Storage of discovered data object to storage layouts

Storage of discovered data object to storage layouts is described. A system receives a request to discover a data object to storage layout. The system determines if a discovery log stores a current data object to storage layout. The system provides a backup application with the current data object to storage layout in response to a determination that the discovery log stores the current data object to storage layout.

BACKGROUND

A snapshot is a capture of a state of a data object, such as a file system or an application, at a specific moment in time. A file system may be stored on a storage array, which is a disk storage system which includes multiple disk drives. Unlike a disk enclosure, a storage array has cache memory and advanced functionality, such as virtualization and Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID). An enterprise may have a data protection administrator to manage a backup application to create snapshots of data objects stored on multiple storage arrays.

Snapshot and replication operations of application data are key strategies to meet demanding Service Level Objectives (SLO) such as Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) and Recovery Time Objectives (RTO). Snapshots have changed the way that backups are perceived and led to a paradigm shift in the domain of backups. Snapshots are a mechanism that can drastically reduce the time required for backing up a data object, which may be referred to as a backup window, which may enable achievement of aggressive Service Level Agreements (SLA) that many businesses demand.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

When using snapshots methodologies to provide backups, one requirement that significantly increases the backup window is the discovery of a data object to storage layout. Although a snapshot in itself is very quick, discovering a data object to storage layout is still a legacy process that is very slow. For example, if a backup operation is required for Volume XYZ, a legacy backup application discovers the storage layout for the Volume XYZ by parsing the Volume XYZ through a volume manager, mapping the Volume XYZ to its corresponding disks, mapping the corresponding disks to storage array logical unit number (LUN) identifiers, and initiating the backup/snapshots of those LUNs. While such layout discovery is mandatory, the bigger challenge is that this layout discovery happens every single time that a backup is required, even if nothing has changed in the data object to storage layout since the previous layout discovery. Unnecessary layout discoveries cause latency, slowness, challenges to scalability, the waste of system resources such as memory and time, and the potential failing of requirements for service level agreements, all of which lead to a lower total customer experience.

Embodiments herein provide storage of discovered data object to storage layouts. A system receives a request to discover a data object to storage layout. For example, a backup application requests a discovery tool to discover a file system /volume1 to storage array layout. The system determines if a discovery log stores a current data object to storage layout. For example, the discovery tool determines whether a discovery log stores the current file system /volume1 to storage array layout. The system provides a backup application with the current data object to storage layout in response to a determination that the discovery log stores the current data object to storage layout. For example, the discovery tool provides the backup application with the current file system /volume1 to storage array layout stored in the discovery log, which the discovery log had stored on a previous occasion when the discovery tool discovered the current file system /volume1 to storage array layout. The discovery tool does not have to spend time and system resources to re-discover the data object to storage layout that the discovery tool already discovered, thereby enabling the discovery tool to overcome challenges in the legacy discovery process. Therefore, discovery of a data object to storage layout may occur once only in many circumstances. The conservation of system time and resources results in a faster completion of backups, which enables the system to meet more aggressive timelines of service level agreements, and to efficiently handle more snapshots during the same amount of time, which results in a higher total customer experience.

Prior to describing the subject matter in detail, an exemplary hardware device in which the subject matter may be implemented shall first be described. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the elements illustrated inFIG. 1may vary depending on the system implementation. With reference toFIG. 1, an exemplary system for implementing the subject matter disclosed herein includes a hardware device100, including a processing unit102, memory104, storage106, data entry module108, display adapter110, communication interface112, and a bus114that couples elements104-112to the processing unit102.

The bus114may comprise any type of bus architecture. Examples include a memory bus, a peripheral bus, a local bus, etc. The processing unit102is an instruction execution machine, apparatus, or device and may comprise a microprocessor, a digital signal processor, a graphics processing unit, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc. The processing unit102may be configured to execute program instructions stored in memory104and/or storage106and/or received via data entry module108.

