollback if it is involved in a transaction that causes the first resource manager to be in a problematic state at a time that the shadow copy service request is made.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, comprising:

preventing a second resource manager that is executed at least in part by the processing unit and is potentially involved in the transaction from entering a problematic state; and

indicating in response to the shadow copy service request that the consistent view is available when at least the first and second resource managers are not in a problematic state that makes the view inconsistent.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, a consistent view comprising a state in which no resource manager involved in the transaction is in a prepared state with respect to the transaction when another resource manager involved in the transaction is in a committed state with respect to the transaction.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, a consistent view comprising a state in which no resource manager involved in the transaction is in a prepared state with respect to the transaction when another resource manager involved in the transaction is in a state preceding the prepared state with respect to the transaction.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, comprising, after creating the shadow copy, allowing the first resource manager to enter into a problematic state with respect to the transaction.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, performing a recovery comprising applying a rule to determine an outcome of a transaction if a transaction manager cannot be consulted to determine the outcome.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, the problematic state defined by a rule that indicates a procedure to follow upon recovery.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, the rule indicating that any resource manager having the transaction in a prepared state rolls back the transaction during recovery.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, the problematic state comprising having the first resource manager in a prepared state with respect to the transaction while another resource manager is in a committed state with respect to the transaction.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, the rule indicating that any resource manager having the transaction in a prepared state commit the transaction during recovery.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, the problematic state comprising having the first resource manager in a state prior to the prepared state with respect to the transaction while another resource manager is in the prepared state with respect to the transaction.

13. A method implemented at least in part by computer executable instructions stored in a system memory of a computer and executed by a processing unit of the computer, the method comprising:

requesting that resource managers, executed at least in part by the processing unit, be prevented from entering a problematic state with respect to transactions affecting a set of resources stored on a set of resource stores accessible to the computer, the resource managers not prevented from entering into transactions that cause the resource managers not to enter a problematic state;

waiting until an earliest of a timeout period elapsing or until all of the resource managers that are in the problematic state exit the problematic state;

if the timeout period has not elapsed, receiving a notification that indicates that no resource managers are in the problematic state; and

if the timeout period has elapsed, refraining from taking a shadow copy of the set of resources.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising:

creating a shadow copy of the set of resources; and

indicating that the resource managers are allowed to enter the problematic state with respect to transactions affecting the set of resources after the shadow copy is created.

15. The method of claim 13, the problematic state comprising a state in which at least one of the resource managers is in a prepared state with respect to a transaction while at least one other of the resource managers is in a non-prepared state with respect to the transaction.

16. The method of claim 13, comprising, if the shadow copy of the set of resources is taken, performing a recovery on the shadow copy of the set of resources, the recovery performed without the involvement of a transaction manager.

17. The method of claim 13, the resource managers interacting with transaction managers that are in a hierarchy, and comprising notifying the transaction managers to prevent subordinate managers from entering the problematic state in an order based on the hierarchy.

18. The method of claim 17, a transaction manager at a first level in the hierarchy preventing subordinate managers from entering the problematic state before the subordinate managers prevent other managers from entering the problematic state.

19. In a computing environment having system memory of a computer configured to store computer executable instructions and a processing unit of a computer configured to execute the computer executable instructions, an apparatus, comprising:

a first resource manager, configured to manage at least one resource stored on at least one resource store accessible to the computer;

a consistency requestor, configured to request a consistent view of the at least one resource; and

a transaction manager, configured to receive the request and in response thereto prevent the first resource manager from entering into a transaction after the request is received if the transaction would cause the first resource manager to enter a problematic state that makes the view inconsistent and allow the first resource manager to enter a second transaction after the request is received if the second transaction would not cause the first resource manager to enter a problematic state that makes the view inconsistent,

the consistency requester configured to create a shadow copy of the at least one resource after the consistent view is available such that a recovery of the shadow copy can be performed without the involvement of the transaction manager, at least some of at least one of the first resource manager, the consistency requestor and the transaction manager implemented at least in part by the processing unit.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, the transaction manager configured to allow the first resource manager to proceed without rollback if it is involved in a transaction at the time the request is received that causes the first resource manager to be in a problematic state that makes the view inconsistent.