File system node updates

• US 8,694,464 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2009
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Buban, Garret J., Cargille, Jonathan M., Tipton, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Leslie
• Application Number:
  US12/555,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20110055184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,672 Days
• Field of Search: 707/613, 707/674, 707/704, 707/999.002, 707/999.008, 719/314, 719/318
• US Class Current: 707/613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/11 File system administration, e.g. details of archiving or snapshots file system backup G06F11/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1774 Locking methods, e.g. locking methods for file systems allowing shared and concurrent access to files

Abstract

For each of one or more existing nodes in a file system, pending notifications of updates that have been performed on the node can be identified and sent to one or more other nodes. The file system can be opened for use, and one or more other nodes can be updated in response to the pending notifications while the file system is open for use. For example, this may be done in an operation for recovering from a crash of the file system. Also, a process for dealing with stale data in container nodes in a file system can include processing access requests according to a stale data scheme.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

closing a file system to use;

for each of one or more existing nodes in the file system;

identifying one or more pending notifications of updates that have been performed on the node; and

sending the one or more pending notifications to one or more other nodes, each of the one or more existing nodes and each of the one or more other nodes being a file or a directory in the file system while the file system is closed to use;

opening the file system for use, the sending of the one or more pending notifications to the one or more other nodes occurring before the opening of the file system for use; and

updating the one or more other nodes in response to the one or more pending notifications while the file system is open for use, the updating of the one or more other nodes while the file system is open for use being done in response to the one or more pending notifications being sent before opening the file system for use.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, for each of the one or more existing nodes, having the node ensure its own integrity.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, for each of the one or more existing nodes, if one or more pending notifications were generated by the existing node in ensuring its own integrity, then identifying the one or more pending notifications for that existing node comprises identifying the one or more pending notifications that were generated by that existing node in ensuring its own integrity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying and sending the one or more pending notifications are performed while the file system is closed to use.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more pending notifications and sending the one or more pending notifications for each of the one or more existing nodes are allowed to be done in parallel for different nodes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the one or more other nodes is allowed to be done in parallel for different nodes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more existing nodes comprise a contained node, and for that contained node, sending the one or more pending notifications to one or more other nodes comprises sending the one or more pending notifications to one or more containing nodes that contain the contained node.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the one or more other nodes comprises acquiring locks of the one or more other nodes.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

identifying the one or more pending notifications, sending the one or more pending notifications, opening the file system for use, and updating the one or more other nodes are included in a file system recovery operation;

the one or more pending notifications are one or more notifications that are scheduled to be sent when closing the file system to use is performed, but have not yet been confirmed as having been received when closing the file system to use is performed;

all the one or more pending notifications are sent before opening the file system for use;

identifying the one or more pending notifications is performed while the file system is closed to use; and

updating the one or more other nodes comprises acquiring locks for each of the one or more other nodes.

10. A computer system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory comprising instructions stored thereon that when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to perform acts comprising;

closing a file system to use;

while the file system is closed to use, for each of one or more existing nodes in the file system;

identifying one or more pending notifications of updates that have been performed on the node; and

sending the one or more pending notifications to one or more other nodes, at least one of the one or more existing nodes being a file in the file system while the file system is closed to use, and at least one of the one or more other nodes being a directory in the file system while the file system is closed to use;

opening the file system for use, the sending of the one or more pending notifications to the one or more other nodes occurring before the opening of the file system for use; and

updating the one or more other nodes in response to the one or more pending notifications while the file system is open for use, the updating of the one or more other nodes while the file system is open for use being done in response to the one or more pending notifications being sent before opening the file system for use.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the acts further comprise, for each of the one or more existing nodes, having the node ensure its own integrity.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein, for each of the one or more existing nodes, if one or more pending notifications were generated by the existing node in ensuring its own integrity, then identifying one or more pending notifications for that existing node comprises identifying the one or more pending notifications that were generated by that existing node in ensuring its own integrity.

13. The computer system of claim 10, wherein identifying the one or more pending notifications and sending the one or more pending notifications for each of the one or more existing nodes are allowed to be done in parallel for different nodes.

14. The computer system of claim 10, wherein updating the one or more other nodes is allowed to be done in parallel for different nodes.

15. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the one or more existing nodes comprise a contained node, and for that contained node, sending the one or more pending notifications to one or more other nodes comprises sending the one or more pending notifications to one or more containing nodes that contain the contained node.

16. The computer system of claim 10, wherein updating the one or more other nodes comprises acquiring locks of the one or more other nodes.

17. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform acts comprising:

closing a file system to use;

for each of one or more existing nodes in the file system;

identifying one or more pending notifications of updates that have been performed on the node; and

sending the one or more pending notifications to one or more other nodes,

each of the one or more existing nodes and each of the one or more other nodes being a file or a directory in the file system while the file system is closed to use;

opening the file system for use, the sending of the one or more pending notifications to the one or more other nodes occurring before the opening of the file system for use; and

updating the one or more other nodes in response to the one or more pending notifications while the file system is open for use, the updating of the one or more other nodes while the file system is open for use being done in response to the one or more pending notifications being sent before opening the file system for use.