The memory104may include read only memory (ROM)116and random access memory (RAM)118. Memory104may be configured to store program instructions and data during operation of device100. In various embodiments, memory104may include any of a variety of memory technologies such as static random access memory (SRAM) or dynamic RAM (DRAM), including variants such as dual data rate synchronous DRAM (DDR SDRAM), error correcting code synchronous DRAM (ECC SDRAM), or RAMBUS DRAM (RDRAM), for example. Memory104may also include nonvolatile memory technologies such as nonvolatile flash RAM (NVRAM) or ROM. In some embodiments, it is contemplated that memory104may include a combination of technologies such as the foregoing, as well as other technologies not specifically mentioned. When the subject matter is implemented in a computer system, a basic input/output system (BIOS)120, containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computer system, such as during start-up, is stored in ROM116.

The storage106may include a flash memory data storage device for reading from and writing to flash memory, a hard disk drive for reading from and writing to a hard disk, a magnetic disk drive for reading from or writing to a removable magnetic disk, and/or an optical disk drive for reading from or writing to a removable optical disk such as a CD ROM, DVD or other optical media. The drives and their associated computer-readable media provide nonvolatile storage of computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules and other data for the hardware device100.

It is noted that the methods described herein can be embodied in executable instructions stored in a computer readable medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution machine, apparatus, or device, such as a computer-based or processor-containing machine, apparatus, or device. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that for some embodiments, other types of computer readable media may be used which can store data that is accessible by a computer, such as magnetic cassettes, flash memory cards, digital video disks, Bernoulli cartridges, RAM, ROM, and the like may also be used in the exemplary operating environment. As used here, a “computer-readable medium” can include one or more of any suitable media for storing the executable instructions of a computer program in one or more of an electronic, magnetic, optical, and electromagnetic format, such that the instruction execution machine, system, apparatus, or device can read (or fetch) the instructions from the computer readable medium and execute the instructions for carrying out the described methods. A non-exhaustive list of conventional exemplary computer readable medium includes: a portable computer diskette; a RAM; a ROM; an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM or flash memory); optical storage devices, including a portable compact disc (CD), a portable digital video disc (DVD), a high definition DVD (HD-DVD™), a BLU-RAY disc; and the like.

A number of program modules may be stored on the storage106, ROM116or RAM118, including an operating system122, one or more applications programs124, program data126, and other program modules128. A user may enter commands and information into the hardware device100through data entry module108. Data entry module108may include mechanisms such as a keyboard, a touch screen, a pointing device, etc. Other external input devices (not shown) are connected to the hardware device100via external data entry interface130. By way of example and not limitation, external input devices may include a microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, or the like. In some embodiments, external input devices may include video or audio input devices such as a video camera, a still camera, etc. Data entry module108may be configured to receive input from one or more users of device100and to deliver such input to processing unit102and/or memory104via bus114.

A display132is also connected to the bus114via display adapter110. Display132may be configured to display output of device100to one or more users. In some embodiments, a given device such as a touch screen, for example, may function as both data entry module108and display132. External display devices may also be connected to the bus114via external display interface134. Other peripheral output devices, not shown, such as speakers and printers, may be connected to the hardware device100.

The hardware device100may operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote nodes (not shown) via communication interface112. The remote node may be another computer, a server, a router, a peer device or other common network node, and typically includes many or all of the elements described above relative to the hardware device100. The communication interface112may interface with a wireless network and/or a wired network. Examples of wireless networks include, for example, a BLUETOOTH network, a wireless personal area network, a wireless 802.11 local area network (LAN), and/or wireless telephony network (e.g., a cellular, PCS, or GSM network). Examples of wired networks include, for example, a LAN, a fiber optic network, a wired personal area network, a telephony network, and/or a wide area network (WAN). Such networking environments are commonplace in intranets, the Internet, offices, enterprise-wide computer networks and the like. In some embodiments, communication interface112may include logic configured to support direct memory access (DMA) transfers between memory104and other devices.

