Consolidating file system backend operations with access of data

• US 8,176,026 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2009
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Arimilli, Ravi K., Chaudhary, Piyush
• Primary Examiner(s): Vy, Hung T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Mongbao
• Application Number:
  US12/423,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20100262578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 714/15, 707/705, 707/758, 707/609, 707/204, 709/223
• US Class Current: 707/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers

Abstract

Mechanisms for performing a backend operation in a file system are provided. A backend operation on a portion of the file system is initiated. At least one indirect transition table data structure is created for performing the backend operation. Metadata corresponding to the portion of the file system is linked to the at least one indirect transition table data structure. The backend operation is performed on data in a sub-portion of the portion of the file system and the at least one indirect transition table data structure is updated with pointers to new locations of the data in the sub-portion as transitions of the data are completed. At least one data access operation is performed to the portion of the file system at substantially a same time as performing the backend operation on the data in the sub-portion of the portion of the file system.

Claims

1. A method, in a data processing system, for performing a backend operation in a file system of the data processing system, comprising:

initiating, by a processor of the data processing system, the backend operation on a portion of the file system, wherein the backend operation is an error correction operation for correcting an error in the portion of the file system;

creating, in a storage device of the data processing system, at least one indirect transition table data structure for performing the backend operation;

linking, by the processor, metadata corresponding to the portion of the file system to the at least one indirect transition table data structure;

performing, by the processor, the backend operation on data in a sub-portion of the portion of the file system;

updating the at least one indirect transition table data structure with pointers to new locations of the data in the sub-portion as transitions of the data, from a state in which the backend operation has not been performed to a state where the backend operation has been performed, are completed; and

performing, by the processor, at least one data access operation to the portion of the file system at substantially a same time as performing the backend operation on the data in the sub-portion of the portion of the file system, wherein the at least one data access operation does not target data in the sub-portion of the portion of the file system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one indirect transition table data structure comprises a first indirect transition table and a second indirect transition table, and wherein:

the metadata corresponding to the portion of the file system is linked to entries in the first indirect transition table data structure,

entries in the second indirect transition table data structure are associated with data locations of the data in the sub-portion of the portion of the file system being transitioned by the backend operation, and

updating the at least one indirect transition table data structure comprises updating the second indirect transition table data structure with the pointers to the new locations of the data in the sub-portion.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first indirect transition table data structure comprises pointers to entries in the second indirect transition table data structure for the sub-portion currently being transitioned by the backend operation, and wherein the first indirect transition table data structure comprises pointers to locations of data in the file system for other sub-portions of the portion of the file system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata corresponding to the portion of the file system is linked to the first indirect transition table data structure by updating pointers in the metadata that normally point to data locations in the file system such that the pointers point to corresponding entries for the data in the first indirect transition table data structure.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the backend operation is initiated in response to detecting an error in the file system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the error is an error in data of a data stream, in a plurality of data streams, written directly to the file system in an unassembled format.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of data streams are received from a plurality of processors of a distributed computing cluster operating on message passing interface (MPI) jobs.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein while the backend operation is transitioning the data in the sub-portion, data accesses to the data are suspended but data accesses to other sub-portions of the portion of the file system are not suspended.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the file system is the whole file system.

10. A computer program product comprising a computer storage medium having a computer readable program stored thereon, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:

initiate a backend operation on a portion of a file system of the computing device, wherein the backend operation is an error correction operation for correcting an error in the portion of the file system;

create, in a storage device of the computing device, at least one indirect transition table data structure for performing the backend operation;

link metadata corresponding to the portion of the file system to the at least one indirect transition table data structure;

perform the backend operation on data in a sub-portion of the portion of the file system;

update the at least one indirect transition table data structure with pointers to new locations of the data in the sub-portion as transitions of the data, from a state in which the backend operation has not been performed to a state where the backend operation has been performed, are completed; and

perform at least one data access operation to the portion of the file system at substantially a same time as performing the backend operation on the data in the sub-portion of the portion of the file system, wherein the at least one data access operation does not target data in the sub-portion of the portion of the file system.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the at least one indirect transition table data structure comprises a first indirect transition table and a second indirect transition table, and wherein:

the metadata corresponding to the portion of the file system is linked to entries in the first indirect transition table data structure,

entries in the second indirect transition table data structure are associated with data locations of the data in the sub-portion of the portion of the file system being transitioned by the backend operation, and

the computing device updates the at least one indirect transition table data structure by updating the second indirect transition table data structure with the pointers to the new locations of the data in the sub-portion.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the first indirect transition table data structure comprises pointers to entries in the second indirect transition table data structure for the sub-portion currently being transitioned by the backend operation, and wherein the first indirect transition table data structure comprises pointers to locations of data in the file system for other sub-portions of the portion of the file system.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the metadata corresponding to the portion of the file system is linked to the first indirect transition table data structure by updating pointers in the metadata that normally point to data locations in the file system such that the pointers point to corresponding entries for the data in the first indirect transition table data structure.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the backend operation is initiated in response to detecting an error in the file system.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the error is an error in data of a data stream, in a plurality of data streams, written directly to the file system in an unassembled format.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the plurality of data streams are received from a plurality of processors of a distributed computing cluster operating on message passing interface (MPI) jobs.

17. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein while the backend operation is transitioning the data in the sub-portion, data accesses to the data are suspended but data accesses to other sub-portions of the portion of the file system are not suspended.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

initiate a backend operation on a portion of a file system of the apparatus, wherein the backend operation is an error correction operation for correcting an error in the portion of the file system;

create, in a storage device of the apparatus, at least one indirect transition table data structure for performing the backend operation;

link metadata corresponding to the portion of the file system to the at least one indirect transition table data structure;

perform the backend operation on data in a sub-portion of the portion of the file system;

update the at least one indirect transition table data structure with pointers to new locations of the data in the sub-portion as transitions of the data, from a state in which the backend operation has not been performed to a state where the backend operation has been performed, are completed; and

perform at least one data access operation to the portion of the file system at substantially a same time as performing the backend operation on the data in the sub-portion of the portion of the file system, wherein the at least one data access operation does not target data in the sub-portion of the portion of the file system.