US 2023/0409536 A1Published application

File system metadata layout for append-only storage

AssigneeMicrosoft Technology Licensing, LLC

InventorsNeeraj Kumar SINGH, Rajsekhar DAS

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Abstract

The techniques disclosed herein enable systems to store file system metadata on append-only storage devices by the introduction of a metadata layout and relative references. To achieve this, a system analyzes a file metadata structure to select an approach to storing the metadata structure on the storage device. If the metadata structure is above a threshold size, it is separated into layers that are then appended to the storage device from lowest to highest. An offset is retrieved for appended layers and provided to upper-level layers that refer to them until the full structure is stored. For storing smaller pieces of metadata that refer to each other, the system configures upper-level nodes with relative references that express the location of metadata relative to the node. This enables atomic write operations for smaller metadata structures and/or portions of larger structures.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

receiving, by a processing system, a file system metadata structure for writing to a storage device, the file system metadata structure containing file metadata and a plurality of nodes that organizes the file metadata;
determining that a quantity of data within the file system metadata structure meets or exceeds a threshold quantity of data;
and
in response to determining that the quantity of data within the file system metadata structure meets or exceeds the threshold quantity of data:
arranging the file metadata and the plurality of nodes within a write buffer such that the file metadata is appended to the storage device prior to the plurality of nodes;
appending the file metadata to a zone within the storage device using the write buffer;
retrieving an offset of the file metadata within the zone relative to a starting position of the zone;
generating a relative reference for each node of the plurality of nodes by configuring each node of the plurality of nodes in the write buffer with the offset of the file metadata;
and
appending each node of the plurality of nodes to the zone of the storage device using the write buffer.

7 more elements

A system comprising:

a processing system;
and
a computer-readable medium having encoded thereon computer-readable instructions that when executed by the processing system cause the system to:
receive a file system metadata structure for writing to a storage device, the file system metadata structure containing file metadata and a plurality of nodes that organizes the file metadata;
determine that a quantity of data within the file system metadata structure meets or exceeds a threshold quantity of data;
and
in response to determining that the quantity of data within the file system metadata structure meets or exceeds the threshold quantity of data:
arrange the file metadata and the plurality of nodes within a write buffer such that the file metadata is appended to the storage device prior to the plurality of nodes;
append the file metadata to a zone within the storage device using the write buffer;
retrieve an offset of the file metadata within the zone relative to a starting position of the zone;
generate a relative reference for each node of the plurality of nodes by configuring each node of the plurality of nodes in the write buffer with the offset of the file metadata;
and
append each node of the plurality of nodes to the storage device using the write buffer.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/844,624Filed 20 Jun 2022
Published: 21 Dec 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G06F 16/1805
File system types: append-only file systems, e.g. using logs or journals to store data
G06F 3/0611
Improving I/O performance: in relation to response time
G06F 3/0643
Organizing or formatting or addressing of data: management of files
G06F 3/0656
Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices: data buffering…

Family

US 12,141,103 B2Related patent
US 2023/0409536 A1This patent

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

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