Replication of data between mirrored data sites

• US 9,934,242 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2013
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exablox Corp. (StorageCraft Technology Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Exablox Corp. (StorageCraft Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Hunt, Tad, Howe, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Brooks, David T
• Application Number:
  US13/939,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20150019491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,728 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1443 Transmit or communication errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2023 Failover techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2064 while ensuring consistency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2079 Bidirectional techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2097 maintaining the standby controller/processing unit updated initialisation or re-synchronisation thereof G06F11/1658 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/855 Details of asynchronous mirroring using a journal to transfer not-yet-mirrored changes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Computer-implemented methods and systems for replication of data between mirrored data sites are provided. An exemplary method may comprise receiving a data object at a mirrored data site, the mirrored data site including one or more data nodes. The data objects are replicated to the one or more data nodes internally. Then, a data object reference associated with the data object is generated. The reference referring to the data object is queued for transmission to all other mirrored data sites. The data object reference associated with the data object is transmitted to the other mirrored data sites. When the data object is received at each mirrored data site, it is replicated to one or more data nodes within the site. After transmitting the data object, the data object reference is discarded.

Claims

1. A method for replication of data between mirrored data sites, the method comprising:

receiving a data object at a first mirrored data site including one or more data nodes;

replicating the data object to the one or more data nodes internally within the first mirrored data site;

generating a data object reference indicating a forthcoming transmission of the data object to a second mirrored data site, wherein the data object reference includes an identification of the first mirrored data site, which stores one or more replicas of the data object;

transmitting the data object reference to a proxy reference database; and

queuing the data object referred to by the data object reference in a data delivery queue for the forthcoming transmission to the second mirrored data site, wherein upon transmission of the data object referred to by the data object reference to the second mirrored data site, the data object is replicated to one or more data nodes associated with the second mirrored data site; and

discarding the data object reference from the proxy reference database in response to the data object being successfully written to the second mirrored data site; and

receiving at the second mirrored data site, a request for the data object;

determining, based on the data object reference in the proxy reference database, that the data object has not been received by the second mirrored data site; and

based on the determination, requesting the first mirrored data site referred to by the data object reference in the proxy reference database to serve the data object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrying the data object for transmission when the data object cannot be immediately written to the nodes within the second mirrored data site due to current storage capacity constraints, wherein the data object reference is not discarded until available capacity is realized in the second mirrored data site.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data object reference is generated by running a cryptographic hash function over a content associated with the data object.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the data object reference allows finding the data object based on the content associated with the data object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mirrored data site and the second mirrored data site support an intra-site tier operation and an inter-site tier operation using the same data logic, the replicating of the data object to the one or more data nodes being performed by selecting the intra-site tier operation, and the replicating of the data object to the one or more data nodes in the second mirrored data site being performed by specifying the inter-site operation.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing mirrored data sites, the synchronizing including:

comparing one or more data object references and data objects associated with the first mirrored data site to one or more data object references in the second mirrored data site and data objects associated with the second mirrored data site; and

requesting deliveries of the one or more data objects corresponding to the one or more data object references.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mirrored data sites provide a consistent view of a file system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each node in the first mirrored data site and in the second mirrored data sites are interconnected to form a complete mesh.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one data site includes an arbitrator node to arbitrate data replications between the mirrored data sites.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein upon failure of a node hosting a Metadata Operational Processor (MOP), another node in that site is designated as the arbitrator node.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein each mirrored data site includes respective gateway nodes configured to establish a gateway between the mirrored data sites.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein upon a failure of one of the gateway nodes, an alternate gateway node is designated, the alternate gateway node using a pre-provisioned path to establish an alternate gateway between the mirrored data sites.

13. A system for replication between mirrored data sites, the system comprising:

a proxy reference database configured to store one or more data object references associated with one or more data objects;

a processor configured to;

receive a data object at a first mirrored data site including one or more data nodes;

replicate the data object to the one or more data nodes internally within the first mirrored data site;

generate a data object reference indicating a forthcoming transmission of the data object to a second mirrored data site, wherein the data object reference includes an identification of the first mirrored data site, which stores one or more replicas of the data object;

transmit the data object reference to the proxy reference database, wherein the proxy reference database is associated with the second mirrored data site, the first mirrored data site and the second mirrored data site having one or more pre-provisioned interconnections; and

queue the data object referred to by the data object reference in a data delivery queue for the forthcoming transmission to the second mirrored data site, wherein upon transmission of the data object referred to by the data object reference to the second mirrored data site, the data object reference is discarded from the proxy reference database in response to the data object being successfully written to the second mirrored data site; and

receive at the second mirrored data site, a request for the data object;

determine, based on the data object reference in the proxy reference database, that the data object has not been received by the second mirrored data site; and

based on the determination, request the first mirrored data site referred to by the data object reference in the proxy reference database to serve the data object.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the data object reference is generated by running a cryptographic hash function over a content associated with the data object.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the data object reference allows finding the data object based on the content associated with the data object.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the first mirrored data site and the second mirrored data sites support an intra-site tier operation and an inter-site tier operation using the same data logic, the replicating of the data object to the one or more data nodes being performed by selecting the intra-site tier operation and the replicating of the data object to the one or more data nodes in the second mirrored data sites being performed by selecting the inter-site tier operation.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to synchronize the first mirrored data site and the second mirrored data site, the synchronizing including:

comparing one or more data object references and data objects associated with one of the mirrored data sites to one or more data object references and data objects associated with the other mirrored data site; and

requesting deliveries of the one or more data objects corresponding to the one or more data object references.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein one of the mirrored data sites includes an arbitrator node to arbitrate data replications between all mirrored data sites.

19. A non-transitory processor-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

receive a data object at a first mirrored data site including one or more data nodes;

replicate the data object to the one or more data nodes internally within the first mirrored data site;

generate a data object reference indicating a forthcoming transmission of the data object to a second mirrored data site, wherein the data object reference includes an identification of the first mirrored data site, which stores one or more replicas of the data object;

transmit the data object reference to a proxy reference database; and

queue the data object referred to by the data object reference in a data delivery queue for the forthcoming transmission to the second mirrored data site, wherein upon transmission of the data object referred to by the data object reference to the second mirrored data site, the data object is replicated to one or more data nodes associated with the second mirrored data site; and

discard the data object reference from the proxy reference database in response to the data object being successfully written to the second mirrored data site; and

receive at the second mirrored data site, a request for the data object;

determine, based on the data object reference in the proxy reference database, that the data object has not been received by the second mirrored data site; and

based on the determination, request the first mirrored data site referred to by the data object reference in the proxy reference database to serve the data object.