Method and system for providing storage checkpointing to a group of independent computer applications

• US 8,880,473 B1
• Filed: 12/15/2008
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Inventors: Havemose, Allan, Backensto, Keith Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROMELL, ALEXANDRIA Y
• Application Number:
  US12/334,654
• Time in Patent Office: 2,150 Days
• Field of Search: 707/705, 707/649, 707/821, 707/826, 707/690, 714/13, 719/312, 709/205
• US Class Current: 707/649
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• 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 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1824 implemented using Network-attached Storage [NAS] architecture distributed or networked storage systems G06F3/067; protocols for distributed storage of data in a network H04L67/1097

Abstract

A system and method for storage checkpointing to a group of independent computer applications. The system has a storage disk that stores files; a storage access interface to access the storage disk; and a computer. The computer runs the group of independent computer applications and utilizes the files stored on the storage disk. A file system on the server accesses the files stored on the storage disk. An operating system and at least one device driver can be called by the file system, and at least one buffer buffers first data written to the storage disk and second data read from the storage disk.

Claims

1. A system for storage checkpointing to a group of independent computer applications, the system comprising:

a storage disk to store files;

a storage access interface to access the storage disk; and

a computer comprising;

the group of independent computer applications running on the computer accessing files stored on the storage disk;

a file system to access the files stored on the storage disk;

at least one device driver to be called by the file system;

at least one buffer structured to buffer first data written to the storage disk and to buffer second data read from the storage disk;

one or more memory locations configured to store said group of independent applications executing on a host with a host operating system, and configured to store one or more barrier-synchronization barriers for said group of independent applications; and

one or more pre-loaded interceptors configured to intercept calls to the host operating system and shared libraries by said group of independent applications, and configured to install interceptors for file operations, wherein said interceptors for file operations are configured to first store a record of a file operation in a data structure, call the corresponding file operation, and remove said stored record upon completion of the file operation;

wherein the system is configured to perform storage checkpointing to the group of independent computer applications by claiming the barrier-synchronization barrier, and performing at least one of;

waiting for processes and threads from said independent computer applications to enter said barrier, flushing storage buffers, taking memory checkpoints, taking storage checkpoints, and releasing said barrier;

wherein storage checkpointing is disabled prior to said storing of a record of a file operation and re-enable prior to calling said corresponding file operation.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the storage disk is built into the computer as Direct Attached Storage (DAS).

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the storage disk is accessed remotely from the computer, and wherein the storage disk is accessed via at least one of Network Attached Storage (NAS) and Storage Area Network (SAN).

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the storage access interface is selected from the group consisting of is PCI, ATA, SAS, SCSI for DAS, Ethernet, Fibre Channel and Infiniband for NAS, and SCSI, Fibre Channel, ATA over Ethernet, and HyperSCSI for SAN.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one device driver comprises at least one of a storage device driver and a networking device driver.

6. The systems as claimed in claim 5, structured to write the first data to the storage disk and to read the second data from the storage disk.

7. The system as claimed in claim 5, structured to transmit third data to the storage disk when the storage disk is accessed via at least one of Network Attached Storage (NAS) and Storage Area Network (SAN).

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the first data is written to the storage disk, the file system, the operating system, and the at least one device driver are structured to buffer the first data.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the second data is read from the storage disk, the file system, the operating system, and the at least one device driver are structured to buffer the second data.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for storage checkpointing to a group of independent computer applications, the instructions for:

storing files on a storage disk;

accessing the storage disk via a storage access interface;

running the group of independent computer applications on a computer, wherein the group of independent computer applications utilizes the files stored on the storage disk;

accessing the files stored on the storage disk via a file system;

calling at least one device driver via the file system;

buffering first data written to the storage disk and second data read from the storage disk in at least one buffer;

configuring one or more memory locations to store said group of independent applications executing on a host with a host operating system, and configuring one or more additional memory locations to store one or more barrier-synchronization barriers for said group of independent applications; and

pre-loading interceptors configured to intercept calls to the host operating system and shared libraries by said group of independent applications, and installing interceptors for file operations, wherein said interceptors for file operations are configured to first store a record of a file operation in a data structure, call the corresponding file operation, and remove said stored record upon completion of the file operation;

wherein the instructions on the computer readable storage medium are configured to perform storage checkpointing to the group of independent computer applications by claiming the barrier-synchronization barrier, and performing at least one of;

waiting for processes and threads from said independent computer applications to enter said barrier, flushing storage buffers, taking memory checkpoints, taking storage checkpoints, and releasing said barrier;

wherein storage checkpointing is disabled prior to said storing of a record of a file operation and re-enabled prior to calling said corresponding file operation.

11. The computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 10, further comprising instructions for accessing the storage disk via at least one of Network Attached Storage (NAS) and Storage Area Network (SAN).

12. The computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first data are written to the storage disk by the at least one device driver, and wherein the second data are read from the storage disk by the at least one device driver.

13. The computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 10, wherein third data are transmitted from the at least one device driver to the storage disk when the storage disk is accessed via at least one of Network Attached Storage (NAS) and Storage Area Network (SAN).

14. The computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 10, wherein, when the first data is written to the storage disk, the first data is buffered by at least one of the file system, the operating system, and one or more device drivers.

15. The computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 10, wherein, when the second data is read from the storage disk, the second data is buffered by at least one of the file system, the operating system, and one or more device drivers.

16. A method for storage checkpointing to a group of independent computer applications, the method comprising:

storing files on a storage disk;

accessing the storage disk via a storage access interface;

running the group of independent computer applications on a computer, wherein the group of independent computer applications utilizes the files stored on the storage disk;

accessing the files stored on the storage disk via a file system on the computer;

calling at least one device driver via the file system;

buffering first data written to the storage disk and second data read from the storage disk in at least one buffer;

configuring one or more memory locations to store said group of independent applications executing on a host with a host operating system, and configuring one or more additional memory locations to store one or more barrier-synchronization barriers for said group of independent applications; and

pre-loading interceptors configured to intercept calls to the host operating system and shared libraries by said group of independent applications, and installing interceptors for file operations, wherein said interceptors for file operations are configured to first store a record of a file operation in a data structure, call the corresponding file operation, and remove said stored record upon completion of the file operation;

wherein storage checkpointing to a group of independent computer applications is comprised of claiming the barrier-synchronization barrier, and performing at least one of;

waiting for processes and threads from said independent computer applications to enter said barrier, flushing storage buffers, taking memory checkpoints, taking storage checkpoints, and releasing said barrier;

wherein storage checkpointing is disabled prior to said storing of a record of a file operation and re-enabled prior to calling said corresponding file operation.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising instructions for accessing the storage disk via at least one of Network Attached Storage (NAS) and Storage Area Network (SAN).

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first data are written to the storage disk by the at least one device driver, and wherein the second data are read from the storage disk by the at least one device driver.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein third data are transmitted from the at least one device driver to the storage disk when the storage disk is accessed via at least one of Network Attached Storage (NAS) and Storage Area Network (SAN).

20. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein, when the first data is written to the storage disk, the first data is buffered by at least one of the file system, the operating system, and one or more device drivers.

21. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein, when the second data is read from the storage disk, the second data is buffered by at least one of the file system, the operating system, and one or more device drivers.