Zero-transaction-loss recovery for database systems

• US 10,769,028 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2014
• Issued: 09/08/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Axxana (Israel) Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Axxana (Israel) Ltd.
• Inventors: Winokur, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Casanova, Jorge A
• Application Number:
  US14/916,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20160224434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,156 Days
• 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 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1471 involving logging of persistent data for recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1474 in transactions G06F16/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1662 the resynchronized component or unit being a persistent storage device re-synchronization of failed mirror storage G06F11/2082; rebuild or reconstruction of parity RAID storage G06F11/1008
• 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 16/1824 implemented using Network-attached Storage [NAS] architecture distributed or networked storage systems G06F3/067; protocols for distributed storage of data in a network H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1827 Management specifically adapted to NAS management of storage area networks [SAN] G06F3/067
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/80 Database-specific techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• 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]

Abstract

Methods, storage facilities and computer software products implement embodiments of the present invention that include partitioning a software stack (140) into a first software component (141), a second software component (142) and a third software component (143) managed respectively by a primary host (26) at a primary site (22), by a secure storage unit (30) at or adjacent to the primary site, the secure storage unit including a protection storage unit (92) and a disaster-proof storage unit (94), and by a recovery system (34) at a secondary site (24). One or more files (90) are stored in the disaster-proof unit using the first and the second software components, and following a disaster occurring at the primary site, the files are recovered using the secure storage unit and the recovery system.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

partitioning a software stack for processing storage commands, into first, second and third software components managed respectively by a database server at a primary site, by a secure storage unit at or adjacent to the primary site, the secure storage unit comprising a protection storage unit and a disaster-proof storage unit, and by a recovery system at a secondary site;

receiving, by the database server, a new database transaction comprising an update for a local database stored at the primary site;

storing the received database transaction to a secure log file in the disaster-proof unit using the first and the second software components, wherein using the first and the second software components comprises mapping the protection storage unit to the database server and mapping the disaster-proof storage unit comprising the secure log file to the protection storage unit; and

following a disaster occurring at the primary site, recovering, from the disaster-proof storage unit by the recovery system using the second and the third software components, the database transactions in the secure log files so as to synchronize a remote database to a most recent state of the local database prior to the failure, wherein using the second and the third software components comprises mapping the disaster-proof storage unit comprising the secure log file to the recovery system.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the software stack is selected from a first module configured to process block-level storage commands, and a second module configured to process file-level storage commands.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein partitioning the software stack comprises the protection storage unit granting access to the secure log file.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein partitioning the software stack comprises the disaster-proof storage unit granting access to the secure log file.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein recovering the database transactions stored in the disaster-proof storage unit using the secure storage unit and the recovery system comprises accessing, by the recovery system, the secure log file on the disaster-proof storage system, identifying, in the secure log file, one or more database transactions not stored to the remote database, and updating the remote database with the one or more identified database transactions.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the secure log file is stored in a raw volume on the disaster-proof storage unit.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein accessing the secure log file comprises mapping, by a block manager executing on the recovery system, the recovery system to the raw volume, and mapping, by a file system manager executing on the recovery system, the secure log file to a logical volume created by the block manager mapping.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein accessing the secure log file comprises mapping, by a block manager executing on the disaster-proof storage system, the raw volume to one or more logical volumes storing the secure log file, thereby exposing the logical volume to the recovery system, and mapping, by a file manager executing on the recovery system, the secure log file to the one or more logical volumes.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein accessing the secure log file comprises configuring the disaster-proof storage unit as a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) system selected from a list consisting of an FTP server and an FTP client, identifying, by the disaster-proof storage unit, the secure log file, retrieving the secure log file, and transmitting the retrieved secure log file to the recovery system over an FTP protocol.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein accessing the secure log file comprises mapping, by an NAS manager executing on the disaster-proof storage system and a NAS client executing on the recovery system, the secure log file to the recovery system.

11. A method, comprising:

partitioning a software stack into first, second and third software components managed respectively by a primary host at a primary site, by a secure storage unit at or adjacent to the primary site, the secure storage unit comprising a protection storage unit and a disaster-proof storage unit, and by a recovery system at a secondary site;

storing one or more files in the disaster-proof unit using the first and the second software components;

partitioning data managed by the software stack into first, second and third data components stored respectively on a primary storage system at the primary site, the disaster-proof storage unit, and a secondary storage system at the secondary site, the second data component comprising the one or more files,

wherein the primary host comprises a database server, wherein the first data component comprises a local database and one or more local logs, and wherein the second data component comprises one or more secure logs, and wherein the third data component comprises a remote database and one or more remote logs;

allocating a preselected amount of storage space in the disaster-proof storage unit for the one or more secure logs, and upon receiving a database transaction and detecting that the preselected amount of storage space is fully utilized, identifying a least recent database transaction in the one or more secure logs, deleting the identified database transaction from the one or more secure logs, and storing the received database transaction to the one or more secure logs; and

following a disaster occurring at the primary site, recovering the files using the secure storage unit and the recovery system.

12. The method according to claim 11, and comprising copying the local database to the remote database.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein copying the local database to the remote database is selected from a list consisting of mirroring the local database, and creating the remote database from a backup of the local database.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the software stack is selected from a first module configured to process block-level storage commands, and a second module configured to process file-level storage commands.

15. The method according to claim 11, and comprising copying the local database to the remote database.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein copying the local database to the remote database is selected from a list consisting of mirroring the local database, and creating the remote database from a backup of the local database.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein recovering the files stored in the disaster-proof storage unit using the secure storage unit and the recovery system comprises accessing, by the recovery system, the one or more secure logs on the disaster-proof storage system, identifying, in the one or more secure logs, one or more database transactions not stored to the remote database, and updating the remote database with the one or more identified database transactions.

