US 5,909,540 AGranted

System and method for providing highly available data storage using globally addressable memory

AssigneeMangosoft Corporation

InventorsJohn B. Carter, Scott H. Davis, Daniel J. Dietterich, Steven J. Frank, Robert S. Phillips, John Woods, David Porter, Hsin H. Lee

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

patentgrep

Loading patent…

Abstract

A network of computer node interface to globally addressable memory system that provides persistent storage of data exchange periodic connectivity information. The exchanged connectivity information provides information regarding node failure to other nodes in the system, and the surviving nodes use the information to determine which node, if any, has ceased functioning. Various processes are used to recover the portion of the global address space for which the failed node was responsible, including RAM directory, disk directory, or file system information. Additionally, nodes may be subdivided into groups and connectivity information is exchanged between nodes belonging to a group. Each group then exchanges group-wise connectivity information and failures may be recovered.

Claims14

Dependent claims

In a system for providing distributed control over data, a method for continuing operation after a node failure, the method comprising:

(a) providing a plurality of nodes inter-connected by a network which periodically exchange connectivity information;
(b) storing on each node an instance of a data control program for manipulating data to provide multiple, distributed instances of the data control program;
(c) interfacing each instance of the data control program to a distributed shared memory system that provides distributed storage across the inter-connected node and that provides addressable persistent storage of data;
(d) operating each instance of the data control program to employ the shared memory system as a memory device having data contained therein, whereby the shared memory system maintains multiple, persistent copies of data distributed among more than one network node;
(e) determining from the exchanged connectivity information the failure of a node;
(f) determining a portion of the data for which the failed node was responsible;
and
(g) storing a copy of the portion of the data for which the failed node was responsible in persistent storage hosted by a surviving node.

5 more elements

In a system for providing distributed control over data, a method for continuing operation after a node failure, the method comprising:

(a) providing a plurality of nodes inter-connected by a network which periodically exchange connectivity information;
(b) storing on each node an instance of a data control program for manipulating data to provide multiple, distributed instances of the data control program;
(c) interfacing each instance of the data control program to a globally addressable data store that provides distributed storage across the inter-connected node and that provides addressable persistent storage of data;
(d) operating each instance of the data control program to employ the globally addressable data store as a memory device having data contained therein, whereby the globally addressable data store maintains multiple, persistent copies of data distributed among more than one network node;
(e) determining from the exchanged connectivity information the failure of a node;
(f) determining a portion of the data for which the failed node was responsible;
and
(g) storing a copy of the portion of the data for which the failed node was responsible in persistent storage hosted by a surviving node.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/848,967Filed 2 May 1997 · continuation in part
Priority: 22 Nov 1996
Granted: 1 Jun 1999
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification24 codes

G06F 9/5016
The resources being hardware resources other than CPUs, Servers and Terminals: the resource being the memory
G06F 11/0724
Within a central processing unit [CPU]: in a multiprocessor or a multi-core unit
G06F 11/0757
By exceeding limits: by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
G06F 11/1425
Reconfiguring to eliminate the error: by reconfiguration of node membership