Coordinating write sequences in a data storage system

• US 8,935,354 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2012
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wilkinson, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN GILLES, JUDE
• Application Number:
  US13/560,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20130144966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 709/212
• US Class Current: 709/212
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2064 while ensuring consistency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2071 using a plurality of controllers

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method and technique for coordinating write sequences in a data storage system is disclosed. The method includes: responsive to a primary device receiving a request to write to primary storage, receiving from the primary device a request for a sequence number; generating a current sequence number for the write; generating a first identifier indicating an identity of secondary devices writing to secondary storage based on the current sequence number; generating a second identifier indicating an identity of secondary devices writing to secondary storage based on the current sequence number and a previous sequence number; transmitting the current sequence number and the second identifier to the primary device; and transmitting the current sequence number and the first identifier to the secondary devices writing to secondary storage based on the previous sequence number.

Claims

1. A method for coordinated sequencing of writes, comprising:

responsive to a primary device receiving a request to write to primary storage, receiving from the primary device a request for a sequence number;

generating a current sequence number for the write;

generating a first identifier indicating an identity of secondary devices writing to secondary storage based on the current sequence number;

generating a second identifier indicating an identity of secondary devices writing to secondary storage based on the current sequence number and a previous sequence number;

transmitting the current sequence number and the second identifier to the primary device; and

transmitting the current sequence number and the first identifier to the secondary devices writing to secondary storage based on the previous sequence number.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, from the primary device to secondary devices writing to secondary storage based on the current sequence number, the write, the current sequence number, and the second identifier.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting, from the secondary devices writing to secondary storage based on the previous sequence number to secondary devices writing to secondary storage based on the current sequence number, a write done message indicating completion of a write based on the previous sequence number.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the first identifier as a bit vector, wherein each bit position of the bit vector corresponds to a particular secondary device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the first and second identifiers as bit vectors, wherein each bit position of a respective bit vector corresponds to a particular secondary device.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising configuring the bit vector having a quantity of bits corresponding to a quantity of secondary devices.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising, responsive to the secondary device receiving the write done message from each secondary device writing to secondary storage based on the previous sequence number, committing the write for the current sequence number to secondary storage.

8. A method for coordinated sequencing of writes, comprising:

responsive to a primary device receiving a request to write to primary storage, receiving from the primary device a request for a sequence number;

generating a current sequence number for the write;

generating a first bit vector identifying secondary devices writing to secondary storage based on the current sequence number;

generating a second bit vector identifying secondary devices writing to secondary storage based on a previous sequence number;

generating a third bit vector from the first and second bit vectors, the third bit vector identifying secondary devices identified by the first bit vector and the second bit vector;

transmitting the current sequence number and the third bit vector to the primary device; and

transmitting the current sequence number and the first bit vector to the secondary devices identified by the second bit vector.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting from the primary device to secondary devices identified by the second bit vector the write, the current sequence number, and the third bit vector.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting, from the secondary devices identified by the second bit vector to secondary devices identified by the first bit vector, a write done message indicating completion of a write based on the previous sequence number.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising, responsive to receiving the write dome message, committing the write to secondary storage for the current sequence number.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising configuring the first, second and third bit vectors wherein a bit position in each respective first, second a third bit vector corresponds to a particular secondary device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising configuring the first, second and third bit vectors having a quantity of bits corresponding to a quantity of secondary devices.