# US 10,871,921 B2 · Method and system for facilitating atomicity assurance on metadata and data bundled storage

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- Number: US 10,871,921 B2
- Document ID: US10871921B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/201,353
- Filed: 2018-11-27
- Published: 2020-01-30
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2018-07-30
- Assignees: Alibaba Group Holding Limited
- Applicants: Alibaba Group Holding Limited
- Inventors: Shu Li; Ping Zhou
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871921B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/0659: {Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling}
- G06F 3/0685: {Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays}
- G06F 3/0616: {in relation to life time, e.g. increasing Mean Time Between Failures [MTBF]}
- G06F 3/0619: {in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors}
- G06F 3/0656: {Data buffering arrangements}
- G06F 3/0673: {Single storage device}
- G06F 3/0679: {Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]}
- G06F 12/10: Address translation
- G06F 12/1081: for peripheral access to main memory, e.g. direct memory access [DMA]
- G06F 16/2379: {Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing}
- G06F 2212/1044: Space efficiency improvement
- G06F 2212/657: Virtual address space management
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

One embodiment facilitates atomicity assurance for storing data and metadata in a data stream. The system receives a first stream of data to be written to a storage device, wherein the first stream includes a plurality of I/O requests associated with data and corresponding metadata. In response to determining that residual data associated with a preceding I/O request of the first stream exists in a data buffer: the system appends, to the residual data, a first portion of data from a current I/O request to obtain a first page of data; the system writes a remainder portion of the current I/O request to the data buffer to obtain current residual data; and the system writes the first page of data to the storage device. Thus, the system thereby facilitates atomicity assurance for storing the data and corresponding metadata of each I/O request of the first data stream.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method for storing data and metadata in a data stream, the method comprising:
receiving a first stream of data to be written to a storage device, wherein the first stream includes a plurality of I/O requests associated with data and corresponding metadata;
in response to determining that residual data associated with a preceding I/O request of the first stream exists in a data buffer:
appending, to the residual data, a first portion of data from a current I/O request to obtain a first page of data;
writing a remainder portion of the current I/O request to the data buffer to obtain current residual data; and
writing the first page of data to the storage device at a current physical page address, wherein the current physical page address is retrieved from a data structure based on a logical page address associated with the first page; and
determining whether the current residual data corresponds to an end of the first stream, which comprises:
retrieving, from the data structure, a second physical page address corresponding to a next logical page address associated with a next I/O request;
responsive to determining that the second physical page address is null, setting the second physical page address to an invalid and not null physical page address;
responsive to waiting a predetermined period of time, retrieving the second physical page address from the data structure; and
responsive to determining that the second physical page address has been updated and is null, determining that the second physical page address has been trimmed and that the current residual data corresponds to the end of the first stream.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion begins from a first logical page address associated with a current write pointer in the current I/O request, and wherein the method further comprises:
setting the current write pointer to an end of the remainder portion; and
updating, in a data structure, an entry which maps the first logical page address to the current physical page address.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein in response to determining that residual data associated with the first stream does not exist in the data buffer, the method further comprises:
writing, to the data buffer, a second portion of data from the current I/O request to obtain a second page of data,
wherein the second portion begins from a second logical page address associated with a current write pointer in the current I/O request;
writing the remainder portion of the current I/O request to the data buffer to obtain current residual data;
setting the current write pointer to an end of the remainder portion; and
updating, in a data structure, an entry which maps the second logical page address to the current physical page address.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein subsequent to writing the remainder portion of the current I/O request to the data buffer, the method further comprises:
sending, to a host computing device from which the first stream of data is received, an acknowledgement that the current I/O request is successful.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a beginning of the remainder portion in the current I/O request corresponds to a third logical page address, and wherein the method further comprises:
updating, in a data structure, an entry which maps the third logical page address to a next physical page address sequential to the current physical page address.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein in response to determining that the current residual data corresponds to the end of the first stream, the method further comprises:
appending zeros to the current residual data to obtain a third page of data;
writing the third page of data to the storage device at a next physical page address sequential to the current physical page address;
updating, in the data structure, an entry which maps a fourth logical page address associated with the current residual data to the next physical page address; and
clearing the current residual data in the data buffer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the current residual data corresponds to the end of the first stream further comprises:
receiving, by a first microprocessor of the storage device, a command to write the first page of data to the storage device, wherein the first microprocessor retrieves the current physical page address from the data structure;
executing the command by writing the first page to the storage device at the current physical page address;
responsive to determining that the second physical page address has been updated and is not null, determining that the current residual data does not correspond to the end of the first stream; and
responsive to determining that the second physical page address has not been updated, determining that the current residual data corresponds to the end of the first stream.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising:
reporting whether the residual data corresponds to the end of the first stream.

