US 2015/0106549 A1Published application

Robust Data Replication

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsJoanna K. Brown, Gordon J. Cockburn, Carlos F. Fuente, John P. Wilkinson

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Abstract

Disclosed is a system for replicating data. The system may comprise a plurality of nodes preferably organised in groups with one of the nodes acting as a coordinator node. The nodes are configured to receive write requests from an external server and to apply these write requests to a data storage source of the data storage system. The write requests typically belong to a batch of independent write actions identified by a batch sequence number. Each node stores the write request in non-volatile memory with the coordinator node monitoring which batches are secured in their entirety in non-volatile memory. The coordinator node authorises all other nodes to sequentially replicate the write requests in their non-volatile memory to the data storage source for all writes up to the highest batch sequence number for which all writes have been secured in non-volatile memory.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A data storage system (200) for replicating data from an external server (100) providing a sequence of batches comprising independent write actions, the data storage system comprising:

a data storage resource (230) comprising a plurality of data storage volumes;
and
a plurality of nodes (220, 220′) communicatively coupled to each other and to the data storage resource, each node having access to a non-volatile memory and being adapted to receive a write request including a write action belonging to one of said batches and a batch sequence number identifying the position of said batch in said sequence from the external server and to store the write request into its non-volatile memory;
is the system comprising a further node adapted to act as a coordinator node (220′), said coordinator node being adapted to:
receive batch information from the external server indicating the batch sequence number and the number of write actions in said batch;
and
periodically communicate with the other nodes to determine the highest batch sequence number for which all write actions have been written into the respective non-volatile memories and to communicate a first batch sequence number indicative of the highest batch sequence number to the other nodes;
wherein each node (220) is further adapted to:
store the communicated first batch sequence number;
replicate all write actions belonging to any batch having a sequence number not exceeding the communicated first batch sequence number from its non-volatile memory to a data storage volume in sequential order;
and
upon completion of the replication, remove the corresponding write request from its non-volatile memory.

9 more elements

A method of replicating data from an external server (100) providing a sequence of batches comprising independent write actions onto a data storage system (200) comprising a plurality of nodes (220, 220′) having access to a non-volatile memory and a data storage resource (230) comprising a plurality of data storage volumes, wherein each node is associated with a set of data volumes, the method comprising:

appointing one of said nodes (220) as a coordinator node (220′);
receiving, on the coordinator node, batch information from the external server indicating the batch sequence number and the number of write actions in said batch
receiving, on one of said nodes, a write request including a write action belonging to one of said batches and a batch sequence number identifying the position of said batch in said sequence from an external server and to store the write request into its non-volatile memory;
informing the coordinator node that the write request has been stored into the non-volatile memory;
determining, at the coordinator node, the highest batch sequence number for which all write actions have been written into the respective non-volatile memories;
communicating a first batch sequence number indicative of the highest batch sequence number from the coordinator node to the other nodes;
storing the communicated first batch sequence number in the non-volatile memories of all nodes receiving said communication;
and for each node receiving said communication:
replicating all write actions belonging to any batch having a sequence number not exceeding the communicated first batch sequence number from its non-volatile memory to a data storage volume in sequential order;
and
removing the corresponding write request from its non-volatile memory upon completion of the replication.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/494,901Filed 24 Sep 2014
Priority: GB 1318114.414 Oct 2013
Published: 16 Apr 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G06F 3/065
Horizontal data movement in storage systems, i.e. moving data in between storage devices or systems: replication mechanisms
G06F 3/0619
Improving the reliability of storage systems: in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
G06F 3/0679
Single storage device: non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
G06F 11/2064
By mirroring: while ensuring consistency

Family

US 9,552,173 B2Related patent
US 2015/0106549 A1This patent

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

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