Storage virtual machine relocation

• US 9,940,154 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2015
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Inventors: Ramani, Balaji, Nishime, Kazunobu, Majmudar, Pankti Vinay, Deshmukh, Prachi Bapurao, Coatney, Susan M., Singh, Vijay
• Primary Examiner(s): Sough, S
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUNCAN, TIMOTHY P
• Application Number:
  US14/883,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20170109184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/14 Error detection or correction of the data by redundancy in operation G06F11/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/16 Error detection or correction of the data by redundancy in hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2033 switching over of hardware resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2092 Techniques of failing over between control units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3034 where the computing system component is a storage system, e.g. DASD based or network based digital input from or digital output to record carriers G06F3/06; digital recording or reproducing G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3433 for load management allocation of a server based on load conditions G06F9/505; load rebalancing G06F9/5083; redistributing the load in a network by a load balancer H04L67/1029
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/4557 Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45575 Starting, stopping, suspending or resuming virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45579 I/O management, e.g. providing access to device drivers or storage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45583 Memory management, e.g. access or allocation
• 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 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21805 enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 : for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 : Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 : involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 : Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 : Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 : Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 : for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 : Unicasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 : Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739

Abstract

One or more techniques and/or devices are provided for storage virtual machine relocation (e.g., ownership change) between storage clusters. For example, operational statistics of a first storage cluster and a second storage cluster may be evaluated to identify a set of load balancing metrics. Ownership of one or more storage aggregates and/or one or more storage virtual machines may be changed (e.g., permanently changed for load balancing purposes or temporarily changed for disaster recovery purposes) between the first storage cluster and the second storage cluster utilizing zero-copy ownership change operations based upon the set of load balancing metrics. For example, if the first storage cluster is experiencing a relatively heavier load of client I/O operations and the second storage cluster has available resources, ownership of a storage aggregate and a storage virtual machine may be switched from the first storage cluster to the second storage cluster for load balancing.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

evaluating, by a computing device, operational statistics of a first storage cluster and a second storage cluster to determine that the first storage cluster has a first operational load and that the second storage cluster has a second operational load, the first storage cluster comprising a first storage virtual machine associated with a first storage aggregate, a second storage virtual machine associated with a second storage aggregate, and a third storage virtual machine associated with a third storage aggregate, the second storage cluster comprising a replicated storage virtual machine corresponding to a replication of the first storage virtual machine;

determining that the first operational load is a threshold amount greater than the second operational load;

switching ownership of the first storage aggregate from the first storage cluster to the second storage cluster;

switching ownership of the first storage virtual machine and the replicated storage virtual machine from the first storage cluster to the second storage cluster;

switching the replicated storage virtual machine from a dormant state to an active state for facilitating client access, from the second storage cluster, to user data stored through the first storage aggregate; and

performing a temporary switchover of ownership of the third storage aggregate, but not the second storage aggregate, from the first storage cluster to the second storage cluster based upon the first storage cluster experiencing a disaster.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first storage cluster and the second storage cluster are configured according to a disaster recovery relationship, and wherein one or more nodes of the second storage cluster are configured to provide failover client access to data, replicated from the first storage cluster, responsive to the disaster occurring at the first storage cluster.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second storage cluster comprising a replicated third storage virtual machine that is a replication of the third storage virtual machine, and the method comprising:

determining that the first storage cluster has experienced the disaster;

performing the temporary switchover; and

switching the third replicated storage virtual machine from the dormant state to the active state for providing failover client access to the third storage aggregate temporarily owned by the second storage cluster.

4. The method of claim 1, the switching ownership of the first storage aggregate comprising:

utilizing a zero-copy ownership change operation to switch the ownership of the first storage aggregate based upon replicated data within a local mirror storage device.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

maintaining non-disruptive client access to data through the first storage aggregate during switchover of ownership of the first storage aggregate, the first storage virtual machine, and the replicated storage virtual machine from the first storage cluster to the second storage cluster.

6. The method of claim 1, the switching ownership of the first storage aggregate comprising:

unmounting the first storage aggregate;

changing ownership of a first storage device, associated with the first storage aggregate, from the first storage cluster to the second storage cluster; and

onlining the first storage aggregate for ownership by the second storage cluster.

