Dynamic reconfiguration of nodes in a cluster file system

• US 20040243673A1
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Goyal, Neeraj, Kaura, Suchit
• Granted Patent: US 7,376,724 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0856 by backing up or archiving configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration

Abstract

Approaches are disclosed for reconfiguring nodes in a cluster file system after new nodes are added to the cluster file system or when node configuration data is changed. According to one aspect of the invention, counters and node configuration data is stored on a volume in a cluster file system. Nodes periodically inspect the counters, and, if it is determined that a node has been added to the cluster file system, or, if the node determines that node configuration data for a node has changed, the node (and other nodes) may dynamically reconfigure itself.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a plurality of nodes in a cluster file system, the method comprising:

maintaining, in a configuration repository accessible to said plurality of nodes, configuration data for each of the plurality of nodes;

wherein said configuration data includes data indicating that said plurality of nodes are members of said cluster file system; and

wherein nodes that belong to said cluster file system determine which other nodes belong to the cluster file system based on the information in said configuration repository.

2. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising each of the plurality of nodes inspecting the configuration data in said configuration repository to identify the configuration data of others of the plurality of nodes.

3. The method recited in claim 2, wherein the step of inspecting includes causing at least one of said nodes to inspect the configuration data in the configuration repository in response to an occurrence of a particular event.

4. The method recited in claim 3, wherein the particular event is the elapsing of fixed interval.

5. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising, in response to a change in a node from a first configuration to a second configuration, updating the configuration data in the configuration repository so that the configuration data reflects the second configuration of the node.

6. The method recited in claim 5, further comprising other nodes in the plurality of nodes inspecting the configuration data to identify the second configuration of the node.

7. The method recited in claim 6, wherein the step of inspecting includes causing at least one of said nodes to inspect the configuration data in the configuration repository in response to an occurrence of a particular event.

8. The method recited in claim 7, wherein the particular event is the elapsing of fixed interval.

9. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising, upon the addition of a new node to the cluster file system, updating the configuration data in the configuration repository to cause the configuration data to reflect the presence and configuration of the new node.

10. The method recited in claim 9, further comprising at least one of the plurality of nodes inspecting the configuration data in the configuration repository to identify the presence and configuration of the new node.

11. The method recited in claim 10, wherein the step of inspecting includes causing at least one of said plurality of nodes to inspect the configuration data in the configuration repository in response to an occurrence of a particular event.

12. The method recited in claim 10, wherein the particular event is the elapsing of fixed interval.

13. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said configuration repository is a configuration table on a volume.

14. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said configuration depository includes a first a first item of data,

the method further comprising the step of altering said first item of data upon the addition of a new node to the cluster file system.

15. The method recited in claim 14, further comprising:

at least one node inspecting the first item of data to determine whether a new node has been added to the cluster file system; and

if it is determined that a new node has been added the cluster file system, at least one node inspecting a second item of data in the configuration repository.

16. The method recited in claim 15, further comprising:

reconfiguring at least one node based on said second item of data.

17. The method recited in claim 15, wherein said step of inspecting comprises

a first step of inspecting the sequence number,

the method further comprising determining, based on the first step of inspecting, if the configuration of a node has been changed.

18. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said configuration depository includes a first a first item of data,

the method further comprising the step of altering said first item of data upon a change in the configuration of a node in the cluster file system.

19. The method recited in claim 18, further comprising:

at least one node inspecting the first item of data to determine whether a the configuration of a node has been changed in the cluster file system; and

if it is determined that the configuration of a node has been changed the cluster file system, at least one node inspecting a second item of data in the configuration repository.

20. The method recited in claim 19, further comprising:

reconfiguring at least one node based on said second item of data.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding a new node to the cluster file system; and

updating the configuration repository to reflect the presence and configuration of the new node.

22. The method recited in claim 21, wherein one or more nodes other than the new node are in the cluster file system and are connected to the configuration repository, the method further comprising said one or more nodes inspecting configuration data in the configuration repository to identify the configuration of nodes, including the new node.

23. The method recited in claim 22, wherein the step of inspecting comprises

a first step of inspecting a first item of data in the configuration repository;

if it is determined, based on the first item of data, that a new node has been added, inspecting a second item of data in the configuration repository that relates to the new node; and

based on the second item of data, reconfiguring at least one or more nodes other than the new node.

24. The method recited in claim 21, further comprising, prior to adding the new node to the cluster file system, inspecting data in the configuration repository to determine whether the new node is already a member of the cluster file system, and

if the node is already a member of the cluster file system, updating configuration data in the configuration repository regarding the new node.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the configuration repository remains online throughout the course of reconfiguring the at least one or more node other than the new node.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein reconfiguration is automatic, and no manual reconfiguration of any of the at least one or more nodes is required.

34. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 1.

35. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 2.

36. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 3.

37. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 4.

38. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 5.

39. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 6.

40. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 7.

41. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 8.

42. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 9.

43. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 10.

44. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 11.

45. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 12.

46. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 13.

47. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 14.

48. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 15.

49. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 16.

50. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 17.

51. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 18.

52. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 19.

53. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 20.

54. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 21.

55. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 22.

56. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 23.

57. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 24.

58. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 25.

59. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 26.

27. A method for a node in a cluster file system to reconfigure itself comprising:

inspecting first data in a configuration repository for a cluster file system;

based on said inspecting, determining whether a new node was added to the cluster file system; and

if it is determined that a new node was added to the cluster file system, inspecting second data in the configuration repository regarding the configuration of the new node.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

reconfiguring the node to reflect the addition of the new node.

60. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 27.

61. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 28.

29. A method for a node in a cluster file system to reconfigure itself comprising:

inspecting first data in a configuration repository for a cluster file system;

based on said inspecting, determining whether the configuration of another node in the cluster file system was changed; and

if it is determined that the configuration of another node in the cluster file system was changed, inspecting second data in the configuration repository regarding the new configuration of the other node.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising reconfiguring the node to reflect the new configuration of the other node.

62. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 29.

63. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 30.

31. An system comprising:

a configuration repository;

one or more nodes, wherein each node is connected to the configuration repository;

wherein configuration data regarding the configuration of the one or more nodes is stored on the configuration repository, and

wherein said one or more nodes is configured to access configuration data in the configuration repository to determine which other nodes are members of the cluster file system.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein each of said one or more nodes is further configured to update the configuration repository upon its addition to the cluster file system.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein at least one of said nodes is further configured to update configuration data in the configuration repository in response to a change in the configuration.