System and method for populating a cache using behavioral adaptive policies

• US 9,426,247 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2014
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Inventors: Aviles, Joaquin J., Cree, Mark U., Dahl, Gregory A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pollack, Melvin H
• Application Number:
  US14/312,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20140310373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 709/213
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1025 Dynamic adaptation of the criteria on which the server selection is based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data

Abstract

A method, system and program are disclosed for accelerating data storage in a cache appliance cluster that transparently monitors NFS and CIFS traffic between clients and NAS subsystems and caches files using dynamically adjustable cache policies which populate the storage cache using behavioral adaptive policies that are based on analysis of clients-filers transaction patterns and network utilization, thereby improving access time to the data stored on the disk-based NAS filer (group) for predetermined applications.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a tiered memory cache system to adaptively cache data at a standalone cache appliance to provide low-latency access in response to read and write requests using adaptive caching polices to automatically select one or more application data sets based on one or more conditions; and

a packet inspect module to inspect a read or write request sent using an Internet Protocol-based network protocol to determine when the request should be passed to the tiered memory cache system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an adaptive cache controller, at the standalone cache, to execute computer-executable instructions in order to perform a data operation corresponding to the request and to automatically control caching operations in the tiered memory cache system using the adaptive caching polices.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one more conditions comprise preferential access to the tiered memory cache system for files from a user-specified application data set in accordance with a predetermined schedule.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one more conditions comprise preferential access to the tiered memory cache system for files from a predetermined location in a specified networked data storage device as compared to files from another location.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one more conditions comprise preferential access to the tiered memory cache system for files from a first client located at a predetermined Internet Protocol address as compared to a second client located at a different Internet Protocol address.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tiered memory cache system comprises a first tier storage and a second tier storage, the first tier storage comprises one or more of emails, high transaction databases, business critical processes and line of business applications.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tiered memory cache system comprises a first tier storage and a second tier storage, the second tier storage comprises a scalable tier of memory subsystems that is used for storage of business critical data.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tiered memory cache system comprises:

a dynamic random access memory to provide a file space for caching application data; and

a non-volatile random access memory to provide a space for caching pending write operations to Network Attached Storage filers to maintain data coherency during a failure event.

9. A method for accelerating read and write requests, the method comprising:

receiving, at a standalone cache appliance, a read or write request from a remote client to perform a specified data operation at one or more networked data storage devices;

determining when the request can be serviced by a tiered cache memory system located at the standalone cache appliance;

performing the specified data operation at the tiered cache memory system; and

automatically controlling adaptive caching operations in the tiered cache memory system using adaptive caching polices to select one or more application data sets based on one or more conditions.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

processing the request, at the standalone cache appliance, using an upstream traffic table to perform real-time file allocation based on input/output profiles.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

inspecting packet parameters in each TCP/IP stack layer associated with the request to determine when the request should be passed inward to the tiered memory cache system for further processing or forwarded to another destination.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more conditions comprise preferential access to the tiered memory cache system for files from a user-specified application data set in accordance with a predetermined schedule.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining when the request should be processed in a first tier storage of the tiered memory cache system, wherein the first tier storage comprises one or more of critical emails, high transaction databases, business critical processes and line of business applications.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining when the request should be processed in a second tier storage of the tiered memory cache system, wherein the second tier storage includes a scalable tier of memory subsystems that is used for storage of business critical data.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for performing a method of accelerating read and write requests comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the machine to:

receive, at a standalone cache appliance, a read or write request from a remote client to perform a specified data operation at one or more networked data storage devices;

determine that the request can be serviced by a tiered cache memory system located at the standalone cache appliance;

perform the specified data operation at the tiered cache memory system; and

automatically control adaptive caching operations in the tiered cache memory system using adaptive caching polices to select one or more application data sets based on one or more conditions.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the machine to:

process the request using an upstream traffic table to perform real-time file allocation based on input/output profiles.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the machine to:

determine when data associated with the request is located in a first tier storage of the tiered memory cache system, wherein the first tier storage comprises one or more of critical emails, high transaction databases, business critical processes and line of business applications.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the machine to:

determine when data associated with the request is located in a second tier of the tiered memory cache system, wherein the second tier includes a scalable tier of memory subsystems that is used for storage of business critical data.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more conditions comprise preferential access to the tiered memory cache system for files from a predetermined location in a specified networked data storage device as compared to files from another location.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more conditions comprise preferential access to the tiered memory cache system for files from a user-specified application data set in accordance with a predetermined schedule.