Patent ID: 7653836
Filing Date: 2010-01-26
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for logging metadata writes in a data storage system, the method comprising: detecting a modification to storage system metadata within the data storage system; in response to detecting the modification to the storage system metadata, describing the modification to the metadata in a log string comprising a type field for holding data describing the type of the modification to the metadata, a length field for holding data indicating the length of the log string, and a string field for holding data describing the metadata modification; collecting log strings from one or more metadata modifications; and periodically committing the collected log strings to a mass storage device in the data storage system; wherein the log strings are committed to the mass storage device in a log buffer structure comprising the collected log strings and one or more unique constantly increasing timestamps that are written at the end of each sector of the log buffer, the log buffer structure being committed to a designated log area of the mass storage device; wherein a logger module is configured to perform the collecting and committing operations and wherein the log strings are submitted to the logger module in a log context structure comprising a log string, a callback, and a context.