Efficient incremental backup and restoration of file system hierarchies with cloud object storage

• US 10,503,771 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2017
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Maybee, Mark, Kremer, James, Gibson, Gavin
• Primary Examiner(s): Rojas, Midys
• Application Number:
  US15/610,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20180196816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/07 Responding to the occurrence of a fault, e.g. fault tolerance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1004 to protect a block of data words, e.g. CRC or checksum G06F11/1076 takes precedence; security arrangements for protecting computers or computer systems against unauthorized activity G06F21/00
• 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 11/1446 Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• 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 11/3037 where the computing system component is a memory, e.g. virtual memory, cache accessing, addressing or allocating within memory systems or architectures G06F12/00; checking stores for correct operation G11C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0804 with main memory updating G06F12/0806 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0813 with a network or matrix configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0868 Data transfer between cache memory and other subsystems, e.g. storage devices or host systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0897 with two or more cache hierarchy levels with multilevel cache hierarchies G06F12/0811
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/123 with age lists, e.g. queue, most recently used [MRU] list or least recently used [LRU] list
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/128 adapted to multidimensional cache systems, e.g. set-associative, multicache, multiset or multilevel
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1408 by using cryptography for digital transmission H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/128 Details of file system snapshots on the file-level, e.g. snapshot creation, administration, deletion use of snapshots for error detection or correction G06F11/14, G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/172 Caching, prefetching or hoarding of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1748 : De-duplication implemented within the file system, e.g. based on file segments de-duplication techniques in storage systems for the management of data blocks G06F3/0641
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 : Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/184 : implemented as replicated file system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1844 : Management specifically adapted to replicated file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/185 : Hierarchical storage management [HSM] systems, e.g. file migration or policies thereof details of archiving G06F16/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 : Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/434 : using image data, e.g. images, photos, pictures taken by a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9027 : Trees
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/4557 : Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45583 : Memory management, e.g. access or allocation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45595 : Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 : Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/80 : Database-specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 : Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 : Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/154 : Networked environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/225 : Hybrid cache memory, e.g. having both volatile and non-volatile portions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/262 : configured as RAID
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/284 : being distributed
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/313 : In storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/401 : Compressed data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/502 : using adaptive policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 : by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 : by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 : Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 : Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0617 : in relation to availability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0623 : in relation to content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 : Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0641 : De-duplication techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0643 : Management of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 : Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0665 : at area level, e.g. provisioning of virtual or logical volumes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0667 : at data level, e.g. file, record or object virtualisation
• 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: G06F 9/5077 : Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 7/30 : Compression speech analysis-synthesis for redundancy reduction G10L19/00; for image communication H04N; Expansion; Suppression of unnecessary data, e.g. redundancy reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 7/3086 : employing a sliding window, e.g. LZ77
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 7/40 : Conversion to or from variable length codes, e.g. Shannon-Fano code, Huffman code, Morse code
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 : 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0637 : Modes of operation, e.g. cipher block chaining [CBC], electronic codebook [ECB] or Galois/counter mode [GCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0822 : using key encryption key
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 : using a plurality of keys or algorithms

Abstract

Techniques described herein relate to systems and methods of data storage, and more particularly to providing layering of file system functionality on an object interface. In certain embodiments, file system functionality may be layered on cloud object interfaces to provide cloud-based storage while allowing for functionality expected from a legacy applications. For instance, POSIX interfaces and semantics may be layered on cloud-based storage, while providing access to data in a manner consistent with file-based access with data organization in name hierarchies. Various embodiments also may provide for memory mapping of data so that memory map changes are reflected in persistent storage while ensuring consistency between memory map changes and writes. For example, by transforming a ZFS file system disk-based storage into ZFS cloud-based storage, the ZFS file system gains the elastic nature of cloud storage.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing, via one or more virtual devices of a plurality of virtual devices at a virtual device layer of a Z File System (ZFS) system, data blocks and corresponding metadata in a storage pool of storage devices of the ZFS system, wherein;

the data blocks correspond to a file, and

the data blocks and the corresponding metadata are stored separately as logical blocks according to a tree hierarchy; and

