Netapp, Inc.

Network Appliance, Inc.

Peter Griess

David A Grunwald

Jason Ansel Lango

Qinghua Zheng

Robert M English

Michael Kazar

Richard Parvin Jernigan, Iv

Ashish Prakash

Matthew Benjamin Amdur

Robert Wyckoff Hyer, Jr

Paul Christopher Eastham

David Noveck

Kartik Ayyar

Emmanuel Ackaouy

Brian Mederic Quirion

Toby Smith

Robert Lieh-Yuan Tsai

J Chris Wagner

John K Edwards

Robert L Fair

Eric C Hamilton

Himanshu Aggarwal

Paul Christoper Eastham

A network caching system has a multi-protocol caching filer coupled to an origin server to provide storage virtualization of data served by the filer in response to data access requests issued by multi-protocol clients over a computer network. The multi-protocol caching filer includes a file system configured to manage a sparse volume that 'virtualizes' a storage space of the data to thereby provide a cache function that enables access to data by the multi-protocol clients. To that end, the caching filer further includes a multi-protocol engine configured to translate the multi-protocol client data access requests into generic file system primitive operations executable by both the caching filer and the origin server.

System and method for caching network file systems

Apparatus and method are disclosed for managing lock state information in a distributed file system. A set of data containers storing data is maintained. The data containers are striped across a plurality of volumes, where each volume includes one or more data storage devices. A metadata volume is maintained with the plurality of volumes, the metadata volume configured to include a lock state database that stores lock state information for the plurality of volumes. The lock state information is communicated between the metadata volume and the plurality of volumes.

System and method for managing hard lock state information in a distributed storage system environment

A system and method persistently stores lock state information associated with a file system within a storage system. Received operations that modify lock state information are stored in a non-volatile log (NVLog) within a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) of the storage system. During a consistency point (CP), entries from the NVLog are committed to a lock file. In the event of an error condition, lock state information may be recovered from the lock file, thereby enabling rapid reconstruction of the lock state prior to the error condition.

System and method for persistently storing lock state information

A file system receives a request to set a capacity guarantee for a virtual volume associated with a logical aggregation of physical storage. In response, the file system sets the capacity guarantee to indicate that the logical aggregation of physical storage is to provide a specified amount of space to the virtual volume. The amount of space provided to the virtual volume may be based, at least in part, on a guarantee type. The guarantee type may include, for example, volume, file, none, or partial.

Capacity guarantees in a storage system

A system and method manages lock state information in a storage system. A meta-data volume node includes a lock state database which is a comprehensive source for lock state information about data containers in the system. A plurality of data volume nodes include local lock caches, which contain information about locks. Lock state messaging between the meta-data volume node and the data volume nodes is used to assign locks and to update local lock caches. The meta-data volume node is configured to determine whether input/output requests should be allowed or denied and to instruct the data volume nodes of this input/output operation result. Lock information is also sent to the data volume nodes for storage in local lock state caches to the extent the data volume nodes have the network capacity locally.

System and method for managing hard and soft lock state information in a distributed storage system environment

An apparatus and method for managing of common storage in a storage system is disclosed. In one embodiment, a storage system receives a request to set a space reservation for a volume associated with a logical aggregation of physical storage. In response, the storage system sets the space reservation to indicate that the logical aggregation of physical storage is to provide a specified amount of space to the volume. In one embodiment, space within the logical aggregation of physical storage is automatically reclaimed to set a delayed space reservation if the amount of unused space within the logical aggregation of physical storage is insufficient to set the space reservation. In one embodiment, the volume is either a space-reclaimable volume or a non-space-reclaimable volume. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Managing common storage by allowing delayed allocation of storage after reclaiming reclaimable space in a logical volume

A system and method manages lock state information in a distributed file system. A meta-data volume includes a lock state database which is a comprehensive source for lock state information about a striped volume set in the system. A plurality of data volumes includes local lock caches which contain information about locks. Lock state messaging between the meta-data volume and the data volumes is used to assign locks and to update local lock caches. The meta-data volume is configured to assigned permissive areas in the data containers accessed by clients in order to efficiently manage the lock state information.

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Peter Griess