Acquisition and write validation of data of a networked host node to perform secondary storage

• US 8,224,786 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2008
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: InMage Systems, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Atluri, Rajeev, Tirumala, Anup S., Inala, Sam
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahluwalia, Navneet K
• Application Number:
  US12/344,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20100169282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 707/655, 707659-660, 709/217
• US Class Current: 707/660
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2308 Concurrency control transaction processing G06F9/466

Abstract

Methods and a system to acquire and perform write validation of data generated by one or more networked host nodes to perform secondary storage are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method to passively acquire and perform write validation of data generated by one or more networked host nodes to perform secondary storage in a SAN-based data storage and recovery network includes generating data to store in primary storage. The method further includes generating metadata describing the data generated to store in primary storage, sending the data and metadata to a primary SAN storage device, acquiring passive access to data traveling a data path between a generating node and the primary SAN storage device, the data mirrored over an access line to a secondary storage server. The method further includes receiving, at the secondary storage server, an exact copy of a data stream that passes a splitter.

Claims

1. A method to passively acquire and perform write validation of data generated by a networked host node to perform secondary storage in a SAN-based data storage and recovery network, comprising:

generating metadata describing the data generated by the networked host node to store in primary storage;

transmitting the data generated by networked host node and metadata describing the data generated to a primary SAN storage device;

acquiring, through installing a data splitter in a data path between the generating networked host node and the primary SAN storage device by coupling an input Receive(Rx)/Transmit(Tx) port of the data splitter to the generating networked host node and an output Rx/Tx port thereof to the primary SAN storage device, access the data path the data splitter being a hardware splitter;

enabling mirroring, of the accessed data over an access line to a secondary storage server through assigning an output Rx/Rx port of the data splitter to the secondary storage server, with the output Rx/Rx port of the data splitter being coupled to both a Tx line of the input Rx/Tx port and a Tx line of the output Rx/Tx port, and enabling functionality associated with each data frame received at the input Tx/Rx port and destined to the primary SAN storage device to be split onto the Rx/Rx port through a firmware associated with the data splitter;

receiving, at the secondary storage server, an exact copy of a data stream that passes the data splitter; and

comparing the metadata associated with the data against previous metadata generated by the networked host node to validate or invalidate a write data, wherein the previous metadata is stored in at least one of a local location and an external location.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data configured to be stored is generated by one of a Local Area Network (LAN) connected computing device and a dedicated server node.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the primary storage is a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID)-based unit accessible through a network switch, and wherein the network switch is comprised of at least one of a Fibre Channel switch and an Ethernet hub.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata describes at least one of a generating node ID, a destination ID of the primary SAN storage device, a write offset location in primary storage, a length of a payload, and checksum data.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising transmitting the data to a primary SAN storage device as a series of data frames conforming to at least one of a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) protocol and an Ethernet protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising accomplished data path splitting is achieved using a hardware data splitter of at least one of an optical type and an electrical type, depending on the type of network line used.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary storage server is at least one of a dedicated server node and a PC node, wherein the data is passively received by at least one of a specially adapted line card installed in the secondary storage server and a network adaptor card.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising performing the metadata comparison on a line card adapted to receive the data.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising performing the metadata comparison in a cache system.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising providing the SAN-based data storage and recovery network as a remote service accessible over a network.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising performing the metadata comparison at a host prior to completion of a write operation to prevent a redundant save.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising performing the data path splitting at the host node.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising creating the metadata in a host and receiving the metadata at the secondary storage server after an associated data frame.

14. The method of claim 1, comprising transmitting the metadata to a host server via LAN.

15. The method of claim 1, comprising utilizing a server memory through an external device to store metadata about data frames written to secondary storage to be compared with local metadata.

16. The method of claim 1, comprising converting data stored in secondary storage using at least one of a sparse file utility and a compression algorithm.

17. A system to passively acquire and perform write validation of data generated by a networked host node to store in secondary storage in a SAN-based data storage and recovery network, comprising:

comprising a processor communicatively coupled with a volatile memory and a non-volatile storage further

at least one networked host node to generate data to store in primary storage;

a metadata generator module to generate metadata describing the data generated to store in primary storage, wherein the metadata generator is comprised of at least one of the one or more networked host nodes, a host node client, a data splitter, a line card, and a secondary storage server;

a primary SAN storage device to receive the data and metadata, the data splitter being configured to acquire, through the data splitter in a data path between the generating networked host node and the primary SAN storage device by coupling an input Receive(Rx)/Transmit(Tx) port of the data splitter to the generating networked host node and an output Rx/Tx port thereof to the primary SAN storage device, passive access to the data path, the data splitter being a hardware splitter and to mirror the data over an access line to the secondary storage server, and the secondary storage server through assigning an output Rx/Rx port of the data splitter to the secondary storage server, with the output Rx/Rx port of the data splitter being coupled to both a Tx line of the input Rx/Tx port and a Tx line of the output Rx/Tx port, and enabling functionality associated with each data frame received at the input Tx/Rx port and destined to the primary SAN storage device to be split onto the Rx/Rx port through a firmware associated with the data splitter and to receive an exact copy of a data stream that passes the splitter; and

a metadata comparison module to compare metadata associated with an actual data against previous metadata generated by the networked host node to validate or invalidate write data,

wherein the previous metadata is stored in at least one of a local location and an external location, and

wherein the metadata comparison module comprises at least one networked host node, the host node client, the data splitter, the line card, and the secondary storage server.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one networked host node comprises at least one of a LAN connected PC and a dedicated server node.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein a medium of the primary storage comprises a RAID-based unit accessible through a network switch, and wherein the network switch is comprised of at least one of a Fibre Channel switch and an Ethernet hub.

20. A method, comprising:

forming at least one networked host node to generate data to store in primary storage in a system to passively acquire and perform write validation of data;

acquiring and validating, through the system, data generated by the at least one networked host node to perform secondary storage in a SAN-based data storage and recovery network;

placing a metadata generator module in the system to passively acquire and perform write validation to generate metadata describing the data generated to store in primary storage, wherein the metadata generator module comprises at least one of the at least one networked host node, a host node client, a data splitter, a line card, and a secondary storage server;

coupling a primary SAN storage device to receive the data and metadata to the system to perform passive acquisition and write validation;

acquiring, through installing a data splitter in a data path between the generating networked host node and the primary SAN storage device by coupling an input Receive(Rx)/Transmit(Tx) port of the data splitter to the generating networked host node and an output Rx/Tx port thereof to the primary SAN storage device, access the data path the data splitter being a hardware splitter;

enabling mirroring, of the accessed data over an access line to a secondary storage server through assigning an output Rx/Rx port of the data splitter to the secondary storage server, with the output Rx/Rx port of the data splitter being coupled to both a Tx line of the input Rx/Tx port and a Tx line of the output Rx/Tx port, and enabling functionality associated with each data frame received at the input Tx/Rx port and destined to the primary SAN storage device to be split onto the Rx/Rx port through a firmware associated with the data splitter;

placing the secondary storage server in the system to passively acquire and perform write validation to receive an exact copy of a data stream that passes the splitter; and

forming a metadata comparison module to compare metadata associated with the data against previous metadata generated by the networked host node to validate or invalidate write data,

wherein the previous metadata is stored in at least one of a local location and an external location, and

wherein the metadata comparison module comprises at least one of the at least networked host node, the host node client, the data splitter, the line card, and the secondary storage server.