Apparatus, system, and method for file system serialization reinitialization

An apparatus to reinitialize a file server, the apparatus comprising:

• an electronic memory device of the file server storing serialization programs and data;
• a storage device storing executable code;
• a processor executing the executable code, the executable code comprising
• a front end module coupled to the electronic memory device, the front end module configured to store connection/position data in a client address space, the connection/position data descriptive of an open connection between an application and a shared storage resource;
• a back end module coupled to the electronic memory device, the back end module configured to manage serialization data located in a file server address space of the electronic memory device for the open connection, the serialization data comprising application shared access rights that allow read operations by a first application through the open connection, the first application interfacing with the file server, and exclusive access rights that allow exclusive write access by the first application through the open connection for each data set in a file system and completion rights, the completion rights comprising a processing status for each application data access request for each data set;
• a failure recognition module recognizing a file system serialization failure on the file server;
• a discard module discarding all existing serialization data and completion rights in response to the serialization failure;
• and
• a serialization module reading the connection/position data located in the client address space of the first application in response to a file system serialization failure, generating new serialization data from the connection/position data, and writing the new serialization data to the file server address space of the electronic memory device until the serialization module determines that there is no more connection/position data to process, wherein the connection/position data describes open file connections.

A system to reinitialize a file server, the system comprising:

• a plurality of shared storage devices configured to store data;
• a plurality of file servers within a file server cluster, each of the plurality of file servers configured to access data on the shared storage devices;
• and
• a serialization reinitialization apparatus comprising a code storage device storing executable code and a processor executing the executable code, the executable code when executed reinitializing a first file server of the plurality of file servers in response to a file system serialization failure on the first file server by
• discarding all existing serialization data and completion rights located in a file server address space of the plurality of shared storage devices, the serialization data comprising application shared access rights that allow read operations by a first application that interfaces with the plurality of file servers, and exclusive access rights that allow exclusive write access by the first application for each data set in the file system and including completion rights, the completion rights comprising a processing status for each application data access request for each data set,
• reading existing connection/position data located in a client address space for the first application in the plurality of shared storage devices, generating new serialization data from the existing connection/position data, and writing the new serialization data to the file server address space of the plurality of shared storage devices until the serialization reinitialization apparatus determines that there is no more connection/position data to process, wherein the connection/position data describes open file connections.

An electronic storage medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executed by a digital processing apparatus to perform operations to reinitialize a file server, the instructions comprising operations to:

• recognize a file system serialization failure on the file server;
• discard all existing serialization data and completion rights located in a file server address space of the file server in response to the serialization failure,
• the serialization data comprising application shared access rights that allow read operations by a first application interfacing with the file server, and exclusive access rights that allow exclusive write access by the first application for each data set in the file system and the completion rights comprising a processing status for each application data access request for each data set;
• read existing connection/position data located in a client address space for the first application;
• generate new serialization data from the existing connection/position data;
• and
• write the new serialization data to the file server address space until there is no more connection/position data to process,
• wherein the connection/position data describes open file connections.

An electronic storage medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executed by a digital processing apparatus to perform operations to reinitialize a file server, the instructions comprising operations to:

• store connection/position data in a client address space of a first application, the connection/position data descriptive of an open connection between an application and a shared storage resource;
• manage serialization data for the open connection, the serialization data comprising application shared access rights that allow read operations by the first application through the open connection, and exclusive access rights that allow exclusive write access by the first application through the open connection for each data set in a file system, the first application interfacing with the file server;
• recognize a file system serialization failure on the file server;
• discard all existing serialization data and completion rights located in a file server address space of the file server in response to the serialization failure, the completion rights comprising a processing status for each application data access request for each data set;
• read the connection/position data located in the client address space in response to the file system serialization failure;
• generate new serialization data from the connection/position data;
• write the new serialization data to the file server address space until there is no more connection/position data to process,
• wherein the connection/position data describes open file connections.

A method for reinitializing a file server, the method comprising:

• recognizing, by use of a processor, a file system serialization failure on the file server;
• discarding all existing serialization data and completion rights located in a file server address space of the file server in response to the serialization failure, the serialization data comprising application shared access rights that allow read operations by a first application interfacing with the file server, and exclusive access rights that allow exclusive write access by the first application for each data set in the file system and the completion rights comprising a processing status for each application data access request for each data set;
• reading existing connection/position data located in a client address space of the first application;
• generating new serialization data from the existing connection/position data;
• writing the new serialization data to the file server address space until there is no more connection/position data to process, wherein the connection/position data describes open file connections.

A method for reinitializing a file server, the method comprising:

• recognizing, by use of a processor, a file system serialization failure on the file server;
• quiescing a current data access process in anticipation of reinitialization;
• discarding all existing serialization data and completion rights located in a file server address space of the file server in response to the serialization failure by invoking an operating system function to destroy the file server address space, the serialization data comprising application shared access rights that allow read operations by a first application interfacing with the file server, and exclusive access rights that allow exclusive write access by the first application for each data set in the file system and the completion rights comprising a processing status for each application data access request for each data set;
• invoking an operating system function to create a new file server address space for the file server;
• searching a plurality of address spaces and finding existing connection/position information in the client address space of the first application;
• reading the existing connection/position data;
• generating new serialization data from the existing connection/position data;
• and
• writing the new serialization data to the new file server address space until there is no more connection/position data to process, wherein the connection/position data describes open file connections.

An apparatus to reinitialize a file server, the apparatus comprising:

• a storage device storing executable code;
• a processor executing the executable code, the executable code comprising means for recognizing a file system serialization failure on the file server;
• means for discarding all existing serialization data and completion rights located in a file server address space of the file server in response to the serialization failure, the serialization data comprising application shared access rights that allow read operations by a first application interfacing with the file server, and exclusive access rights that allow exclusive write access by the first application for each data set in the file system and the completion rights comprising a processing status for each application data access request for each data set;
• and
• means for reading existing connection/position data located in a client address space of the first application, generating new serialization data from the existing connection/position data located, and writing the new serialization data to the file server address space until there is no more connection/position data to process wherein the connection/position data describes open file connections.