Servicing of Network Software Components of Nodes of a Cluster Storage System

Abstract

Described herein are method and apparatus for servicing software components of nodes of a cluster storage system. During data-access sessions with clients, client IDs and file handles for accessing files are produced and stored to clients and stored (as session data) to each node. A serviced node is taken offline, whereby network connections to clients are disconnected. Each disconnected client is configured to retain its client ID and file handles and attempt reconnections. Session data of the serviced node is made available to a partner node (by transferring session data to the partner node). After clients have reconnected to the partner node, the clients may use the retained client IDs and file handles to continue a data-access session with the partner node since the partner node has access to the session data of the serviced node and thus will recognize and accept the retained client ID and file handles.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 372,637, filed Feb. 17, 2009 and titled “Servicing of Network Software Components of Nodes of a Cluster Storage System,” now allowed and issued on Apr. 26, 2016 as U.S. Pat. No. 9,325,790, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to storage systems, and particularly, to servicing of network software components of nodes of a cluster storage system.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]A storage system typically comprises one or more storage devices into which information may be entered, and from which information may be obtained, as desired. The storage system includes a storage operating system that functionally organizes the system by, inter alia, invoking storage operations in support of a storage service implemented by the system. The storage system may be implemented in accordance with a vari...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a method for repairing software components on a cluster of nodes without disrupting client access. The method involves a servicing module that retains information about the software components and file handles when a node is serviced. When a client disconnects from a serviced node, the client can automatically reconnect to another node and re-establish the data-access session with the original node by using the retained information. This reduces the disruption to clients accessing the cluster and reduces the need for new client IDs and access requests. The method can be applied to each node in the cluster one after the other, minimizing downtime and disruption to client data-access.

Problems solved by technology

If the node does not recognize the client ID and file handle in an access request, the node may deny processing of the access request.

Thus, servicing of the disk element and network element of each node typically causes substantial disruption to client data-access sessions.

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