Managing access of multiple executing programs to non-local block data storage

• US 8,806,105 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2011
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Paterson-Jones, Roland, DeSantis, Peter N., Jorgensen, Atle Normann, Garman, Matthew S., Certain, Tate Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Phuong Thao
• Application Number:
  US13/219,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20120060006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 707/999.202, 707/812, 711/100, 714/4.11
• US Class Current: 711/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2046 where the redundant components share persistent storage G06F11/2043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• 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 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Techniques are described for managing access of executing programs to non-local block data storage. In some situations, a block data storage service uses multiple server storage systems to reliably store network-accessible block data storage volumes that may be used by programs executing on other physical computing systems. A group of multiple server block data storage systems that store block data volumes may in some situations be co-located at a data center, and programs that use volumes stored there may execute on other physical computing systems at that data center. If a program using a volume becomes unavailable, another program (e.g., another copy of the same program) may in some situations obtain access to and continue to use the same volume, such as in an automatic manner in some such situations.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored contents that configure one or more computing systems of a program execution service to perform a method, the method comprising:

executing, by the configured one or more computing systems and in response to a request from a first customer of the program execution service, a first program copy of an application program on a first computing system provided by the program execution service;

providing, by the configured one or more computing systems to the first program copy, access to a block data storage volume on a block data storage system of a block data storage service that is separated from the first computing system by one or more networks;

initiating, by the configured one or more computing systems, performance of a first data access request for the block data storage volume that is made by the first program copy, the initiating of the performance including performing one or more interactions with the block data storage system over the one or more networks;

in response to the first program copy executing on the first computing system becoming unavailable, providing, by the configured one or more computing systems, access to the block data storage volume from a second program copy of the application program that is executing for the first customer on a second computing system provided by the program execution service, to allow continued access of the application program to the block data storage volume; and

initiating, by the configured one or more computing systems, performance of a second data access request for the block data storage volume that is made by the second program copy, the initiating of the performance including performing one or more additional interactions with the block data storage system over the one or more networks.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the block data storage service provides an application programming interface (API) for use by the first customer and by multiple other customers, wherein the first and second data access requests are initiated by the first and second program copies via the API, and wherein the providing to the first program copy of the access includes attaching the block data storage volume to the first computing system via a logical representation of the block data storage volume that is created locally to the first computing system.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2 wherein the configured one or more computing systems include the first computing system and execute a node manager module of the block data storage service that performs the one or more interactions to send the first data access request to the block data storage system.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the first and second data access requests for the block data storage volume are to access block data stored on the block data storage volume.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the first customer is also a customer of the block data storage service and interacts with the block data storage service to initiate creation of the block data storage volume.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the block data storage service provides an application programming interface (API) for use by a plurality of customers that include the first customer, and wherein the stored contents further configure the one or more configured computing systems to, before the providing of the access to the first program copy, send a request from the first customer via the API to the block data storage service to create the block data storage volume for use by the first customer.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the block data storage service provides an application programming interface (API) for use by a plurality of customers that include the first customer, and wherein the stored contents further configure the one or more configured computing systems to send a request from the first customer via the API to the block data storage service to obtain information about use of capabilities of the block data storage service by the first program copy.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the block data storage service provides an application programming interface (API) for use by a plurality of customers that include the first customer, and wherein the stored contents further configure the one or more configured computing systems to send a request from the first customer via the API to the block data storage service to obtain additional functionality from the block data storage service in exchange for payment received from the first customer.