receiving, from an application layer of the ZFS system and through a system call interface of an interface layer of the ZFS system, a backup request with respect to at least the file;

causing storage of a first set of cloud storage objects in a cloud object store to create a first backup version corresponding to the tree hierarchy, the first set of cloud storage objects comprising data of the data blocks and the corresponding metadata of the tree hierarchy;

receiving, from the application layer and through the system call interface, a subsequent request to perform a transaction;

translating, by a data management unit of a transactional object layer of the ZFS system, the subsequent request into an I/O request to perform a write operation with respect to the tree hierarchy in the storage pool of storage devices of the ZFS system;

performing, via one or more virtual devices of a plurality of virtual devices at a virtual device layer of the ZFS system, the write operation to modify the tree hierarchy at least in part by creating a subset of tree nodes, wherein the write operation results in a modified tree hierarchy; and

causing storage of an incremental in the cloud object store, wherein the incremental corresponds to the subset of tree nodes, and the storage of the incremental merges the incremental with the first backup version to create a second backup version corresponding to the modified tree hierarchy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the write operation is performed according to a copy-on-write process.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the incremental comprises a second set of cloud storage objects configured according to part of the modified tree hierarchy.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

one cloud storage object of the second set of cloud storage objects corresponds to a root node, and

the merging the incremental with the first backup version comprises linking the one cloud storage object with a subset of the first set of cloud storage objects as the root node of the subset.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the causing storage of the first set of cloud storage objects in the cloud object store comprises:

creating, with at least one cloud interface device of the plurality of virtual devices, a mapping of each logical block in the tree hierarchy to a respective cloud storage object of the first set of cloud storage objects in the cloud object store; and

causing, by the at least one cloud interface device, communication of a set of one or more requests to the cloud object store to specify storage of the first set of cloud storage objects in the cloud object store so that the first set of cloud storage objects preserves the data of the data blocks, the corresponding metadata, and relationships of the data blocks and the corresponding metadata according to the tree hierarchy.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the causing storage of the incremental in the cloud object store comprises:

transferring, by the at least one cloud interface device, a second set of one or more requests to a cloud daemon; and

responsive to the second set of one or more requests, communicating, by the cloud daemon via an object protocol over one or more networks, with the cloud object store to cause storage of the incremental.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

creating, by the data management unit at the transactional object layer of the ZFS system, a snapshot of the tree hierarchy;

transmitting, by the ZFS system, the snapshot of the tree hierarchy to the cloud object store; and

accessing, by the ZFS system, portions of the first backup version that are not included in the second backup version based at least in part on the snapshot of the tree hierarchy.

8. A system comprising:

one or more processors communicatively coupled to memory, the one or more processors to facilitate;

storing, via one or more virtual devices of a plurality of virtual devices at a virtual device layer of a Z File System (ZFS) system, data blocks and corresponding metadata in a storage pool of storage devices of the ZFS system, wherein;

the data blocks correspond to a file, and

the data blocks and the corresponding metadata are stored separately as logical blocks according to a tree hierarchy; and

receiving, from an application layer of the ZFS system and through a system call interface of an interface layer of the ZFS system, a backup request with respect to at least the file;

causing storage of a first set of cloud storage objects in a cloud object store to create a first backup version corresponding to the tree hierarchy, the first set of cloud storage objects comprising data of the data blocks and the corresponding metadata of the tree hierarchy;

receiving, from the application layer and through the system call interface, a subsequent request to perform a transaction;

translating, by a data management unit of a transactional object layer of the ZFS system, the subsequent request into an I/O request to perform a write operation with respect to the tree hierarchy in the storage pool of storage devices of the ZFS system;

performing, via one or more virtual devices of a plurality of virtual devices at a virtual device layer of the ZFS system, the write operation to modify the tree hierarchy at least in part by creating a subset of tree nodes, wherein the write operation results in a modified tree hierarchy; and

causing storage of an incremental in the cloud object store, wherein the incremental corresponds to the subset of tree nodes, and the storage of the incremental merges the incremental with the first backup version to create a second backup version corresponding to the modified tree hierarchy.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the write operation is performed according to a copy-on-write process.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the incremental comprises a second set of cloud storage objects configured according to part of the modified tree hierarchy.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

