Apparatus for managing plural versions of a root node for an object of a file system

• US 8,639,731 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2012
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Vantara, LLC (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Data Engineering UK Limited
• Inventors: Barrall, Geoffrey S., Willis, Trevor E., Aston, Christopher J., Benham, Simon L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Yicun
• Application Number:
  US13/533,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20120271799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 707/821, 707/828
• US Class Current: 707/821
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/128 Details of file system snapshots on the file-level, e.g. snapshot creation, administration, deletion use of snapshots for error detection or correction G06F11/14, G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/183 Provision of network file services by network file servers, e.g. by using NFS, CIFS network file access protocols H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1873 Versioning file systems, temporal file systems, e.g. file system supporting different historic versions of files
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Apparatus for managing plural versions of a root node for an object of a file system manages an update data of a first version of the plural versions of the root node in a status in which (i) data of a second version of the plural versions of the root node is written from the second storage of the file server to the first storage and (ii) a new checkpoint, capable of being used when the object of the file system is recovered, is taken. The apparatus also manages an update data of the second version of the plural versions of the root node in another status in which (iii) data of the first version of the plural versions of the root node is written from the second storage of the file server to the first storage and (iv) a next new checkpoint is taken.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first storage;

a file server, coupled to the first storage, and comprising a second storage, and being operable to manage a plurality of root nodes for an object of a file system, and being operable to manage an update for data of a first portion of the plurality of root nodes in a status in which (i) data of a second portion of the plurality of root nodes is written from the second storage of the file server to the first storage and (ii) a new checkpoint, capable of being used when a version of the object of the file system is recovered, is taken; and

the file server being further operable to manage an update for the object of the file system in another status in which (iii) data of the first portion of the plurality of root nodes is written from the second storage of the file server to the first storage and (iv) a next new checkpoint is taken.

2. The apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein:

the file server is operable to use the new checkpoint when the second portion of the plurality of root nodes of the file system is recovered.

3. The apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein:

the file server is operable to manage to change a status of the file system from the status to the another status.

4. The apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein:

the file server is operable to manage to take the new checkpoint when the amount of data in the second storage of the file server reaches a threshold.

5. The apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein:

a checkpoint number of the new checkpoint identifies the version of the object of the file system.

6. The apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein:

the file server is operable to manage to recover a version of the object of the file system based on the last checkpoint managed by the file server.

7. The apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein:

the first storage is a disk, or

the second storage is a non-volatile storage.

8. The apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein:

the first storage is a disk, and

the second storage is a NVRAM.

9. The apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein:

the first portion of the plurality of root nodes is identified as a right hand side of a root node of the plurality of root nodes, and

the second portion of the plurality of root nodes is identified as a left hand side of the root node.

10. The apparatus according to the claim 1, wherein:

the first portion of the plurality of root nodes is a first root node of the plurality of root nodes, and

the second portion of the plurality of root nodes is a second root node of the plurality of root nodes.

11. An apparatus comprising:

an interface being operable to be coupled to a first storage;

a second storage;

a processor being operable to manage a plurality of root nodes for an object of a file system, and being operable to manage an update for data of a first portion of the plurality of root nodes if (i) data of a second portion of the plurality of root nodes is written from the second storage to the first storage via the interface and (ii) a new checkpoint, capable of being used when a version of the object of the file system is recovered, is taken; and

the processor being further operable to manage an update for the object of the file system, if (iii) data of the first portion of the plurality of root nodes is written from the second storage to the first storage and (iv) a next new checkpoint is taken.

12. The apparatus according to the claim 11, wherein:

the processor is operable to use the new checkpoint when the second portion of the plurality of root nodes of the file system is recovered.

13. The apparatus according to the claim 11, wherein:

the processor is operable to manage to change a status of the file system from a status, in which the new checkpoint is taken, to another status, in which the next new checkpoint is taken.

14. The apparatus according to the claim 11, wherein:

the processor is operable to manage to take the new checkpoint, if the amount of data in the second storage reach a threshold.

15. The apparatus according to the claim 11, wherein:

the processor is operable to manage to recover a version of the object of the file system based on the last checkpoint managed by the processor.

16. The apparatus according to the claim 11, wherein:

the first portion of the plurality of root nodes is identified as a right hand side of a root node of the plurality of root nodes, and

the second portion of the plurality of root nodes is identified as a left hand side of the root node.

17. The apparatus according to the claim 11, wherein:

the first portion of the plurality of root nodes is a first root node of the plurality of root nodes, and

the second portion of the plurality of root nodes is a second root node of the plurality of root nodes.

18. A computer program stored in a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage and being operable to be installed in an apparatus, comprising:

a code for managing a plurality of root nodes for a file system;

a code for updating data of a first portion of the plurality of root nodes in a status in which (i) data of a second portion of the plurality of root nodes is written from a second storage in the apparatus to a first storage coupled to the processor and (ii) a new checkpoint, capable of being used when a version of the file system is recovered, is taken; and

a code for updating data of the file system in another status, in which (iii) data of the first portion of the plurality of root nodes is written from the second storage of the apparatus to the first storage and (iv) a next new checkpoint is taken.

19. The computer program according to the claim 18, wherein:

the new checkpoint may be used when the second portion of the plurality of root nodes of the file system is recovered.

20. The computer program according to the claim 18, further comprising:

a code for changing a status of the file system from the status to the another status.

21. The computer program according to the claim 18, further comprising:

a code for recovering a version of the plurality of root nodes based on the last checkpoint.

22. The computer program according to the claim 18, further comprising:

the first portion of the plurality of root nodes is identified as a right hand side of a root node of the plurality of root nodes, and

the second portion of the plurality of root nodes is identified as a left hand side of the root node.

23. The computer program according to the claim 18, further comprising:

the first portion of the plurality of root nodes is a first root node of the plurality of root nodes, and

the second portion of the plurality of root nodes is a second root node of the plurality of root nodes.