Restoring a failed storage volume after removal of a storage device from an array

• US 8,782,463 B1
• Filed: 10/27/2011
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Singh, Samaresh K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Riad, Amine
• Application Number:
  US13/283,129
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 714/6
• US Class Current: 714/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1096 Parity calculation or recalculation after configuration or reconfiguration of the system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1415 at system level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2089 Redundant storage control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/06 Digital input from, or digital output to, record carriers , e.g. RAID, emulated record carriers or networked record carriers

Abstract

A storage device is detected as being decoupled from an apparatus. At least one partition of the storage device is part of a storage volume that includes an array of separate storage devices in an initial configuration prior to being decoupled. In response to the storage device being recoupled to the apparatus, a universally unique identifier (UUID) of the storage device is detected. In response to determining the UUID of the storage device was previously associated with the storage volume, the storage volume is reconfigured/restored to include the at least one partition of the storage device in the initial configuration.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a storage device being decoupled from an apparatus, wherein at least one partition of the storage device is part of a storage volume comprising an array of separate storage devices in an initial configuration prior to being decoupled;

in response to the storage device being recoupled to the apparatus, detecting a universally unique identifier (UUID) of the storage device; and

in response to determining the UUID of the storage device was previously associated with the storage volume, reconfiguring the storage volume to include the at least one partition of the storage device in the initial configuration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the decoupling of the storage device causes a failure of the storage volume.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage device is unintentionally decoupled from the apparatus by a user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage volume comprises a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) volume.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage volume is implemented in an operating-system-resident logical volume manager of the apparatus.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the UUID of the storage device was previously associated with the storage volume comprises:

enumerating all of the UUIDs associated with the storage volume via the logical volume manager; and

determining whether any of the enumerated UUIDs are missing in a file system device directory associated with the storage volume.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a network attached storage (NAS) device.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage volume is reconfigured to include the at least one partition of the storage device using data originally stored in the storage device prior to being decoupled.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a data interface capable of being coupled to an array of separate storage devices that form a storage volume;

a controller coupled to the data interface and configured to;

detect at least one of the storage devices being decoupled from the data interface, wherein at least one partition of the storage device is part of an initial configuration of the storage volume prior to being decoupled;

in response to the storage device being recoupled to the data interface, detect a universally unique identifier (UUID) of the storage device; and

in response to determining the UUID of the storage device was previously associated with the storage volume, reconfigure the storage volume to include the at least one partition of the storage device in the initial configuration.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the decoupling of the storage device causes a failure of the storage volume.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the storage device is unintentionally decoupled from the apparatus by a user.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the storage volume comprises a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) volume.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the storage volume is implemented in an operating-system-resident logical volume manager of the apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein determining the UUID of the storage device was previously associated with the storage volume comprises:

enumerating all of the UUIDs associated with the storage volume via the logical volume manager; and

determining whether any of the enumerated UUIDs are missing in a file system device directory associated with the storage volume.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus comprises a network attached storage (NAS) device.

22. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the storage volume is reconfigured to include the at least one partition of the storage device using data originally stored in the storage device prior to being decoupled.

15. A method comprising:

detecting a storage device being decoupled from an apparatus, wherein at least one partition of the storage device is part of a storage volume comprising an array of separate storage devices;

in response to the storage device being recoupled to the apparatus, determining a universally unique identifier (UUID) of the partition;

determining an association between the partition and the storage volume based on the UUID; and

determining the partition is currently unused based on a kernel directory of a filesystem, and in response thereto, restoring the partition to the storage volume based on the association.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the decoupling of the storage device causes a failure of the storage volume.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the storage device is unintentionally decoupled from the apparatus by a user.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the storage volume comprises a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) volume.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the storage volume is implemented in an operating-system-resident logical volume manager of the apparatus.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the apparatus comprises a network attached storage (NAS) device.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the partition is restored to the storage volume using data originally stored on the partition prior to the storage device prior to being decoupled.