System for mitigating file virtualization storage import latency

• US 8,396,836 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: F5 Networks, Inc. (F5 Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ferguson, JC, Cain, Bradley E., Heneghan, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le H
• Application Number:
  US13/174,748
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 707/652, 707/640, 707/661, 709/242, 709/223, 709/203, 715/700
• US Class Current: 707/652
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/188 Virtual file systems

Abstract

A system and method for reducing latency when re-routing at least partial client communications from a first, active data center site to a second data center site due to a virtualization service disruption. Configuration data is imported from the first file virtualization device, wherein the configuration data represents object relationships and mapping information between components in the first data center site and the second data center site. An instruction is received for the back-up file virtualization device to begin handling at least one virtualization service that is disrupted at the first data center site. A most recent import of the configuration data is loaded for the one or more disrupted virtualization services and enabled such that the back-up file virtualization device performs the disrupted virtualization service with one or more storage devices in the second data center site using the at least a portion of the imported configuration data.

Claims

1. A back-up file virtualization device at a second data center site comprising:

a network interface component configured to communicate with an active file virtualization device at a first data center site via a communication channel on a scheduled basis;

a memory configured to store machine executable code for reducing latency when re-routing at least partial client communications from a first data center site to a second data center site due to a virtualization service disruption;

one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to execute the code in the memory to;

import configuration data from the first file virtualization device, wherein the imported configuration data is stored in the memory, the configuration data representing object relationships and mapping information between components in the first data center site and the second data center site;

receive an instruction for the back-up file virtualization device to begin handling at least one virtualization service that is disrupted between the active file virtualization device and one or more storage devices at the first data center site;

load, from the memory, a most recent import of at least a portion of the configuration data for the one or more disrupted virtualization services;

enable the at least a portion of the loaded imported configuration data such that the back-up file virtualization device performs the disrupted virtualization service with one or more storage devices in the second data center site using the at least a portion of the imported configuration data.

2. The back-up file virtualization device of claim 1, wherein the virtualization service disruption is caused by the first file virtualization device at the first data center failing, wherein the back-up file virtualization device enables configuration data to handle all virtualization services previously handled by the failed file virtualization device of the first data center.

3. The back-up file virtualization device of claim 1, wherein the virtualization service disruption is caused by one or more storage devices at the first data center failing, wherein the back-up file virtualization device enables a portion of the configuration data to begin handling the disrupted virtualization service with the one or more storage devices at the second data center.

4. The back-up file virtualization device of claim 1, wherein the network communications relating to the disrupted virtualization service at the first data center is received at the back-up file virtualization device at the second data center site.

5. The back-up file virtualization device of claim 1, wherein all virtualization services at the first data center become disrupted, all corresponding back-up virtualization devices at the second data center enable the configuration data to handle all the virtualization services previously handled at the first data center site.

6. The back-up file virtualization device of claim 1, wherein one or more virtualization services at the first data center are not disrupted between file virtualization devices and storage devices at the first data center, wherein corresponding back-up virtualization devices at the second data center do not enable portions of the configuration data associated with the one or more non-disrupted virtualization services.

7. The back-up file virtualization device of claim 1, wherein the imported configuration data received at the back-up file virtualization device includes objects in a disabled state, wherein the disabled objects are enabled upon the enabling of the at least a portion of the configuration data by the back-up virtualization device.

8. The back-up file virtualization device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to avoid conflicts in the back-up file virtualization device between enabled objects from the configuration data and objects already executing and being handled by the back-up virtualization device.

9. The back-up file virtualization device of claim 1, wherein the back-up virtualization device is configured to change a state of one or more components in the back-up file virtualization system from a read-only state to a read/write state when the back-up virtualization device operates in the active mode.

10. The back-up file virtualization device of claim 1, wherein the back-up virtualization device is configured to export at least a portion of the configuration data from the back-up virtualization device to its corresponding virtualization device at the first data center site on a scheduled basis via the communication channel after at least a portion of the first data center site is back on-line, wherein the at least a portion of the imported configuration data is stored in a memory of the receiving virtualization device.

11. The back-up file virtualization device of claim 10, wherein the back-up virtualization device is configured to:

instruct the receiving virtualization device at the first data center to begin handling the previously disrupted virtualization service, wherein the receiving virtualization device loads the most recently received import of the at least a portion of the configuration data from the memory and enables a portion of the configuration data associated with the previously disrupted virtualization service.

12. The back-up file virtualization device of claim 11, wherein the back-up device is configured to disenable the virtualization service and go back to the stand-by mode for the virtualization service.

13. A file virtualization system comprising:

a first data center site including one or more active first virtualization devices and one or more first storage devices, wherein the first virtualization device is configured to handle one or more virtualization services between one or more client devices and the one or more first storage device;

a second data center site including one or more second file virtualization devices and one or more second storage devices, at least one second file virtualization devices further comprising;

a network interface component configured to communicate with the first file virtualization device via a communication channel on a scheduled basis;

a memory configured to store machine executable code for reducing latency when re-routing at least partial client communications from the first data center site to the second data center site due to a virtualization service disruption;

one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to execute the code in the memory to;

import configuration data from the first file virtualization device, wherein the imported configuration data is stored in the memory, the configuration data representing object relationships and mapping information between components in the first data center site and the second data center site;

receive an instruction for the back-up file virtualization device to begin handling at least one virtualization service that is disrupted between the active file virtualization device and one or more storage devices at the first data center site;

load, from the memory, a most recent import of at least a portion of the configuration data for the one or more disrupted virtualization services;

enable the at least a portion of the loaded imported configuration data such that the back-up file virtualization device performs the disrupted virtualization service with one or more storage devices in the second data center site using the at least a portion of the imported configuration data.

14. The file virtualization system of claim 13, wherein the virtualization service disruption is caused by the first file virtualization device at the first data center failing, wherein the second file virtualization device enables configuration data to handle all virtualization services previously handled by the failed first file virtualization device of the first data center.

15. The file virtualization system of claim 13, wherein the virtualization service disruption is caused by the first one or more storage devices at the first data center failing, wherein the second file virtualization device enables a portion of the configuration data to begin handling the disrupted virtualization service with the second one or more storage devices at the second data center.

16. The file virtualization system of claim 13, wherein the network communications relating to the disrupted virtualization service at the first data center is received at the second file virtualization device at the second data center site.

17. The file virtualization system of claim 13, wherein all virtualization services at the first data center become disrupted, all corresponding second file virtualization devices at the second data center enable the configuration data to handle all the virtualization services previously handled at the first data center site.

18. The file virtualization system of claim 13, wherein one or more virtualization services at the first data center are not disrupted between the first file virtualization devices and first storage devices, wherein corresponding second virtualization devices at the second data center do not enable portions of the configuration data associated with the one or more non-disrupted virtualization services.

19. The file virtualization system of claim 13, wherein the one or more second file virtualization devices are configured to export at least a portion of the configuration data to a corresponding one or more file virtualization devices at the first data center site on a scheduled basis via the communication channel after at least a portion of the first data center site is back on-line, wherein the at least a portion of the imported configuration data is stored in a memory of the receiving one or more corresponding first virtualization devices.

20. The file virtualization system of claim 13, wherein the one or more second file virtualization devices is configured to instruct the one or more first file virtualization devices at the first data center to begin handling the previously disrupted virtualization service, wherein the receiving file virtualization device loads the most recently received import of the at least a portion of the configuration data from the memory and enables a portion of the configuration data associated with the previously disrupted virtualization service, and wherein the one or more second file virtualization devices is configured to disenable the virtualization service.