7. A non-transitory machine readable medium having stored thereon instructions for performing a method comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one machine, causes the machine to:

evaluate operational statistics of a first storage cluster and a second storage cluster to determine that the first storage cluster has a first operational load and that the second storage cluster has a second operational load, the first storage cluster comprising a first storage virtual machine associated with a first storage aggregate and a second storage virtual machine associated with a second storage aggregate, the second storage cluster comprising a replicated storage virtual machine corresponding to a replication of the first storage virtual machine;

determine that the first operational load is a threshold amount greater than the second operational load;

switch ownership of the first storage aggregate from the first storage cluster to the second storage cluster based upon the determination;

switch ownership of the first storage virtual machine and the replicated storage virtual machine from the first storage cluster to the second storage cluster based upon the determination;

switch the replicated storage virtual machine from a dormant state to an active state for facilitating client access, from the second storage cluster, to user data stored through the first storage aggregate based upon the determination; and

perform a temporary switchover of ownership of a third storage aggregate, but not the second storage aggregate, from the first storage cluster to the second storage cluster based upon the first storage cluster experiencing a disaster.

8. A computing device comprising:

a memory comprising machine executable code having stored thereon instructions for performing a method; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to execute the machine executable code to cause the processor to;

evaluate operational statistics of a first storage cluster and a second storage cluster to determine that the first storage cluster has a first operational load and that the second storage cluster has a second operational load, the first storage cluster comprising a first storage virtual machine associated with a first storage aggregate, a second storage virtual machine associated with a second storage aggregate, and a third storage virtual machine associated with a third storage aggregate, the second storage cluster comprising a replicated storage virtual machine corresponding to a replication of the first storage virtual machine;

determine that the first operational load is a threshold amount greater than the second operational load;

switch ownership of the first storage aggregate from the first storage cluster to the second storage cluster;

switch ownership of the first storage virtual machine and the replicated storage virtual machine from the first storage cluster to the second storage cluster;

switch the replicated storage virtual machine from a dormant state to an active state for facilitating client access, from the second storage cluster, to user data stored through the first storage aggregate; and

perform a temporary switchover of ownership of the third storage aggregate, but not the second storage aggregate, from the first storage cluster to the second storage cluster based upon the first storage cluster experiencing a disaster.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the machine executable code causes the processor to:

unmount the first storage aggregate;

change ownership of a first storage device, associated with the first storage aggregate, from the first storage cluster to the second storage cluster; and

online the first storage aggregate for ownership by the second storage cluster.

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the machine executable code causes the processor to:

utilize a zero-copy ownership change operation to switch the ownership of the first storage aggregate based upon replicated data within a mirror storage device.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the mirror storage device is configured as a backup mirror of data stored within a first storage device associated with the first storage aggregate.

12. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the machine executable code causes the processor to:

switch the first storage virtual machine from the active state to the dormant state.

13. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the machine executable code causes the processor to:

specify that the second storage cluster is a non-temporary owner of the first storage aggregate, the first storage virtual machine, and the replicated storage virtual machine.

14. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the machine executable code causes the processor to:

maintain non-disruptive client access to data through the first storage aggregate during switchover of ownership of the first storage aggregate, the first storage virtual machine, and the replicated storage virtual machine from the first storage cluster to the second storage cluster.

15. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the first storage cluster and the second storage cluster are configured according to a disaster recovery relationship, and wherein one or more nodes of the second storage cluster are configured to provide failover client access to data, replicated from the first storage cluster, responsive to the disaster occurring at the first storage cluster.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the second storage cluster comprises a replicated third storage virtual machine that is a replication of the third storage virtual machine.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the machine executable code causes the processor to:

switch the third replicated storage virtual machine from the dormant state to the active state for providing failover client access to the third storage aggregate temporarily owned by the second storage cluster.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the machine executable code causes the processor to:

determine that the first storage cluster has recovered to an operational state from the disaster; and

perform a switchback of ownership of the third storage aggregate from the second storage cluster to the first storage cluster.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the machine executable code causes the processor to:

switch the third replicated storage virtual machine from the active state to the dormant state based upon the switchback.

20. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the machine executable code causes the processor to:

permanently change ownership of one or more storage aggregates and one or more storage virtual machines between the first storage cluster and the second storage cluster utilizing zero-copy ownership change operations based upon load balancing metrics associated with the first storage cluster and the second storage cluster.