20. The storage facility according to claim 16, wherein the protection storage unit is configured to grant access to the secure log file.

22. The storage facility according to claim 16, wherein the recovery system is configured to recover the database transactions stored in the disaster-proof storage unit using the secure storage unit and the recovery system by accessing the secure log file in the secure memory, identifying, in the secure log file, one or more database transactions not stored to the remote database, and updating the remote database with the one or more identified database transactions.

18. A storage facility, comprising:

a primary storage system located at a primary site and configured to store a local database;

a database server located at a primary site and configured to manage a first software component of a software stack;

a secure storage unit at or adjacent to the primary site, the secure storage unit comprising a protection storage unit and a disaster-proof storage unit, and configured to manage a second software component of the software stack, and to store one or more files in the disaster-proof unit, wherein the database server is configured to receive a new database transaction comprising an update for the local database, and to store, using the first and the second software components, the received database transaction to a secure log file in the disaster-proof unit, wherein using the first and the second software components comprises mapping the protection storage unit to the database server and mapping the disaster-proof storage unit comprising the secure log file to the protection storage unit; and

a recovery system at a secondary site and configured to manage a third software component of the software stack, and following a disaster occurring at the primary site, to recover from the disaster-proof storage using the second and the third software components, the database transactions in the secure log file so as to synchronize a remote database to a most recent state of the local database prior to the failure, wherein using the second and the third software components comprises mapping the disaster-proof storage unit comprising the secure log file to the recovery system.

19. The storage facility according to claim 18, wherein the software stack is selected from a first module configured to process block-level storage commands, and a second module configured to process file-level storage commands.

21. The storage facility according to claim 18, wherein the disaster-proof storage unit is configured to grant access to the secure log file.

23. The storage facility according to claim 18, wherein the secure log file is stored in a raw volume in the secure memory.

24. The storage facility according to claim 23, wherein the recovery system is configured to access the secure log file by mapping the recovery system to the raw volume, and mapping the secure log file to one or more logical volumes created by the mapping to the raw device.

25. The d storage facility according to claim 23, wherein the recovery system is configured to access the secure log file by mapping, by the secure processor, the raw volume to one or more logical volumes storing the secure log file, thereby exposing the logical volume to the recovery system, and mapping, by the recovery system, the secure log file to the one or more logical volumes.

26. The storage facility according to claim 18, wherein the recovery system is configured to access the secure log file by configuring the disaster-proof storage unit as a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) system selected from a list consisting of an FTP server and an FTP client, identifying, by the secure processor, the secure log file, retrieving the secure log file, and transmitting the retrieved secure log file to the recovery system over an FTP protocol.

27. The storage facility according to claim 18, wherein the secure processor is configured to execute a network-attached storage (NAS) manager, and wherein the recovery system is configured to execute an NAS client, and wherein the recovery system is configured to access the secure log file by mapping, by the NAS manager and the NAS client, the secure log file to the recovery system.

28. A storage facility, comprising:

a primary host located at a primary site and configured to manage a first software component of a software stack;

a primary storage system at the primary site configured to store a first data component of data managed by the software stack;

a secure storage unit at or adjacent to the primary site, the secure storage unit comprising a protection storage unit and a disaster-proof storage unit, and configured to manage a second software component of the software stack, and to store one or more files in the disaster-proof unit, the disaster-proof storage unit configured to store a second data component of the data managed by the software stack, the second data component comprising the one or more files;

a recovery system at a secondary site and configured to manage a third software component of the software stack, and following a disaster occurring at the primary site, to recover the files stored in the disaster-proof storage unit; and

a secondary storage unit at the secondary site configured to store a third data component of the data managed by the software stack;

wherein the primary host comprises a database server system, and wherein the first data component comprises a local database and one or more local logs, and wherein the second data component comprises one or more secure logs, and wherein the third data component comprises a remote database and one or more remote logs; and

wherein the disaster-proof storage unit comprises a secure processor and a secure memory, and wherein the secure processor is configured to allocate a preselected amount of storage space in the secure memory storage unit for the one or more secure logs, and upon receiving a database transaction and detecting that the preselected amount of storage space is fully utilized, to identify a least recent database transaction in the one or more secure logs, to delete the identified database transaction from the one or more secure logs, and to store the received database transaction to the one or more secure logs.

29. The storage facility according to claim 28, wherein the primary storage system is configured to copy the local database to the remote database.

30. The storage facility according to claim 29, wherein copying the local database to the remote database is selected from a list consisting of mirroring the local database, and creating the remote database from a backup of the local database.

31. A computer software product, the product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium, in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer:

to partition, in a storage facility, a software stack for processing storage commands, into first, second and third software components managed respectively by a database server at a primary site, by a secure storage unit at or adjacent to the primary site, the secure storage unit comprising a protection storage unit and a disaster-proof storage unit, and by a recovery system at a secondary site;

to receive, by the database server, a new database transaction comprising an update for a local database stored at the primary site;

to store the received database transaction to a secure log file in the disaster-proof unit using the first and the second software components, wherein using the first and the second software components comprises mapping the protection storage unit to the database server and mapping the disaster-proof storage unit comprising the secure log file to the protection storage unit; and

following a disaster occurring at the primary site, to recover, from the disaster-proof storage unit by the recovery system using the second and the third software components, the database transactions in the secure log file so as to synchronize a remote database to a most recent state of the local database prior to the failure, wherein using the second and the third software components comprises mapping the disaster-proof storage unit comprising the secure log file to the recovery system.