Network Appliance, Inc.

Netapp, Inc.

Naveen Bali

Ravi Krishna Budhia

Naresh M Patel

Abhijeet Prakash Gole

Robert L Fair

Manpreet Singh

Yasuhiro Endo

Kayuri Hasmukh Patel

Raymond C Chen

Samuel M Cramer

Alexander D Petruncola

Joseph Tupy

Amit Prakash Sawant

Aspects of the present invention concern a method and system for scheduling a request for execution on multiple processors. This scheduler divides processes from the request into a set of domains. Instructions in the same domain are capable of executing the instructions associated with the request in a serial manner on a processor without conflicts. A relative processor utilization for each domain in the set of the domains is based upon a workload corresponding to an execution of the request. If there are processors available then the present invention provisions a subset of available processors to fulfill an aggregate processor utilization. The aggregate processor utilization is created from a combination of the relative processor utilization associated with each domain in the set of domains. If processors are not needed then some processors may be shut down. Shutting down processors in accordance with the schedule saves energy without sacrificing performing.

Processor scheduling method and system using domains

The present invention includes storing in a main memory data block tags corresponding to blocks of data previously inserted into a buffer cache memory and then evicted from the buffer cache memory or written over in the buffer cache memory. Counters associated with the tags are updated when look-up requests to look up data block tags are received from a cache look-up algorithm.

Optimization of cascaded virtual cache memory

The present invention includes dynamically analyzing look-up requests from a cache look-up algorithm to look-up data block tags corresponding to blocks of data previously inserted into a cache memory, to determine a cache related parameter. After analysis of a specific look-up request, a block of data corresponding to the tag looked up by the look-up request may be accessed from the cache memory or from a mass storage device.

Dynamic optimization of cache memory

An automated tool for partitioning the source code of a software system at heuristic architectural boundaries identified by a bug-reporting process, and for representing the architecture of the software system as a set of visual attributes without constraining the representation to any particular predefined architectural style. The attributes are visualized applying multi-dimensional mapping techniques to software components to generate visual maps of the relationships and interactions among software components that cannot be easily understood or assimilated in a non-graphical form.

Tool for visualizing software architecture

A network storage system includes a non-volatile memory to store data including a log of received data access requests, and a cluster interconnect adapter through which to send data to a cluster partner. The nonvolatile memory and the cluster interconnect adapter are implemented in a single device connected to an expansion bus in the network storage system. Communication with the nonvolatile memory is carried out using LDMA, and communication with the cluster partner is carried out using RDMA via the cluster interconnect adapter. LDMA and RDMA functionality are merged in a common software stack.

Multicasting message in a network storage system to local NVRAM and remote cluster partner

A nonvolatile system memory of a server of a network file computer system temporarily stores data received from client computers prior to the data being stored on a mass storage device. A single copy of the data and pointers which corresponds to the memory addresses of the data are stored in a temporary memory storage portion, preferably partitioned from nonvolatile system memory. The pointers are used to access the data to enable the transfer and writing of the data from the temporary memory storage to the mass storage device. Writing the data occurs during the normal operation of the network file computer system or after an unclean shutdown. The use of the pointers increases the performance of the network file computer system by conserving system memory storage space and reducing system memory traffic.

Method and apparatus for using pointers within a nonvolatile system memory of a network file computer system

The status of an appliance may be monitored using promiscuous packets and network reads. In order to establish a peer-to-peer connection between two appliances, a connection manager may issue a communication to a first appliance to establish a connection with a second, remote appliance. The connection manager issues a similar communication to the second appliance. The first appliance issues a promiscuous packet to the second appliance including connection information to establish a peer connection between the two appliances. The first appliance continues to issue the promiscuous packets even after the connection is established to indicate that the first appliance is still available. If the second appliance does not receive a promiscuous packet, the second appliance may attempt to perform a read over the connection. If the attempt to perform a read fails, the second appliance can notify the connection manager that the connection is no longer active.

Method and apparatus for monitoring a connection in a peer-to-peer network

In one embodiment, a method for building a failover-enabled communications systems is provided. The method comprises clustering a plurality of Fiber Channel (FC) node devices to form a failover cluster. A primary link is established between a first FC node device in the failover cluster and a FC node device outside the failover cluster. In the event of failure of the primary link, a backup link is established between the FC node device outside the failover cluster and a second FC node device in the failover cluster.

IP aliasing and address resolution using a fibre channel (FC) fabric name server

Method and apparatus for assigning a local identifier to a cluster interconnect port in a network storage system

A network storage server has a non-volatile mass storage facility, a main cache and a victim cache. A technique of intelligently determining whether to cache a data block in the victim cache includes determining whether to store the data block in the victim cache based on a first caching policy and the type of data contained within the data block. The first caching policy may be a global policy. The determination of whether to store the data block in the victim cache further may be based on a second caching policy, which may be a volume-specific control of service (CoS) policy.

Intelligent caching of data in a storage server victim cache

A server storage system operating in a cluster mode, and a method for operating the server system that provides additional memory for use by a non-failed server to store log records while taking over the operations of a failed server.

Efficient use of NVRAM during takeover in a node cluster

A network storage server has a non-volatile mass storage facility, a main cache and a victim cache. A technique of efficient, non-blocking storage of data in the victim cache includes, responding to a caller process by, without blocking the caller process, selecting a first storage unit for eviction from the main cache, destaging the first storage unit for storage in the victim cache without copying the first storage unit, and identifying a second storage unit to the caller process as available to be overwritten in the main cache.

Efficient non-blocking storage of data in a storage server victim cache

In one embodiment, the invention provides a method for establishing links between Fiber Channel (FC) protocol node devices through a FC fabric. In the method a common name is assigned to a pair of ports. Each port in the pair is located on first and second FC node devices, respectively. The common name-to-port assignment is then stored within a name server for the FC fabric. Each port in the pair of ports is configured to query the name server to establish an identity for the other port in the pair of ports based on the common name. The first and second FC node devices are configured to create a link between the pairs of ports that have been assigned a common name.

Growing community of inventors

Cary, NC, United States of America

Naveen Bali