In a networked environment, program modules depicted relative to the hardware device100, or portions thereof, may be stored in a remote storage device, such as, for example, on a server. It will be appreciated that other hardware and/or software to establish a communications link between the hardware device100and other devices may be used.

It should be understood that the arrangement of hardware device100illustrated inFIG. 1is but one possible implementation and that other arrangements are possible. It should also be understood that the various system components (and means) defined by the claims, described below, and illustrated in the various block diagrams represent logical components that are configured to perform the functionality described herein. For example, one or more of these system components (and means) can be realized, in whole or in part, by at least some of the components illustrated in the arrangement of hardware device100.

In addition, while at least one of these components are implemented at least partially as an electronic hardware component, and therefore constitutes a machine, the other components may be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. More particularly, at least one component defined by the claims is implemented at least partially as an electronic hardware component, such as an instruction execution machine (e.g., a processor-based or processor-containing machine) and/or as specialized circuits or circuitry (e.g., discrete logic gates interconnected to perform a specialized function), such as those illustrated inFIG. 1.

Other components may be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. Moreover, some or all of these other components may be combined, some may be omitted altogether, and additional components can be added while still achieving the functionality described herein. Thus, the subject matter described herein can be embodied in many different variations, and all such variations are contemplated to be within the scope of what is claimed.

In the prior art, unnecessary discoveries cause latency, slowness, challenges to scalability, the waste of system resources such as memory and time, and potential failing of requirements for service level agreements, all of which lead to a lower total customer experience. Embodiments herein enable storage of discovered data object to storage layouts. A discovery tool does not have to spend time and system resources to re-discover a data object to storage layout that the discovery tool already discovered, thereby enabling the discovery tool to overcome challenges in the legacy discovery process.

FIG. 2illustrates a block diagram of a system that implements storage of discovered data object to storage layouts, under an embodiment. As shown inFIG. 2, system200may illustrate a cloud computing environment in which data, applications, services, and other resources are stored and delivered through shared data-centers and appear as a single point of access for the users. The system200may also represent any other type of distributed computer network environment in which servers control the storage and distribution of resources and services for different client users.

In an embodiment, the system200represents a cloud computing system that includes a first client202, a second client204, and a third client206; and a server208and a storage array210that may be provided by a hosting company. The storage array210includes a first disk212and a second disk214. The clients202-206, the server208, and the storage array210communicate via a network216. AlthoughFIG. 2depicts the system200with three clients202-206, one server208, one storage array210, two disks212-214, and one network216, the system200may include any number of clients202-206, servers208, storage arrays210, disks212-214, and networks216. The clients202-206and the server208may each be substantially similar to the system100depicted inFIG. 1.

The server208includes a backup application218, snapshots220, a discovery tool222, and a discovery log224. The backup application218creates the snapshots220of data objects for the clients202-206and/or the server208, and stores the snapshots220on the server208. The system200enables the backup application218to execute a rollback based on snapshots220.FIG. 2depicts the system elements218-224residing completely on the server208, but the system elements218-224may reside completely on the server204, completely on the clients202-206, completely on another server that is not depicted inFIG. 2, or in any combination of partially on the server208, partially on the clients202-206, and partially on the other server.

The backup application218may be, for example, EMC Corporation's Networker® backup application, which is a suite of enterprise level data protection software that unifies and automates backup to tape, disk-based, and flash-based storage media across physical and virtual environments for granular and disaster recovery. Cross-platform support is provided for many environments, including Microsoft Windows®. A central NetWorker® server manages a data zone that contains backup clients and NetWorker® storage nodes that access the backup media. The NetWorker® management console software provides a graphic user interface for functions such as client configuration, policy settings, schedules, monitoring, reports, and daily operations for deduplicated and non-deduplicated backups. The core NetWorker® software backs up client file systems and operating system environments. Add-on database and application modules provide backup services for products such as Microsoft® Exchange Server. Client backup data can be sent to a remote NetWorker® storage node or stored on a locally attached device by the use of a dedicated storage node. EMC Corporation's NetWorker® modules for Microsoft® applications supports Microsoft® products such as Microsoft® Exchange, Microsoft® Sharepoint, Microsoft® SQL Server, and Microsoft® Hyper-V servers. Although the functionality examples described in this paragraph apply to EMC Corporation's NetWorker® backup application, one of skill in the art would recognize that other backup applications and their corresponding functionalities may be used.

