Netapp, Inc.

Robert Wyckoff Hyer, Jr

Richard Parvin Jernigan, Iv

Michael Kazar

David Noveck

Peter Griess

Toby Smith

Peter Frank Corbett

Richard N Sanzi, Jr

Omprakaash C Thoppai

William Zumach

Daniel Tennant

Bryan Schmersal

Wangyuan Zhang

Vinay Sridhar

John K Edwards

Craig Fulmer Everhart

Vijay Singh

Daniel S Nydick

John Russell Boyles

Dipankar Roy

Andrew Narver

Balajee Nagasubramaniam

Todd Derr

Flora Wong

A method, non-transitory computer readable medium and local storage node computing device that establishes a first connection between a first endpoint in a kernel of an operating system and a second endpoint. A proxy application in a user space is invoked and a second connection is established from the operating system kernel to the proxy application. The proxy application is linked to a secure protocol implementation. Handshake messages are proxied between the second endpoint and the proxy application using the first and second connections. Security parameters for the first connection and determined from the handshake messages are sent from the proxy application to the operating system kernel via the second connection. Data is exchanged between the first endpoint in the operating system kernel and the second endpoint using the first connection and the security parameters.

Methods for facilitating secure connections for an operating system kernel and devices thereof

Techniques for synchronization between data structures for original locks and mirror lock data structures are disclosed herein. The mirror lock data structures are being maintained during various scenarios including volume move and aggregate relocation, in order to preserve the non-disruptive persistent operation on storage initiated by clients. According to one embodiment, a storage node determines a plurality of data container locks to be synchronized to a partner node of the storage node and transfers metadata that indicates states of variables that represent the plurality of data container locks to the partner node in a batch. When a client initiates a data access operation that causes an attempt to modify a data container lock of the plurality of data container locks, the storage node sends a retry code to a client that prompts the client to retry the data access operation after a predetermined time period.

Lock state synchronization for non-disruptive persistent operation

A system and method for adaptive data placement in a distributed file system is provided. Upon creation of a new subdirectory, a first heuristic procedure is formed to determine whether the newly created subdirectory should be created locally or on a remote flexible volume. Should it be determination be made to create or store the subdirectory on a remote flexible volume, a second heuristic procedure determines which of a plurality of flexible volumes should store the newly created subdirectory.

System and method for adaptive data placement within a distributed file system

Embodiments described herein enable a storage system configured with a cache, i.e., a caching storage system, to obtain soft locks on a plurality of files, including non-regular file types, supported by a plurality of file access protocols. The cache is illustratively embodied as a flexible volume configured to temporarily store information, such as contents of the files, through replication of attributes and data of the files from an origin storage system. The soft locks are illustratively implemented as delegations; a delegation on a file enables the caching storage system to serve the attributes and the data for the file without verifying validity of the data with the origin storage system.

Delegations for non-regular files

Techniques for adding a directory entry to an existing directory data structure maintained by a storage system for storing a plurality of directory entries are provided. A first storage index block is used for storing a pointer to a first hash value from among a plurality of hash values. A second storage index block is allocated when the first storage index block has reached a threshold level for storing pointers to hash values for the plurality of directory entries. A group of pointers including a pointer to a second hash value from among the plurality of hash values is selected. The group of pointers is stored in the second storage index block with a pointer to a third hash value from among the plurality of hash values such that the directory entry can be searched using the plurality of hash values.

Techniques for traversal and storage of directory entries of a storage volume

Machine implemented method and system for adding a directory entry to an existing directory data structure maintained by a storage system for storing a plurality of directory entries are provided. A first level storage block is used for storing a pointer to a first hash value from among a plurality of hash values. A new third level storage block is allocated when a second level storage block has reached a threshold level for storing pointers to hash values for the plurality of directory entries. A group of pointers including a pointer to a second hash value from among the plurality of hash values is selected. The group of pointers is stored in the third level storage block with a pointer to a third hash value from among the plurality of hash values such that the directory entry can be searched using the plurality of hash values.

Method and system for optimizing traversal and storage of directory entries of a storage volume

The disclosed embodiments are directed to improving the efficiency of guaranteeing data consistency to clients, such as for one or more objects stored on a plurality of volumes configured as a Striped Volume Set. In particular, the disclosed embodiments optimize requests from clients which span multiple Data Volumes and which require strong serialization. The disclosed embodiments provide a 'viral ticket book' model that provides lower latency while improving compatibility with client protocols.

Highly efficient guarantee of data consistency

A system and method caches and distributes meta-data for one or more data containers stored on a plurality of volumes configured as a striped volume set (SVS) and served by a plurality of nodes interconnected as a cluster. The SVS comprises one meta-data volume (MDV) configured to store a canonical copy of certain meta-data, including access control lists and directories, associated with all data containers stored on the SVS, and one or more data volumes (DV) configured to store, at least, data content of those containers. In addition, for each data container stored on the SVS, one volume is designated a container attribute volume (CAV) and, as such, is configured to store ('cache') a canonical copy of certain, rapidly-changing attribute meta-data, including time stamps and container length, associated with that container.

System and method for multi-tiered meta-data caching and distribution in a clustered computer environment

The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a technique that stripes data containers across volumes of a striped volume set (SVS) using one of a plurality of different data placement patterns to thereby reduce the possibility of hotspots arising due to each data container using the same data placement pattern within the SVS. The technique is illustratively implemented by calculating a first index value, an intermediate index value and calculating a hash value of an mode associated with a data container to be accessed within the SVS. A final index value is calculated by multiplying the intermediate index value by the hash value, modulo the number of volumes of the SVS. Further, a Locate( ) function may be used to compute the location of data container content in the SVS to which a data access request is directed to ensure consistency of such content.

Technique to avoid cascaded hot spotting

The present invention provides a system and a method for utilizing a parity protection module to back up data on striped aggregates. Specifically, the system computes parity data for data stored at a particular location of each of a plurality of constituent aggregates, and stores the parity on one of the constituent aggregates that is a parity owner for that particular location of data. In the event one of the constituent aggregates fails, new data may still be accessed by the system (the striped aggregates), both to write new data, and to read data stored on the failed aggregate. In particular, the parity protection module allows clients to read data from a failed aggregate by running a reverse parity computation, which may also be used to restore the data to the failed aggregate.

System and method for redundancy-protected aggregates

A system and method for performing a distributed consistency check of a clustered file system. File system functions for loading an inode and/or buffer tree are modified so that in response to either of these functions being invoked, a consistency check is performed. The consistency check verifies both local consistency on a node of the clustered file and a distributed check across the nodes of the storage system.

System and method for performing distributed consistency verification of a clustered file system

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 revokes soft locks in a distributed system. A data volume of the distributed system determines that one or more soft locks need to be revoked in order for an operation to be processed. The data volume transmits a request to revoke the soft locks to a meta-data volume that stores a canonical copy of meta-data.

Growing community of inventors

Seven Fields, PA, United States of America

Robert Wyckoff Hyer, Jr