Methods for preserving state across a failure and devices thereof

• US 9,507,674 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2014
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Inventors: McCarthy, Brian, Duffy, Donna, CaraDonna, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Manoskey, Joseph D
• Application Number:
  US14/316,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20150149823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 714/15, 714/4.21, 714/4.11, 714/4.3, 714/43, 714/42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0712 in a virtual computing platform, e.g. logically partitioned systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1438 Restarting or rejuvenating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1441 Resetting or repowering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1471 involving logging of persistent data for recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/805 Real-time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/815 Virtual middleware or OS functionality using virtual machines to implement generic software techniques for error detection or fault masking G06F11/1484
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/85 Active fault masking without idle spares active fault masking without idle spare hardware where processing functionality is redundant G06F11/2035

Abstract

A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and host device that receives one or more transactions. A state is stored in a transaction log in a volatile memory wherein the state includes information associated with the one or more transactions. The transaction log is stored in a stable storage device when a failure is determined to a have occurred. The transaction log can then be retrieved and replayed subsequent to a reboot. Thereby, state can be preserved and transactions pending, but not yet committed to storage server devices, can be replayed and proceed with minimal or no impact on the client devices originating the write transactions.

Claims

1. A method for preserving state across a failure, the method comprising:

receiving, with a virtual storage controller executed by a host device, one or more transactions;

storing, with the virtual storage controller, a state in a transaction log in a volatile memory, the state comprising information associated with the one or more transactions;

determining, with the virtual storage controller, when a failure has occurred, wherein the failure is a software failure associated with an operating system of the virtual storage controller; and

storing, with the virtual storage controller, the transaction log in a stable storage device when the failure is determined to a have occurred.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the host device includes the volatile memory and the storing further comprises storing the transaction log in the volatile memory of the host device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising retrieving, with the virtual storage controller, the transaction log from the stable storage device subsequent to detecting a successful reboot.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising replaying, with the storage controller device, one or more write transactions of the one or more transactions included in the retrieved transaction log.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the storing the transaction log further comprises storing, with the virtual storage controller, the transaction log in a stable storage device in one of the storage server devices associated with one of the transactions when the failure is determined to a have occurred.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for preserving state across a failure comprising machine executable code which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform steps comprising:

receiving one or more transactions;

storing a state in a transaction log in a volatile memory, the state comprising information associated with the one or more transactions;

determining when a failure has occurred, wherein the failure is a software failure associated with an operating system of a virtual storage controller; and

storing the transaction log in a stable storage when the failure is determined to a have occurred.

7. The medium of claim 6 wherein a host device includes the volatile memory and the storing further comprises storing the transaction log in the volatile memory of the host device.

8. The medium of claim 6 wherein the machine executable code when executed by the processor further causes the processor to perform steps further comprising retrieving the transaction log from the stable storage device subsequent to detecting a successful reboot.

9. The medium of claim 8 wherein the machine executable code when executed by the processor further causes the processor to perform steps further comprising replaying one or more write transactions of the one or more transactions included in the retrieved transaction log.

10. The medium of claim 6 wherein the storing the transaction log further comprises storing the transaction log in a stable storage device in one of the storage server devices associated with one of the transactions when the failure is determined to a have occurred.

11. The medium of claim 6 wherein the plurality of transactions are received at a virtual storage controller executed by a host device and the storing the state, determining, and storing the transaction log in a non-volatile memory steps are performed by the virtual storage controller.

12. A host device, comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory and configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory to generate a virtual storage controller configured to perform steps comprising;

receiving one or more transactions;

storing a state in a transaction log in a volatile memory, the state comprising information associated with the one or more transactions;

determining when a failure has occurred, wherein the failure is a software failure associated with an operating system of the virtual storage controller; and

storing the transaction log in a stable storage when the failure is determined to a have occurred.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the memory is the volatile memory and the storing further comprises storing the transaction log in the volatile memory of the host device.

14. The device of claim 12 wherein the virtual storage controller is further configured to perform steps further comprising retrieving the transaction log from the stable storage device subsequent to detecting a successful reboot.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the virtual storage controller is further configured to perform steps further comprising replaying one or more write transactions of the one or more transactions included in the retrieved transaction log.

16. The device of claim 12 wherein the virtual storage controller is further configured to perform steps further comprising removing one or more entries of the transaction log as one or more write transactions associated with the one or more entries are committed.

17. The device of claim 12 wherein the virtual storage controller is further configured to perform steps for the storing the transaction log further comprising storing the transaction log in a stable storage device in one of the storage server devices associated with one of the transactions when the failure is determined to a have occurred.