The backup application218requests the discovery tool222to discover a data object to storage layout. For example, the backup application218requests the discovery tool222to discover a layout of a file system /volume1 for the clients202-206to the storage array210. In response to the request, the discovery tool222determines whether the discovery log224stores a current data object to storage layout. For example, the discovery tool222determines whether the discovery log224already stores the current layout for the file system /volume1 to the storage array210, such that an additional discovery would be unnecessary and wasteful. The discovery log224may be any open source database that may store discovered layouts, and possibly also store timestamps for the discovered layouts. If the discovery tool222determines that the discovery log224does not store the current data object to storage array layout, the discovery tool222initiates discovery of the current data object to storage array layout. However, if the discovery tool222determines that the discovery log224already stores the current data object to storage array layout, the discovery tool222does not need to expend system resources on the discovery of the current data object to storage array layout because the current data object to storage array layout was already discovered on a previous occasion.

The discovery tool222may discover a current data object to storage layout in response to a determination that the discovery log224does not store a current data object to storage layout. For example, the discovery tool222discovers the current layout of the file system /volume1 to the storage array210because the current layout of the file system /volume1 to the storage array210was not already stored in the discovery log224. The discovery tool222may store the recently discovered current data object to storage layout in the discovery log224. For example, the discovery tool222stores the recently discovered current layout of the file system /volume1 to the storage array210in the discovery log224, which may provide the layout of the file system /volume1 to the storage array210in response to future discovery requests.

The discovery tool222provides the backup application218with a current data object to storage layout. For example, the discovery tool222provides the backup application218with the current layout of the file system /volume1 to the storage array210, which is stored in the discovery log224. The discovery log224had stored the current file system /volume1 to storage array layout either on a previous occasion when the discovery tool222previously discovered the current file system /volume 1 to storage array layout or in response to the recent discovery of the layout that followed the recent determination that the discovery log224did not store the current file system /volume1 to storage array layout.

The discovery tool222may also discover an updated data object to storage layout in response to a scheduled discovery, a user request for discovery, and/or a system event. For example, the discovery tool222discovers an updated layout of the file system /volume1 to the storage array210because the discovery tool222detected the addition of an additional disk for the file system/voulme1, thereby changing the size of /volume1. A system event may be a user purging a mapping of a data object to storage, a small computer system interface reset, a host reboot, a storage area network reconfiguration, a migration, a cluster failover, a volume size change, a re-initialization of a storage subsystem, and/or a re-hosting of a host bus adapter. A system user such as a data protection administrator can define the logic when to re-discover the layout.

Re-discovery of the layout can be also schedule based, such as a scheduled layout discovery once a week, or a discover layout now. The discovery tool222may function as a watchdog which monitors different changes and can delete or overwrite the previously discovered layouts in discovery log224based on system events and/or pre-set conditions. The discovery tool222may store a recently discovered updated data object to storage layout in the discovery log224in response to a scheduled discovery, a user request for discovery, and/or a system event. For example, the discovery tool222stores the updated layout of the file system /volume1 to the storage array210, based on the recent increase in size in the file system /volume1, in the discovery log224.

The discovery log224may store a timestamp associated with a current data object to storage layout, and the discovery tool222may use a timestamp to confirm that the discovery log224stores an updated data object to storage layout after a system event, a scheduled discovery, and/or a user request for discovery. For example, the discovery tool222uses a timestamp stored with the updated layout of the file system /volume1 to the storage array210to verify that the layout for the file system /volume 1 was re-discovered following the re-sizing of /volume 1 on the morning Jan. 1, 2014. Each action of discovery tool222may be tracked in a different schema for further auditing/references. Discovery of a data object to storage layout may occur once only in many circumstances.

