US 8,713,356 B1 · Error detection and recovery tool for logical volume management in a data storage system

Abstract

Errors arising in logical volume partitions are detected and corrected automatically well before the errors cause a failure to access data. A database is created of configuration information about the logical volume partitions defined in physical volume headers, and the database is stored in storage separate from the headers. Thereafter the errors are detected by capturing configuration information about the logical volume partitions from the headers, and comparing the captured configuration information to the configuration information in the database. The errors are automatically corrected in the corrupt headers. If requested, a report is generated of the volumes and disk partitions that are inaccessible or missing or have the wrong size. The configuration check is performed periodically as a background task and during a re-boot after a system crash or interruption of a configuration process or when invoked prior to a recovery install or database restore.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A method of configuring logical volumes in a data storage system, the logical volumes being contained in volume groups of physical volumes of storage in the data storage system, the logical volumes and volume groups being defined in headers of the physical volumes, said method comprising a data processor of the data storage system executing computer instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium to perform the steps of:

(a) creating a configuration database of configuration information about the physical volumes, volume groups, and logical volumes defined in the headers of the physical volumes, and storing the configuration database in storage separate from the physical headers of the physical volumes;
and thereafter
(b) checking the configuration of the physical volumes, volume groups, and logical volumes in the volume headers by capturing configuration information about the physical volumes, volume groups, and logical volumes from the headers of the physical volumes, and comparing the captured configuration information to the configuration information about the physical volumes, volume groups, and logical volumes in the configuration database to detect a configuration error in at least one of the headers of the physical volumes;
and
(c) upon detecting the configuration error in said at least one of the headers of the physical volumes, automatically correcting the configuration error in said at least one of the headers of the physical volumes;
which includes performing step (b) automatically during a re-boot of the storage system to recover from a crash of the storage system.

3 more elements

(a) creating a configuration database of configuration information about the physical volumes, volume groups, and logical volumes defined in the headers of the physical volumes, and storing the configuration database in storage separate from the physical headers of the physical volumes;
and thereafter
(b) checking the configuration of the physical volumes, volume groups, and logical volumes in the volume headers by capturing configuration information about the physical volumes, volume groups, and logical volumes from the headers of the physical volumes, and comparing the captured configuration information to the configuration information about the physical volumes, volume groups, and logical volumes in the configuration database to detect a configuration error in at least one of the headers of the physical volumes;
and
(c) upon detecting the configuration error in said at least one of the headers of the physical volumes, automatically correcting the configuration error in said at least one of the headers of the physical volumes;
wherein step (a) further includes storing, in the configuration database, logical or physical disk partition information about logical or physical disk partitions defined in partition tables of logical or physical drives in the storage system and step (b) further includes detecting an error in at least one of the logical or physical disk partitions by capturing logical or physical disk partition information from the partition tables of the logical or physical drives in the storage system and comparing the captured logical or physical disk partition information to the logical or physical disk partition information in the configuration database, and step (c) further includes, upon detecting said error in said at least one of the logical or physical disk partitions, correcting the error in said at least one of the logical or physical disk partitions;
and
wherein step (b) further includes generating a report of logical or physical disk partitions that are inaccessible, logical or physical disk partitions that are missing from the configuration database, and logical or physical disk partitions that have a size that is wrong.

5 more elements

A computer program product comprising non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer instructions, wherein the computer instructions, when executed by a data processor of a data storage system, perform the steps of:

(a) creating a configuration database of configuration information about the physical volumes, volume groups, and logical volumes defined in the headers of the physical volumes, and storing the configuration database in storage separate from the physical headers of the physical volumes;
and thereafter
(b) checking the configuration of the physical volumes, volume groups, and logical volumes in the volume headers by capturing configuration information about the physical volumes, volume groups, and logical volumes from the headers of the physical volumes, and comparing the captured configuration information to the configuration information about the physical volumes, volume groups, and logical volumes in the configuration database to detect a configuration error in at least one of the headers of the physical volumes;
and
(c) upon detecting the configuration error in said at least one of the headers of the physical volumes, automatically correcting the configuration error in said at least one of the headers of the physical volumes;
wherein step (a) further includes storing, in the configuration database, logical or physical disk partition information about logical or physical disk partitions defined in partition tables of logical or physical drives in the storage stem and step (b) further includes detecting an error in at least one of the logical or physical disk partitions by capturing logical or physical disk partition information from the partition tables of the logical or physical drives in the storage system and comparing the captured logical or physical disk partition information to the logical or physical disk partition information in the configuration database, and step (c) further includes, upon detecting said error in said at least one of the logical or physical disk partitions, correcting the error in said at least one of the logical or physical disk partitions;
and
wherein step (b) further includes generating a report of logical or physical disk partitions that are inaccessible, logical or physical disk partitions that are missing from the configuration database, and logical or physical disk partitions that have a size that is wrong.

5 more elements

A data storage system comprising:

back-end data storage devices;
data mover computers coupled to the back-end data storage devices for moving data between the back-end data storage devices and network clients;
and
a control station computer coupled to the data mover computers for configuring and controlling the data storage system, wherein the control station computer includes a data processor and non-transitory computer readable storage medium stormy program instructions that, when executed by the data processor, perform the steps of:
(a) creating a configuration database of configuration information about physical volumes, volume groups, and logical volumes defined in headers of physical volumes in the back-end data storage devices, and storing the configuration database in storage separate from the headers of the physical volumes;
and thereafter
(b) checking the configuration of the physical volumes, volume groups, and logical volumes in the volume headers by capturing configuration information about the physical volumes, volume groups, and logical volumes from the headers of the physical volumes, and comparing the captured configuration information to the configuration information about the physical volumes, volume groups, and logical volumes in the configuration database to detect a configuration error in at least one of the headers of the physical volumes;
and
(c) upon detecting the configuration error in said at least one of the headers of the physical volumes automatically correcting the configuration error in said at least one of the headers of the physical volumes;
wherein the step (a) further includes storing, in the configuration database, logical or disk partition information about logical or physical disk partitions defined in partition tables of logical or physical drives in the storage stem and step (b) further includes detecting an error in at least one of the logical or physical disk partitions by capturing logical or physical disk partition information from the partition tables of the logical or physical drives in the storage system and comparing the captured logical or physical disk partition information to the logical or physical disk partition information in the configuration database, and step (c) further includes, upon detecting said error in said at least one of the logical or physical disk partitions, correcting the error in said at least one of the logical or physical disk partitions;
and
wherein step (b) further includes generating a report of logical or physical disk partitions that are inaccessible, logical or physical disk partitions that are missing from the configuration database, and logical or physical disk partitions that have a size that is wrong.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Error detection and recovery tool for logical volume management in a data storage system

Life of this patent

Error detection and recovery tool for logical volume management in a data storage system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8