Systems and methods for storing and retrieving data in a web server environment
View Patent ↗A redundant storage system implemented in a web server environment. The system comprises a web server database accessible to multiple web servers. The web server database is comprised of at least a first and a second storage bank. The first storage bank is comprised of at least a first and a second sub-bank with at least a portion of data stored on the first sub-bank also being stored on the second sub-bank. Methods for using the storage system comprise receiving a write access addressed to the first storage bank, and storing data associated with the write access to the second storage bank when the second sub-bank is inoperable. The storage area addressed by the write access is then de-allocated.
1. A redundant data storage system associated with a database server in a web server environment, the system comprising:
a plurality of web servers;
a load balancer for distributing access requests to the plurality of web servers;
a web server database accessible to the plurality of web servers, wherein the web server database is comprised of at least a first and a second storage bank;
wherein the first storage bank is comprised of at least a first and a second sub-bank; and
wherein at least a substantial portion of data stored on the first sub-bank is also stored on the second sub-bank.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein all data stored on the first sub-bank is also stored on the second sub-bank, and wherein the second sub-bank is a back-up for the first sub-bank.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first sub-bank and the second sub-bank each comprise a first address space and a second address space, and wherein primary access to the first address space is from the first sub-bank and primary access to the second address space is from the second sub-bank.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first storage bank further comprises a third sub-bank, and wherein at least a portion of data maintained on the second sub-bank is also maintained on the third sub-bank.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first sub-bank comprises a first address space and a second address space, the second sub-bank comprises the second address space and a third address space, the third sub-bank comprises the third address space and the first address space.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the second sub-bank provides a primary access to the second address space and the third sub-bank provides a back-up of the second address space.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first sub-bank is a serial accessible mass storage device.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first sub-bank is an IDE mass storage device.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first sub-bank is an SCSI mass storage device.
10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a temporary storage area associated with the database server.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of web servers comprises a first and a second web server, and wherein the web server database is a first web server database associated with the first web server, the system further comprising:
a second web server database associated with the second web server, wherein data from the second web server database is accessible to the first web server.
12. A method for redundantly storing data in a web server environment comprising multiple web servers, the method comprising:
providing an interconnect between a first web server and a database server and a second web server and the database server;
providing a load balancer, wherein the load balancer distributes access requests to the web servers;
providing a database associated with the database server, wherein the database comprises a first and a second storage bank, and wherein the first storage bank is comprised of at least a first and a second sub-bank, and wherein the first and the second sub-banks each comprise an address space; and
transferring data from the first web server to the database server, wherein the database server writes the data to the address space of the first and the second sub-banks.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the database server writes the data to the address space of the first and the second sub-banks concurrently.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the address space is a first address space, and wherein the first and the second sub-banks each comprise a second address space, the method further comprising:
transferring data to the second address space of the first and the second sub-banks, wherein, in the absence of a failure of either the first sub-bank or the second sub-bank, data in the first address space is read from the first sub-bank and data in the second address space is read from the second sub-bank.
15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
preventing a write access to the first storage bank when the second sub-bank is inaccessible.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
indicating an error condition when the second sub-bank is inaccessible and a write access is attempted to the first storage bank.
17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
diverting data addressed to the first storage bank to a temporary storage when the second sub-bank is inaccessible; and
replacing the inaccessible second sub-bank; and
transferring the diverted data to the first storage bank, wherein the first storage bank comprises the replaced second sub-bank.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising: copying data from the first sub-bank to the replaced second sub-bank.
19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving a write access to the first storage bank when the second sub-bank is inoperable;
storing data associated with the write access to the second storage bank; and
maintaining an out of use pointer to the storage area of the first storage bank to which the write access was addressed.
20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
providing access to the data at the second storage bank; and
de-allocating a storage area in the first storage bank associated with the out of use pointer, wherein a sub-bank replacing the inoperable second sub-bank contains the same data stored on the first sub-bank.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the de-allocating the storage area comprises deleting data maintained in the storage area.
22. The method of claim 12 , wherein the database comprises a third sub-bank, and wherein the address space is a first address space, the method further comprising:
writing data to a second address space in the second sub-bank and in the third sub-bank;
writing data to a third address space in the first sub-bank and the third sub-bank; and
wherein, in the absence of a failure of the third sub-bank, the data in the third address space is read from the third sub-bank.
23. A storage system distributed between multiple database servers in a web server environment, the system comprising:
a plurality of web servers;
a load balancer for distributing access requests to the plurality of web servers;
a first database associated with a first database server and a second database associated with a second database server;
the first database comprising a first and a second storage bank, at least the first storage bank comprising a first and a second sub-bank;
the second database comprising a third and a fourth storage bank, at least the third storage bank including a third and a fourth sub-bank;
wherein at least a portion of data stored on the first sub-bank is replicated on the second sub-bank; and
wherein at least a portion of data stored on the third sub-bank is replicated on the fourth sub-bank.
24. The storage system of claim 23 , wherein the first, second, third and fourth storage banks comprise IDE mass storage devices.
25. The storage system of claim 23 , wherein the first and second sub-banks are concurrently written.
26. The storage system of claim 23 , wherein the first and second database servers are accessible to the plurality of web servers.