Maintaining data integrity in data servers across data centers

• US 8,676,760 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2008
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shen, Jinmei, Wang, Hao
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arjomandi, Noosha
• Application Number:
  US12/185,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20100036885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,051 Days
• Field of Search: 707/640
• US Class Current: 707/640
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2035 without idle spare hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2097 maintaining the standby controller/processing unit updated initialisation or re-synchronisation thereof G06F11/1658 and subgroups

Abstract

A method, computer program product and system for maintaining data integrity of multiple copies of a piece of data in data servers of multiple data centers, includes maintaining a cluster of catalog servers, where one of the catalog servers is selected as the master catalog server, storing the piece of data in a primary data server chosen from the data servers, duplicating the piece of data to one or more backup data servers chosen from the data servers, recording a data state information to the master catalog server, duplicating the data state information to the cluster of catalog servers, and updating the data servers and the cluster of catalog servers when the primary data server fails.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining data integrity of a plurality of copies of a piece of data, the plurality of copies being stored in a plurality of data servers across multiple data centers, comprising:

providing a plurality of active data servers to be the plurality of data servers, such that the plurality of copies stored therein are simultaneously accessible;

selecting one of the plurality of data servers to be a primary data server, storing the piece of data on the primary data server, and duplicating the piece of data to the other ones of the plurality of data servers;

maintaining a cluster of catalog servers, and designating one of the catalog servers to be a master catalog server;

recording data state information of the piece of data to the master catalog server, including registering the plurality of data servers that store the plurality of copies of the piece of data, and duplicating the data state information to the other catalog servers of the cluster of catalog servers; and

routing each of a plurality of service requests for the piece of data either to the primary data server or to one of the other data servers that is closest to the service request, in accordance with the data state information of the piece of data, to thereby simultaneously access the copies of the piece of data on the plurality of data servers including the copy on the primary data server, wherein

the routing includes selecting, using the recorded data state information, a closest one of the registered plurality of data servers and routing the service request to the selected data server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating comprises:

registering a new data state information containing the another one data server to the master catalog server; and

duplicating the new data state information to other catalog servers in the cluster of catalog servers.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, before selecting the new primary data server,

managing a majority group and a minority group of data servers disconnected by the failing primary data server;

controlling functions of data servers in the minority group;

compiling dirty records of data in the minority group of data servers;

removing the failing primary data server by connecting each server in the plurality of data servers to a headmaster controller; and

regrouping the data servers connected to the headmaster controller.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data servers include more than two data servers, and said other data servers include at least two data servers of the plurality of data servers.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to a failure of the primary data server, selecting another one of the plurality of data servers to be the primary data server, and updating the duster of catalog servers.

6. A computer program product for maintaining data integrity of a plurality of copies of a piece of data, the plurality of copies being stored in a plurality of data servers that are active data servers across multiple data centers, and being simultaneously accessible, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising;

instructions to select one of the plurality of data servers to be a primary data server, to store the piece of data on the primary data server, and to duplicate the piece of data to the other ones of the plurality of data servers;

instructions to maintain a cluster of catalog servers, and to designate one of the catalog servers to be a master catalog server;

instructions to record data state information of the piece of data to the master catalog server, including instructions to register the plurality of data servers that store the plurality of copies of the piece of data, and to duplicate the data state information to the other catalog servers of the cluster of catalog servers; and

instructions to route each of a plurality of service requests for the piece of data either to the primary data server or to one of the other data servers that is closest to the service request, in accordance with the data state information of the piece of data, to thereby simultaneously access the copies of the piece of data on the plurality of data servers including the copy on the primary data server, wherein

the instructions to route include instructions to select, using the recorded data state information, a closest one of the registered plurality of data servers and to route the service request to the selected data server.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the instructions to update comprise:

instructions to register a new data state information containing the another one data server to the master catalog server; and

instructions to duplicate the new data state information to other catalog servers in the cluster of catalog servers.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising, before instructions to select the new primary data server,

instructions to manage a majority group and a minority group of data servers disconnected by the failing primary data server;

instructions to control functions of data servers in the minority group;

instructions to compile dirty records of data in the minority group of data servers;

instructions to remove the failing primary data server by connecting each server in the plurality of data servers to a headmaster controller; and

instructions to regroup the data servers connected to the headmaster controller.

9. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the plurality of data servers include more than two data servers, and said other data servers include at least two data servers of the plurality of data servers.

10. The computer program product of claim 6, further comprising instructions, responsive to a failure of the primary data server, to select another one of the plurality of data servers to be the primary data server, and to update the cluster of catalog servers.

11. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory operatively coupled with the processor;

a storage device operatively coupled with the processor and the memory; and

a computer program product for maintaining data integrity of a plurality of copies of a piece of data, the plurality of copies being stored in a plurality of data servers that are active data servers across multiple data centers, and being simultaneously accessible, the computer program product comprising;

a non-transitory computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising;

instructions to select one of the plurality of data servers to be a primary data server, to store the piece of data on the primary data server, and to duplicate the piece of data to the other ones of the plurality of data servers;

instructions to maintain a cluster of catalog servers, and to designate one of the catalog servers to be a master catalog server;

instructions to record data state information of the piece of data to the master catalog server, including instructions to register the plurality of data servers that store the plurality of copies of the piece of data, and to duplicate the data state information to the other catalog servers of the cluster of catalog servers; and

instructions to route each of a plurality of service requests for the piece of data either to the primary data server or to one of the other data servers that is closest to the service request, in accordance with the data state information of the piece of data, to thereby simultaneously access the copies of the piece of data on the plurality of data servers including the copy on the primary data server, wherein

the instructions to route include instructions to select, using the recorded data state information, a closest one of the registered plurality of data servers and to route the service request to the selected data server.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the instructions to update comprise:

instructions to register a new data state information containing the another one data server to the master catalog server; and

instructions to duplicate the new data state information to other catalog servers in the duster of catalog servers.

13. The computer system of claim 12, further comprising, before instructions to select the new primary data server,

instructions to manage a majority group and a minority group of data servers disconnected by the failing primary data server;

instructions to control functions of data servers in the minority group;

instructions to compile dirty records of data in the minority group of data servers;

instructions to remove the failing primary data server by connecting each server in the plurality of data servers to a headmaster controller; and

instructions to regroup the data servers connected to the headmaster controller.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of data servers include more than two data servers, and said other data servers include at least two data servers of the plurality of data servers.

15. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising instructions, responsive to a failure of the primary data server, to select another one of the plurality of data servers to be the primary data server, and to update the cluster of catalog servers.