Snapshot reset method and apparatus

• US 8,200,631 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2010
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dot Hill Systems Corporation (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Dot Hill Systems Corporation (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Wayda, James George, Lee, Kent, Vu, Ngoclan Thi, Rodriguez, Elizabeth Guadalupe
• Primary Examiner(s): Lie, Angela M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mina, Fatima
• Application Number:
  US12/780,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20100223428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 759 Days
• Field of Search: 707/649, 707/639, 707/640, 707/633
• US Class Current: 707/639
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1435 using file system or storage system metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data

Abstract

A method, device, and system for resetting snapshots are provided. The reset of a snapshot incorporates the traditional snapshot delete and snapshot create operations into a single operation. Additionally, a snapshot created under the reset operation may receive an array partition from a snapshot being deleted under the same snapshot reset operation thereby retaining its identifying characteristics.

Claims

1. A device for controlling a storage system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, coupled to the processor, comprising;

a reset application adapted to receive a reset command and in response to receiving the reset command, save partition attributes of a first snapshot of a master volume, delete the first snapshot, create a second snapshot and copy the saved partition attributes of the first snapshot to the second snapshot,

wherein a first array partition comprising the saved partition attributes provides access to a virtual disk drive comprising at least one of read and write fixed memory block addresses, wherein the reset application is adapted to mark the first snapshot for reset, then mark the first snapshot for deletion, wherein the reset application creates the second snapshot while transferring the first array partition to the second snapshot, wherein after the first array partition has been associated with the second snapshot, release the reset mark associated with the first snapshot thereby allowing the first snapshot to be deleted, wherein the saved partition attributes comprises at least one of a volume name, Logical Unit Number (LUN), Serial Number, and zoning on the LUN.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the virtual disk drive is adapted to at least one of read and write fixed blocks addressed by Logical Block Addresses (LBAs).

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first array partition comprises a first set of attributes that remain unchanged when the first array partition is transferred from the first snapshot to the second snapshot.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the reset application is further adapted to alter the first array partition to reflect a size of the master volume at a point-in-time associated with the second snapshot.

5. A method for controlling a storage system, comprising:

receiving a reset command by a reset application, and in response;

saving, by a processor coupled to a memory comprising the reset application and executing the reset application, partition attributes of a first array partition associated with a first snapshot of a master volume to a second snapshot of the master volume,

marking, by the processor executing the reset application, the first snapshot for reset;

marking, by the processor executing the reset application, the first snapshot for deletion after marking the first snapshot for reset;

creating, by the processor executing the reset application, the second snapshot in response to receiving the reset command, wherein the processor executing the reset application creates the second snapshot while transferring the partition attributes of the first array partition to the second snapshot;

after associating the first array partition with the second snapshot; and

releasing, by the processor executing the reset application, the reset mark associated with the first snapshot thereby allowing the first snapshot to be deleted,

wherein the first array partition provides access to a virtual disk drive comprising at least one of read and write fixed memory block addresses, wherein the saved partition attributes comprises at least one of a volume name, Logical Unit Number (LUN), Serial Number, and zoning on the LUN.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the virtual disk drive is adapted to at least one of reading and writing fixed blocks addressed by Logical Block Addresses (LBAs).

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first array partition comprises a first set of attributes that remain unchanged when the processor is transferring the first array partition from the first snapshot to the second snapshot.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

altering, by the processor executing the reset application, the first array partition to reflect a size of the master volume at a point-in-time associated with the second snapshot.