FIG. 3illustrates example data for storage of discovered data object to storage layouts, under an embodiment. The data300includes a file system302column, a volume name304column, a disk306column, a LUN (logical unit number) ID (identifier)308column, and an array310column. Although not depicted inFIG. 3, the data300may include any number and types of additional rows and additional columns, such as a timestamp column. The first data row of the data300indicates that the file system /volume1 is a volume named Vxvol1, which stores its data in a storage array named APMXXX, which uses Disk1 and Disk 2 for storage, which are identified by the LUN IDs123and124. When the discovery tool222receives a request to snapshot multiple save sets, such as /volume1, /volume2, /volume3, and /volume4 depicted in the data300, the discovery tool222only needs to discover the layouts which discovery log224is missing and/or the layouts which have timestamps that indicate that rediscovery of the layout is required.

FIG. 4is a flowchart that illustrates a method for storage of discovered data object to storage layouts, under an embodiment. Flowchart400illustrates method acts illustrated as flowchart blocks for certain steps involved in and/or between the clients202-206and/or the server208ofFIG. 2.

A request is received to discover a data object to storage layout, block402. For example, the backup application218requests the discovery tool222to discover a layout of a file system /volume1 for the clients202-206to the storage array210.

A determination is made whether a discovery log stores a current data object to storage layout, block404. For example, the discovery tool222determines whether the discovery log224stores the current layout for the file system /volume1 to the storage array210. If the discovery log does not store the current data object to storage array layout, the flowchart400continues to block406. If the discovery log stores the current data object to storage array layout, the flowchart400proceeds to block410.

A current data object to storage layout is optionally discovered in response to a determination that a discovery log does not store a current data object to storage layout, block406. For example, the discovery tool222discovers the current layout of the file system /volume1 to the storage array210, which was not stored in the discovery log224.

A discovered current data object to storage layout is optionally stored in a discovery log, block408. For example, the discovery tool222stores the current layout of the file system /volume1 to the storage array210in the discovery log224.

A backup application is provided with a current data object to storage layout, block410. For example, the discovery tool222provides the backup application218with the current layout of the file system /volume1 to the storage array210, which is stored in the discovery log224. The discovery log224had stored the current file system /volume1 to storage array layout either on a previous occasion when the system200previously discovered the current file system /volume1 to storage array layout or in response to the recent discovery of the layout that followed a recent determination that the discovery log224did not store the current the current file system /volume1 to storage array layout.

An updated data object to storage layout is optionally discovered in response to a scheduled discovery, a user request for discovery, and/or a system event, block412. For example, the discovery tool222discovers an updated layout of the file system /volume1 to the storage array210because the discovery tool222detected the addition of an additional disk for the file system/voulme1, thereby changing the size of /volume1.

A discovered updated data object to storage layout is optionally stored in a discovery log, block414. For example, the discovery tool222stores the updated layout of the file system /volume1 to the storage array210, based on the recent increase in size in the file system /volume1, in the discovery log224.

A timestamp is used to confirm that a discovery log stores an updated data object to storage layout after a system event, a scheduled discovery, and/or a user request for discovery block416. For example, the discovery tool222uses a timestamp stored with the updated layout of the file system /volume1 to the storage array210to verify that the layout for the file system /volume 1 was re-discovered following the re-sizing of /volume1 on the morning Jan. 1, 2014. The conservation of system time and resources results in a faster completion of backups, which enables the system200to meet more aggressive timelines of service level agreements, and to efficiently handle more snapshots during the same amount of time, which results in a higher total customer experience.

AlthoughFIG. 4depicts the blocks402-416occurring in a specific order, the blocks402-416may occur in another order. In other implementations, each of the blocks402-416may also be executed in combination with other blocks and/or some blocks may be divided into a different set of blocks.