Enabling data replication processes between heterogeneous storage systems

• US 10,628,380 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2014
• Issued: 04/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Inventors: Yadav, Vikas, Desai, Rajesh, Kaushik, Akhil
• Primary Examiner(s): Shanmugasundaram, Kannan
• Application Number:
  US14/340,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20160026703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,098 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06

Abstract

A system and method for enabling data replication is described. A set of protocol messages can be associated with a set of corresponding set of requests. The associated set of protocol messages can be provided to each of a source storage system and a destination storage system. The source storage system and the destination storage system can be heterogeneous storage systems that implement different types of file systems or file layouts. The source storage system and the destination storage system are enabled to perform a data replication process, in which at least a set of data is to be replicated from the source storage system to the destination storage system, using at least a protocol message from the associated set of protocol messages. The protocol message can correspond to a request for a list of snapshots stored at the source storage system.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying a first protocol message mapped to a first snapshot operation request, generated by a first file system of a first device for initiating a snapshot operation, within a first library structure mapping a first set of snapshot operation requests interpretable by the first file system to protocol messages, wherein the first set of snapshot operation requests within the first library structure are uninterpretable by a second file system of a second device;

transmitting the first protocol message to the second device, wherein a second library structure is accessible to the second file system for identifying a snapshot operation request mapped to the first protocol message, wherein the second library structure maps a second set of snapshot operation requests interpretable by the second file system to the protocol messages, wherein the second set of snapshot operation requests within the second library structure are uninterpretable by the first file system, and wherein the snapshot operation request corresponds to the snapshot operation to remove a lock, on a snapshot at the second device, held by the first device by disassociating the snapshot from an identifier of the first device and by automatically deleting the snapshot to remove the lock based upon a bit not being set by the second device to override the snapshot operation request corresponding to the first protocol message, wherein the snapshot operation request is overridden based upon the bit being set; and

identifying a second snapshot operation request mapped to a second protocol message, received from the second device, within the first library structure, wherein the second snapshot operation request is processed by the first file system, and wherein the second snapshot request is uninterpretable by the second file system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the snapshot is automatically deleted by the second device to remove the lock based upon the first protocol message comprising a remove reference protocol message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first library structure provides the first device with an ability to translate data replication requests, formatted to be interpretable by the first file system, to defined protocol messages.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first library structure maps a list snapshot operation request interpretable by the first file system to a third protocol message mapped by the second library structure to a corresponding list snapshot operation request interpretable by the second file system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first library structure maps an incremental transfer snapshot operation request interpretable by the first file system to a third protocol message mapped by the second library structure to a corresponding incremental transfer snapshot operation request interpretable by the second file system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first library structure maps a lock snapshot operation request interpretable by the first file system to a third protocol message mapped by the second library structure to a corresponding lock snapshot operation request interpretable by the second file system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first library structure maps a full transfer snapshot operation request interpretable by the first file system to a third protocol message mapped by the second library structure to a corresponding full transfer snapshot operation request interpretable by the second file system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first library structure maps a reference snapshot information snapshot operation request interpretable by the first file system to a third protocol message mapped by the second library structure to a corresponding reference snapshot information snapshot operation request interpretable by the second file system.

9. A non-transitory machine readable medium comprising instructions for performing a method, which when executed by a machine, causes the machine to:

identify a first protocol message mapped to a first snapshot operation request, generated by a first file system of a first device for initiating a snapshot operation, within a first library structure mapping a first set of snapshot operation requests interpretable by the first file system to protocol messages, wherein the first set of snapshot operation requests within the first library structure are uninterpretable by a second file system of a second device;

transmit the first protocol message to the second device, wherein a second library structure is accessible to the second file system for identifying a snapshot operation request mapped to the first protocol message, wherein the second library structure maps a second set of snapshot operation requests interpretable by the second file system to the protocol messages, wherein the second set of snapshot operation requests within the second library structure are uninterpretable by the first file system, and wherein the snapshot operation request corresponds to the snapshot operation to remove a lock, on a snapshot at the second device, held by the first device by disassociating the snapshot from an identifier of the first device and by automatically deleting the snapshot to remove the lock based upon a bit not being set by the second device to override the snapshot operation request corresponding to the first protocol message, wherein the snapshot operation request is overridden based upon the bit being set; and

identify a second snapshot operation request mapped to a second protocol message, received from the second device, within the first library structure, wherein the second snapshot operation request is processed by the first file system, and wherein the second snapshot request is uninterpretable by the second file system.

10. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first library structure provides the first device with an ability to translate data replication requests, formatted to be interpretable by the first file system, to defined protocol messages.

11. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein the second library structure provides the second device with an ability to translate data replication requests, formatted to be interpretable by the second file system, to defined protocol messages.

12. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first library structure maps a list snapshot operation request interpretable by the first file system to a third protocol message mapped by the second library structure to a corresponding list snapshot operation request interpretable by the second file system.

13. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first library structure maps an incremental transfer snapshot operation request interpretable by the first file system to a third protocol message mapped by the second library structure to a corresponding incremental transfer snapshot operation request interpretable by the second file system.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein the snapshot is automatically deleted by the second device to remove the lock based upon the first protocol message comprising a remove reference protocol message.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first library structure maps a full transfer snapshot operation request interpretable by the first file system to a third protocol message mapped by the second library structure to a corresponding full transfer snapshot operation request interpretable by the second file system.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first library structure maps a reference snapshot information snapshot operation request interpretable by the first file system to a third protocol message mapped by the second library structure to a corresponding reference snapshot information snapshot operation request interpretable by the second file system.

17. A computing device comprising:

a memory comprising machine executable code; and

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

identify a first protocol message mapped to a first snapshot operation request, generated by a first file system of a first device for initiating a snapshot operation, within a first library structure mapping a first set of snapshot operation requests interpretable by the first file system to protocol messages, wherein the first set of snapshot operation requests within the first library structure are uninterpretable by a second file system of a second device;

transmit the first protocol message to the second device, wherein a second library structure is accessible to the second file system for identifying a snapshot operation request mapped to the first protocol message, wherein the second library structure maps a second set of snapshot operation requests interpretable by the second file system to the protocol messages, wherein the second set of snapshot operation requests within the second library structure are uninterpretable by the first file system, and wherein the snapshot operation request corresponds to the snapshot operation to remove a lock, on a snapshot at the second device, held by the first device by disassociating the snapshot from an identifier of the first device and by automatically deleting the snapshot to remove the lock based upon a bit not being set by the second device to override the snapshot operation request corresponding to the first protocol message, wherein the snapshot operation request is overridden based upon the bit being set; and

identify a second snapshot operation request mapped to a second protocol message, received from the second device, within the first library structure, wherein the second snapshot operation request is processed by the first file system, and wherein the second snapshot request is uninterpretable by the second file system.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the first library structure provides the first device with an ability to translate data replication requests, formatted to be interpretable by the first file system, to defined protocol messages.

19. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the snapshot is automatically deleted by the second device to remove the lock based upon the first protocol message comprising a remove reference protocol message.

20. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the first library structure maps a list snapshot operation request interpretable by the first file system to a third protocol message mapped by the second library structure to a corresponding list snapshot operation request interpretable by the second file system.