Data protection system and method

• US 8,627,138 B1
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Clark, Roy E., Solomon, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): McCarthy, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US12/732,330
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 714/4.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/108 Parity data distribution in semiconductor storages, e.g. in SSD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence

Abstract

A system, computer-implemented method, and a computer program product for monitoring a first data portion written to a first storage device accessible by a first computing device. At least a second data portion written to at least a second storage device accessible by at least a second computing device is monitored. Recovery data is written to a recovery storage device external to and accessible by the first and the at least a second computing devices, wherein the recovery data is based, at least in part, upon the first and second data portions.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

monitoring a first data portion written to a first storage device accessible by a first computing device;

monitoring at least a second data portion written to at least a second storage device accessible by at least a second computing device, wherein the first storage device and the at least a second storage device are solid state memory devices;

writing recovery data to an external recovery storage device accessible by the first and the at least a second computing devices, wherein the recovery data is an erasure code based, at least in part, upon the first and second data portions; and

if a value of the first or second data portion changes, recalculating the recovery data by performing an exclusive OR (XOR) between the first or second data portion and the changed first or second data portion resulting in a parity value, and

performing an XOR between the parity value and the recovery data.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the recovery storage device is accessible by a recovery computing device, and the recovery computing device is coupled, via a network fabric, to the first computing device and the at least a second computing device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the recovery computing device, the first computing device, and the at least the second computing devices are each stand alone devices.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the solid state memory devices are flash memory devices.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the first computing device and the at least a second computing device are server computers.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the recovery data is determined by performing an exclusive OR (XOR) between the first data portion and the second data portion.

7. A computer program product residing on a non-transitory computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

monitoring a first data portion written to a first storage device accessible by a first computing device;

monitoring at least a second data portion written to at least a second storage device accessible by at least a second computing device, wherein the first storage device and the at least a second storage device are solid state memory devices;

writing recovery data to an external recovery storage device accessible by the first and the at least a second computing devices, wherein the recovery data is an erasure code based, at least in part, upon the first and second data portions; and

if a value of the first or second data portion changes, recalculating the recovery data by performing an exclusive OR (XOR) between the first or second data portion and the changed first or second data portion resulting in a parity value, and

performing an XOR between the parity value and the recovery data.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the recovery storage device is accessible by a recovery computing device, and the recovery computing device is coupled, via a network fabric, to the first computing device and the at least a second computing device.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the recovery computing device, the first computing device, and the at least the second computing devices are each stand alone devices.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the solid state memory devices are flash memory devices.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the first computing device and the at least a second computing device are server computers.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the recovery data is determined by performing an exclusive OR (XOR) between the first data portion and the second data portion.

13. A data protection system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory architecture coupled with the at least one processor;

a first software module executed on the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the first software module is configured to monitor a first data portion written to a first storage device accessible by a first computing device;

a second software module executed on the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the second software module is configured to monitor at least a second data portion written to at least a second storage device accessible by at least a second computing device, wherein the first storage device and the at least a second storage device are solid state memory devices;

a third software module executed on the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the third software module is configured to write recovery data to an external recovery storage device accessible by the first and the at least a second computing devices, wherein the recovery data is an erasure code based, at least in part, upon the first and second data portions; and

if a value of the first or second data portion changes, a fourth software module executed on the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the fourth software module is configured to recalculate the recovery data by performing an exclusive OR (XOR) between the first or second data portion and the changed first or second data portion resulting in a parity value, and

performing an XOR between the parity value and the recovery data.

14. The data protection system of claim 13 wherein the recovery storage device is accessible by a recovery computing device, and the recovery computing device is coupled, via a network fabric, to the first computing device and the at least a second computing device.

15. The data protection system of claim 14 wherein the recovery computing device, the first computing device, and the at least the second computing devices are each stand alone devices.

16. The data protection system of claim 13 wherein the solid state memory devices are flash memory devices.

17. The data protection system of claim 13 wherein the first computing device and the at least a second computing device are server computers.

18. The data protection system of claim 13 wherein the recovery data is determined by performing an exclusive OR (XOR) between the first data portion and the second data portion.