Patent ID: 7321982
Filing Date: 2008-01-22
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for taking over a failed filer owning disks that store file service data and owning at least one disk that is free of file service data by a clustered partner filer, the failed filer being adapted to perform a coredump in which, in an event of failure, memory contents of the failed filer are transferred to a disk, comprising: changing, by the failed filer, a coredump attribute on the disk that is free of file service data (the “coredump disk”) from a non-coredump state to a coredump state and maintaining the coredump attribute on other disks owned by the failed filer in a non-coredump state; writing the memory contents to the coredump disk; identifying, by the clustered partner filer, the coredump attribute of the other disks and taking ownership of the other disks while allowing the failed filer to maintain ownership of the coredump disk; upon completion of the writing of the memory contents, changing the coredump attribute to a non-coredump state; and upon identification of the non-coredump state in the coredump attribute of the coredump disk, taking ownership, by the clustered partner filer, of the coredump disk.