Migration engine for use in a logical namespace of a storage system environment

• US 8,285,817 B1
• Filed: 03/20/2006
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Inventors: Balasubramanian, Shankar, Kishore, K. Uday
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pollack, Melvin H
• Application Number:
  US11/384,804
• Time in Patent Office: 2,395 Days
• Field of Search: 719/310, 719/317, 719/319, 707/200, 709/202, 709/203, 709217-219, 709/249, 717/173, 715/748, 715/770, 714/746
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0769 Readable error formats, e.g. cross-platform generic formats, human understandable formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1474 in transactions G06F16/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/119 Details of migration of file systems migration mechanisms in storage systems G06F3/0647

Abstract

A migration engine is provided for use in a logical namespace of a storage system environment. A remote agent of an integrated management framework is installed on a host machine of the storage system environment and includes a pre-installed migration plug-in module that configures the agent as a migration engine adapted to provide a data migration capability. That is, the migration plug-in has the intelligence to configure the remote agent as a migration engine adapted to perform data migration from a source location to a destination location in the storage system environment.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor configured to execute at least one remote agent, the at least one remote agent, when executed, configured to store a copy of data transferred from a source computer to a destination computer, wherein the copy is stored on a storage device at a temporary area on the destination computer;

the remote agent further configured to change a first name of the transferred data to a second name;

the remote agent further configured to determine if the data transfer from the source computer to the destination computer is complete; and

the remote agent further configured to change the second name of the transferred data to the first name in response to determining the data transfer is complete, wherein the change from the second name to the first name is atomic.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the remote agent is software code configured to operate within a context of a remote agent process.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the remote agent is further configured to provide an interface between an architecture of an integrated management framework and an architecture of a host machine of the system.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein internal functionality and security machinery of the remote agent facilitates portability to multiple operating system platforms of host machines of the system to thereby enable an integrated management framework to manage namespace and storage objects of the host machines.

22. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

the remote agent further configured to retrieve the data from the source computer and further configured to translate information of the data to a format compatible with the destination computer.

23. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

the destination computer configured to delete the copy of data stored in the temporary area in response to determining that the remote agent has failed during the data transfer; and

the remote agent further configured to start a new data transfer after the remote agent is restored.

24. The system of claim 1 wherein the agent is further configured to record information during the data transfer, wherein the recorded information is used to determine a cause of a remote agent failure.

25. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a copy-paste-delete policy configured as a migration policy in which the data is to be transferred.

26. The system of claim 1 wherein the storage device comprises a disk.

5. A method, comprising:

storing a copy of data transferred from a source computer to a destination computer, wherein the copy is stored on a storage device at a temporary area on the destination computer;

changing a first name of the transferred data to a second name;

determining if the data transfer from the source computer to the destination computer is complete; and

changing the second name of the transferred data to the first name in response to determining the data transfer is complete, wherein the change from the second name to the first name is atomic.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

retrieving the data from the source computer; and

translating information of the data to a format compatible with the destination computer.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

deleting the copy of data stored in the temporary area in response to determining that a remote agent has failed during the data transfer; and

starting a new data transfer after the remote agent is restored.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising recording information during the data transfer and using the recorded information to determine a cause of the remote agent failure.

9. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

selecting copy-paste-delete as a manner in which the data is to be transferred.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein the storage device comprises a disk.

11. An apparatus configured for use in a storage system environment, comprising:

means for storing a copy of data transferred from a source computer to a destination computer, wherein the copy is stored on a storage device at a temporary area on the destination computer;

means for changing a first name of the transferred data to a second name;

means for determining if the data transfer from the source computer to the destination computer is complete; and

means for changing the second name of the transferred data to the first name in response to determining the data transfer is complete, wherein the change from the second name to the first name is atomic.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

means for retrieving the data from the source computer; and

means for translating information of the data to a format compatible with the destination computer.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

means for deleting the copy of data stored in the temporary area in response to determining that a remote agent has failed during the data transfer; and

means for starting a new data transfer after the remote agent is restored.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising means for recording information during the data transfer and using the recorded information to determine a cause of the remote agent failure.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

means for selecting copy-paste-delete as a manner in which the data is to be transferred.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the storage device comprises a disk.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing executable program instructions for execution by a processor, comprising:

program instructions that store a copy of data transferred from a source computer to a destination computer, wherein the copy is stored on a storage device at a temporary area on the destination computer;

program instructions that change a first name of the transferred data to a second name;

program instructions that determine if the data transfer from the source computer to the destination computer is complete; and

program instructions that change the second name of the transferred data to the first name in response to determining the data transfer is complete, wherein the change from the second name to the first name is atomic.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 further comprising:

program instructions that retrieve the data from the source computer; and

program instructions that translate information of the data to a format compatible with the destination computer.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 further comprising:

program instructions that delete the copy of data stored in the temporary area in response to determining that a remote agent has failed during the data transfer; and

program instructions that start a new data transfer after the remote agent is restored.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 further comprising program instructions that record information during the data transfer and use the recorded information to determine a cause of the remote agent failure.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the storage device comprises a disk.