9. A system comprising:

a memory having stored thereon instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory that, when executing the stored instructions, is caused to provide a block data storage service that has an application programming interface (API) for use by customers of the block data storage service, the providing of the block data storage service including;

in response to a request from a first customer of the block data storage service via the API, creating a block data storage volume for use by a first program copy of an application program that is executing for the first customer on a first computing device separated from the block data storage service by one or more networks, wherein the block data storage volume is stored on a block data storage system provided by the block data storage service, and wherein the first computing device is part of a program execution service and is used to execute the first program copy for the first customer in exchange for one or more fees;

responding, to a first data access request of the first program copy to the block data storage volume that is received over the one or more networks, by initiating performance of the first data access request on the block data storage volume;

in response to the first program copy executing on the first computing device becoming unavailable, providing, to a second program copy of the application program that is executing for the first customer on a second computing device, access to the block data storage volume to allow continued access of the application program to the block data storage volume, wherein the second computing device is part of the program execution service and is used to execute the second program copy for the first customer; and

responding, to a second data access request of the second program copy to the block data storage volume that is received over the one or more networks, by initiating performance of the second data access request on the block data storage volume.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the providing of the block data storage service further includes:

providing, to the first program copy, local access to the block data storage volume by attaching the block data storage volume to the first computing device; and

providing, to the second program copy, local access to the block data storage volume by attaching the block data storage volume to the second computing device.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the first and second data access requests are to access stored block data and are initiated via the API.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the first customer is a customer of the program execution service that interacts with the program execution service to initiate execution of the first executing program on the first computing device.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the providing of the block data storage service includes, in response to a request received from the first customer via the API, providing information to the first customer about use of capabilities of the block data storage service involving the block data storage volume.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the providing of the block data storage service includes, in response to a request received from the first customer via the API, providing additional functionality to the first customer from the block data storage service in exchange for payment received from the first customer.

15. A computer-implemented method comprising:

executing, by a configured computing system of a program execution service and in response to a request from a first customer of the program execution service, a first program copy of an application program for the first customer on a first computing system provided by the program execution service, the executing of the first program copy being performed based on at least one fee charged by the program execution service to the first customer;

providing, by the configured computing system to the first program copy, access to a block data storage volume provided by a block data storage system of a block data storage service that is separated from the program execution service by one or more networks, wherein the access of the first program copy is based on one or more fees paid by the first customer to the block data storage service;

initiating, by the configured computing system, performance of a first data access request using the block data storage volume that is made by the first program copy, the initiating of the performance including performing one or more interactions with the block data storage system over the one or more networks;

in response to the first program copy executing on the first computing system becoming unavailable, providing, by the configured computing system to a second program copy of the application program that is executing for the first customer on a second computing system provided by the program execution service, access to the block data storage volume to enable continued access of the application program to the block data storage volume; and

initiating, by the configured computing system, performance of a second data access request using the block data storage volume that is made by the second program copy, the initiating of the performance including performing one or more additional interactions with the block data storage system over the one or more networks.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the providing of the access to the first program copy includes attaching the block data storage volume to the first computing system via a first logical representation of the block data storage volume that is local to the first computing system, and wherein the providing of the access to the second program copy includes attaching the block data storage volume to the second computing system via a second logical representation of the block data storage volume that is local to the second computing system.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the configured computing system executes a first node manager module of the block data storage service that is associated with the first computing system and that performs the one or more interactions to send the first data access request to the block data storage system, and wherein the configured computing system executes a second node manager module of the block data storage service that is associated with the second computing system and that performs the one or more additional interactions to send the second data access request to the block data storage system.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising, under control of the executing first node manager module, sending the first data access request from the first computing system over the one or more networks to the block data storage system.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the block data storage service provides an application programming interface (API) for use by a plurality of customers that include the first customer, and wherein the method further comprises, before the providing of the access for the first application program and in response to instructions from the first customer, sending a request via the API to the block data storage service to create the block data storage volume for use by the first customer.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the block data storage service provides an application programming interface (API) for use by a plurality of customers that include the first customer, and wherein the method further comprises, in response to instructions from the first customer, sending a request via the API to the block data storage service to obtain information for the first customer about use of capabilities of the block data storage service by the first application program.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein the block data storage service provides an application programming interface (API) for use by a plurality of customers that include the first customer, and wherein the method further comprises, in response to instructions from the first customer, sending a request via the API to the block data storage service to obtain additional functionality for the first customer from the block data storage service in exchange for payment received from the first customer.