US 2014/0351388 A1Published application

Object location service for network-based content repository

AssigneeNetApp, Inc.

InventorsSudhir Srinivasan, Shankar Pasupathy, Minglong Shao, Garth Goodson

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Abstract

A distributed object store in a network storage system uses location-independent global object identifiers (IDs) for stored data objects. The global object ID enables a data object to be seamlessly moved from one location to another without affecting clients of the storage system, i.e., “transparent migration”. The global object ID can be part of a multilevel object handle, which also can include a location ID indicating the specific location at which the data object is stored, and a policy ID identifying a set of data management policies associated with the data object. The policy ID may be associated with the data object by a client of the storage system, for example when the client creates the object, thus allowing “inline” policy management. An object location subsystem (OLS) can be used to locate an object when a client request does not contain a valid location ID for the object.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

in a network storage server system, storing a plurality of data objects which are sub-volume level data objects;
in the network storage server system, providing a layer of indirection between storage locations of the data objects and at least one of
path names of the data objects, or
object identifiers of the data objects,
so that the path names and/or object identifiers of the data objects are independent of the storage locations of the data objects, wherein providing the layer of indirection includes:
implementing, in the network storage system, a first mapping structure that represents mappings between location-independent object identifiers of the plurality of data objects and corresponding location identifiers of the plurality of data objects;
and
implementing, in the network storage server system, a path namespace associated with the plurality of data objects, wherein the path namespace includes a second mapping structure that represents a mapping between the path names of the plurality of data objects and corresponding location-independent object identifiers of the plurality of data objects;
wherein the path namespace in conjunction with the first mapping structure provides a multilevel mapping between path names of the plurality of data objects and corresponding location identifiers of the plurality of data objects;
in the network storage server system, locating a particular data object of the plurality of data objects by using the location-independent object identifier of the particular data object to look up a location identifier of the particular data object in the first mapping structure, wherein the first mapping structure is a multilevel hierarchical structure, and wherein using the location-independent object identifier of the particular data object to look up a location identifier of the particular data object in the multilevel hierarchical structure comprises:
using a first portion of the location-independent object identifier of the data object to identify a first entry in a first level of the multilevel hierarchical structure;
using a second portion of the location-independent object identifier of the data object to identify a second entry in a second level of the multilevel hierarchical structure, the second entry being descendent from the first entry in the multilevel hierarchical structure;
and
retrieving the location identifier of the particular data object from the second entry.

11 more elements

A method comprising:

in a network storage server system, storing a plurality of data objects in a distributed object store which includes a plurality of individual object stores;
implementing in the network storage system a first mapping structure that represents mappings between location-independent object identifiers of the plurality of data objects and corresponding location identifiers of the plurality of data objects;
and
locating a particular data object of the plurality of data objects by using the location-independent object identifier of the particular data object to look up a location identifier of the particular data object in the first mapping structure,
wherein the first mapping structure is a multilevel hierarchical structure, wherein using the location-independent object identifier of the particular data object to look up a location identifier of the particular data object in the multilevel hierarchical structure comprises:
using a first portion of the location-independent object identifier of the data object to identify a first entry in a first level of the multilevel hierarchical structure;
using a second portion of the location-independent object identifier of the data object to identify a second entry in a second level of the multilevel hierarchical structure, the second entry being descendent from the first entry in the multilevel hierarchical structure;
and
retrieving the location identifier of the particular data object from the second entry.

6 more elements

A storage server node configured for use in a storage server cluster that includes a plurality of storage server nodes, the storage server node comprising:

a D-module configured to provide backend storage and retrieval of a plurality data objects in a nonvolatile mass storage facility;
and
an N-module configured to provide network communication services to communicate with a storage client over a network, the N-module configured to communicate with the D-module through an interconnect;
the storage server node further configured with the ability to provide a layer of indirection between storage locations of the data objects and at least one of:
path names of the data objects, or
object identifiers of the data objects,
so that the path names and/or object identifiers of the data objects are independent of the storage locations of the data objects, wherein the storage server node is configured to provide the layer of indirection by:
implementing in the network storage system a mapping structure that represents mappings between location-independent object identifiers of the plurality of data objects and corresponding location identifiers of the plurality of data objects;
and
implementing in the network storage server system a path namespace associated with the plurality of data objects, wherein the path namespace includes a second mapping structure that represents a mapping between the path names of the plurality of data objects and corresponding location-independent object identifiers of the plurality of data objects,
wherein the path namespace in conjunction with the first mapping structure provides a multilevel mapping between path names of the plurality of data objects and corresponding location identifiers of the plurality of data objects,
wherein the storage server node is further configured with the ability to locate a particular data object of the plurality of data objects by using the location-independent object identifier of the particular data object to look up a location identifier of the particular data object in the mapping structure,
wherein the mapping structure is a multilevel hierarchical structure, and wherein using the location-independent object identifier of the particular data object to look up a location identifier of the particular data object in the multilevel hierarchical structure comprises:
using a first portion of the location-independent object identifier of the data object to identify a first entry in a first level of the multilevel hierarchical structure;
using a second portion of the location-independent object identifier of the data object to identify a second entry in a second level of the multilevel hierarchical structure, the second entry being descendent from the first entry in the multilevel hierarchical structure;
and
retrieving the location identifier of the particular data object from the second entry.

14 more elements

A network storage server system comprising:

a processor;
a network interface through which to communicate with a plurality of storage clients over a network;
a storage interface through which to communicate with a nonvolatile mass storage subsystem;
and
a memory storing code which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform a plurality of operations, including
storing a plurality of data objects which are sub-volume level data objects;
implementing a mapping structure that represents mappings between location-independent object identifiers of the plurality of data objects and corresponding location identifiers of the plurality of data objects;
and
locating a particular data object of the plurality of data objects by using the location-independent object identifier of the particular data object to look up a location identifier of the particular data object in the first mapping structure, wherein the first mapping structure is a multilevel hierarchical structure, wherein using the location-independent object identifier of the particular data object to look up a location identifier of the particular data object in the multilevel hierarchical structure comprises:
using a first portion of the location-independent object identifier of the data object to identify a first entry in a first level of the multilevel hierarchical structure;
using a second portion of the location-independent object identifier of the data object to identify a second entry in a second level of the multilevel hierarchical structure, the second entry being a descendent of the first entry in the multilevel hierarchical structure;
and
retrieving the location identifier of the particular data object from the second entry.

10 more elements

A method comprising:

in a network storage server system, storing a plurality of data objects that are sub-volume level data objects;
in the network storage server system, providing a layer of indirection between storage locations of the data objects and object identifiers of the data objects,
such that object identifiers of the data objects are independent of the storage locations of the data objects,
wherein providing the layer of indirection includes implementing a multilevel hierarchical mapping structure that represents a mapping between the object identifiers of the data objects and corresponding location identifiers of the data objects,
in the network storage server system, locating a particular data object of the plurality of data objects by using an object identifier of the particular data object to look up a location identifier of the particular data object in the multilevel hierarchical mapping structure,
wherein using the object identifier of the particular data object to look up the location identifier of the particular data object in the multilevel hierarchical mapping structure includes:
using a first portion of the object identifier of the data object to identify a first entry in a first level of the multilevel hierarchical mapping structure;
using a second portion of the object identifier of the data object to identify a second entry in a second level of the multilevel hierarchical mapping structure, the second entry being descendent from the first entry in the multilevel hierarchical mapping structure;
and
retrieving the location identifier of the particular data object from the second entry.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/453,813Filed 7 Aug 2014
Priority: 8 Dec 2009
Published: 27 Nov 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

H04L 67/1097
In which an application is distributed across nodes in the network: for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for…
G06F 16/13
File systems; File servers: file access structures, e.g. distributed indices
H04L
Digital communication
G06F
Computing and data processing

Family

Application12/633,745Continuation · filed 8 Dec 2009
Application14/453,813Continuation
US 8,832,154 B1Related patent
US 9,565,254 B2Related patent
US 2014/0351388 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.