one cloud storage object of the second set of cloud storage objects corresponds to a root node, and

the merging the incremental with the first backup version comprises linking the one cloud storage object with a subset of the first set of cloud storage objects as the root node of the subset.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the causing storage of the first set of cloud storage objects in the cloud object store comprises:

creating, with at least one cloud interface device of the plurality of virtual devices, a mapping of each logical block in the tree hierarchy to a respective cloud storage object of the first set of cloud storage objects in the cloud object store; and

causing, by the at least one cloud interface device, communication of a set of one or more requests to the cloud object store to specify storage of the first set of cloud storage objects in the cloud object store so that the first set of cloud storage objects preserves the data of the data blocks, the corresponding metadata, and relationships of the data blocks and the corresponding metadata according to the tree hierarchy.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the causing storage of the incremental in the cloud object store comprises:

transferring, by the at least one cloud interface device, a second set of one or more requests to a cloud daemon; and

responsive to the second set of one or more requests, communicating, by the cloud daemon via an object protocol over one or more networks, with the cloud object store to cause storage of the incremental.

14. The system of claim 13, the one or more processors further to facilitate:

creating, by the data management unit at the transactional object layer of the ZFS system, a snapshot of the tree hierarchy;

transmitting, by the ZFS system, the snapshot of the tree hierarchy to the cloud object store; and

accessing, by the ZFS system, portions of the first backup version that are not included in the second backup version based at least in part on the snapshot of the tree hierarchy.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising the ZFS system.

16. One or more non-transitory, machine-readable media having machine-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to facilitate performing:

storing, via one or more virtual devices of a plurality of virtual devices at a virtual device layer of a Z File System (ZFS) system, data blocks and corresponding metadata in a storage pool of storage devices of the ZFS system, wherein;

the data blocks correspond to a file, and

the data blocks and the corresponding metadata are stored separately as logical blocks according to a tree hierarchy; and

receiving, from an application layer of the ZFS system and through a system call interface of an interface layer of the ZFS system, a backup request with respect to at least the file;

causing storage of a first set of cloud storage objects in a cloud object store to create a first backup version corresponding to the tree hierarchy, the first set of cloud storage objects comprising data of the data blocks and the corresponding metadata of the tree hierarchy;

receiving, from the application layer and through the system call interface, a subsequent request to perform a transaction;

translating, by a data management unit of a transactional object layer of the ZFS system, the subsequent request into an I/O request to perform a write operation with respect to the tree hierarchy in the storage pool of storage devices of the ZFS system;

performing, via one or more virtual devices of a plurality of virtual devices at a virtual device layer of the ZFS system, the write operation to modify the tree hierarchy at least in part by creating a subset of tree nodes, wherein the write operation results in a modified tree hierarchy; and

causing storage of an incremental in the cloud object store, wherein the incremental corresponds to the subset of tree nodes, and the storage of the incremental merges the incremental with the first backup version to create a second backup version corresponding to the modified tree hierarchy.

17. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 16, wherein the write operation is performed according to a copy-on-write process.

18. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 17, wherein the incremental comprises a second set of cloud storage objects configured according to part of the modified tree hierarchy.

19. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 18, wherein:

one cloud storage object of the second set of cloud storage objects corresponds to a root node, and

the merging the incremental with the first backup version comprises linking the one cloud storage object with a subset of the first set of cloud storage objects as the root node of the subset.

20. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 19, wherein the causing storage of the first set of cloud storage objects in the cloud object store comprises:

creating, with at least one cloud interface device of the plurality of virtual devices, a mapping of each logical block in the tree hierarchy to a respective cloud storage object of the first set of cloud storage objects in the cloud object store; and

causing, by the at least one cloud interface device, communication of a set of one or more requests to the cloud object store to specify storage of the first set of cloud storage objects in the cloud object store so that the first set of cloud storage objects preserves the data of the data blocks, the corresponding metadata, and relationships of the data blocks and the corresponding metadata according to the tree hierarchy.