### Claim 9

A computer system for storing data and metadata in a data stream, the system comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform a method, wherein the computer system comprises a storage device, the method comprising:
receiving a first stream of data to be written to the storage device, wherein the first stream includes a plurality of I/O requests associated with data and corresponding metadata;
in response to determining that residual data associated with a preceding I/O request of the first stream exists in a data buffer:
appending, to the residual data, a first portion of data from a current I/O request to obtain a first page of data;
writing a remainder portion of the current I/O request to the data buffer to obtain current residual data; and
writing the first page of data to the storage device at a current physical page address, wherein the current physical page address is retrieved from a data structure based on a logical page address associated with the first page; and
determining whether the current residual data corresponds to an end of the first stream, which comprises:
retrieving, from the data structure, a second physical page address corresponding to a next logical page address associated with a next I/O request;
responsive to determining that the second physical page address is null, setting the second physical page address to an invalid and not null physical page address;
responsive to waiting a predetermined period of time, retrieving the second physical page address from the data structure; and
responsive to determining that the second physical page address has been updated and is null, determining that the second physical page address has been trimmed and that the current residual data corresponds to the end of the first stream.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The computer system of claim 9, wherein the first portion begins from a first logical page address associated with a current write pointer in the current I/O request, and wherein the method further comprises:
setting the current write pointer to an end of the remainder portion; and
updating, in a data structure, an entry which maps the first logical page address to the current physical page address.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The computer system of claim 9, wherein in response to determining that residual data associated with the first stream does not exist in the data buffer, the method further comprises:
writing, to the data buffer, a second portion of data from the current I/O request to obtain a second page of data,
wherein the second portion begins from a second logical page address associated with a current write pointer in the current I/O request;
writing the remainder portion of the current I/O request to the data buffer to obtain current residual data;
setting the current write pointer to an end of the remainder portion; and
updating, in a data structure, an entry which maps the second logical page address to the current physical page address.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The computer system of claim 9, wherein subsequent to writing the remainder portion of the current I/O request to the data buffer, the method further comprises:
sending, to a host computing device from which the first stream of data is received, an acknowledgement that the current I/O request is successful.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The computer system of claim 9, wherein a beginning of the remainder portion in the current I/O request corresponds to a third logical page address, and wherein the method further comprises:
updating, in a data structure, an entry which maps the third logical page address to a next physical page address sequential to the current physical page address.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The computer system of claim 9, wherein in response to determining that the current residual data corresponds to the end of the first stream, the method further comprises:
appending zeros to the current residual data to obtain a third page of data;
writing the third page of data to the storage device at a next physical page address sequential to the current physical page address;
updating, in the data structure, an entry which maps a fourth logical page address associated with the current residual data to the next physical page address; and
clearing the current residual data in the data buffer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The computer system of claim 9, wherein determining whether the current residual data corresponds to the end of the first stream further comprises:
receiving, by a first microprocessor of the storage device, a command to write the first page of data to the storage device, wherein the first microprocessor retrieves the current physical page address from the data structure;
executing the command by writing the first page to the storage device at the current physical page address;
responsive to determining that the second physical page address has been updated and is not null, determining that the current residual data does not correspond to the end of the first stream; and
responsive to determining that the second physical page address has not been updated, determining that the current residual data corresponds to the end of the first stream.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:
reporting whether the residual data corresponds to the end of the first stream.

### Claim 17

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:
receiving a first stream of data to be written to a storage device, wherein the first stream includes a plurality of I/O requests associated with data and corresponding metadata;
in response to determining that residual data associated with a preceding I/O request of the first stream exists in a data buffer:
appending, to the residual data, a first portion of data from a current I/O request to obtain a first page of data;
writing a remainder portion of the current I/O request to the data buffer to obtain current residual data; and
writing the first page of data to the storage device at a current physical page address, wherein the current physical page address is retrieved from a data structure based on a logical page address associated with the first page; and
determining whether the current residual data corresponds to an end of the first stream, which comprises:
retrieving, from the data structure, a second physical page address corresponding to a next logical page address associated with a next I/O request;
responsive to determining that the second physical page address is null, setting the second physical page address to an invalid and not null physical page address;
responsive to waiting a predetermined period of time, retrieving the second physical page address from the data structure; and
responsive to determining that the second physical page address has been updated and is null, determining that the second physical page address has been trimmed and that the current residual data corresponds to the end of the first stream.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The storage medium of claim 17, wherein in response to determining that residual data associated with the first stream does not exist in the data buffer, the method further comprises:
writing, to the data buffer, a second portion of data from the current I/O request to obtain a second page of data,
wherein the second portion begins from a second logical page address associated with a current write pointer in the current I/O request;
writing the remainder portion of the current I/O request to the data buffer to obtain current residual data;
setting the current write pointer to an end of the remainder portion; and
updating, in a data structure, an entry which maps the second logical page address to the current physical page address.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The storage medium of claim 17, wherein in response to determining that the current residual data corresponds to the end of the first stream, the method further comprises:
appending zeros to the current residual data to obtain a third page of data;
writing the third page of data to the storage device at a next physical page address sequential to the current physical page address;
updating, in the data structure, an entry which maps a fourth logical page address associated with the current residual data to the next physical page address; and
clearing the current residual data in the data buffer.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The storage medium of claim 17, wherein determining whether the current residual data corresponds to the end of the first stream further comprises:
receiving, by a first microprocessor of the storage device, a command to write the first page of data to the storage device, wherein the first microprocessor retrieves the current physical page address from the data structure;
executing the command by writing the first page to the storage device at the current physical page address;
responsive to determining that the second physical page address has been updated and is not null, determining that the current residual data does not correspond to the end of the first stream; and
responsive to determining that the second physical page address has not been updated, determining that the current residual data corresponds to the end of the first stream.