Method and apparatus for moving data between storage devices
View Patent ↗System administrators are able to move data between volumes to better utilize system resources. As data is being moved, clients are able to access and modify the data from the source volume. The apparatus moves the data by repeatedly traversing the file system on the source volume and copying files to the destination volume. Modifications made by clients to the source volume are logged. Once the data has been moved the destination volume is updated with all client modifications.
1. A system for moving data, comprising:
a first computer including a first storage media;
a first volume on the first storage media, the first volume including a set of files, the set of files including at least one file;
a second computer including a second storage media;
a second volume on the second storage media;
a file duplicator to duplicate the set of files from the first volume to the second volume while permitting user access to at least one file in the set of files on the first volume;
a first subset of files from the set of files on the first volume that were opened for writing and could not be successfully duplicated to the second volume;
a second subset of files from the set of files on the first volume that have been modified after duplication to the second volume and need to be reduplicated to the second volume; and
a volume manager that manages the first subset of files and the second subset of files.
2. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising an event list manager to identify the files for the second subset of files.
3. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the volume manager is operative to use the file duplicator to duplicate at least one file from the set of files on the first volume to the second volume.
4. A system according to claim 3 , wherein the volume manager is operative to duplicate at least a second file in one of the first subset of files and the second subset of files from the first volume to the second volume.
5. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising a junction linking the second volume to the first volume.
6. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising a volume location database storing a location of the first volume and a location of the second volume.
7. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising an interface with the first computer wherein the interface enables a system administrator to select the first volume and second volume and to select the set of files contained on the first volume to duplicate using the file duplicator.
8. A system according to claim 7 , wherein the second computer includes the interface.
9. A computer-implemented method for moving files comprising:
identifying a source volume;
identifying a destination volume;
attempting to duplicate a set of files from the source volume to the destination volume while permitting a client to access at least one file in the set of files on the source volume;
identifying a first subset of files, the first subset of files including at least one file that were opened for writing and could not be duplicated from the source volume to the destination volume;
identifying a second subset of files, the second subset of files including at least one file that has been updated since the files were successfully duplicated from the source volume to the destination volume;
managing the first subset of files and the second subset of files by a volume manager; duplicating the files in the first subset of files and the second subset of files to the destination volume;
automatically redirecting requests for files in the set of files from the source volume to the destination volume; and
deleting all files in the set of files from the source volume.
10. A computer-implemented method according to claim 9 , wherein duplicating the files in the first subset of files and the second subset of files to the destination volume includes:
establishing a third subset of files including the files in the first subset of files and the files in the second subset of files;
removing the files from the first subset of files and removing the files from the second subset of files;
attempting to duplicate the files in the third subset of files from the source volume to the destination volume while permitting the client to access at least one file from the third subset of files;
identifying any files that were opened for writing and could not be duplicated to the destination volume, and adding these files to the first subset of files; and
identifying any files that have been updated since the files were duplicated to the destination volume, and adding these files to the second subset of files.
11. A computer-implemented method according to claim 9 , wherein duplicating the files in the first subset of files and the second subset of files to the destination volume includes:
establishing a third subset of files, the third subset of files including the files in the first subset of files and the files in the second subset of files;
restricting client access to the files in the third subset; and
duplicating the files in the third subset of files to the destination volume.
12. A computer-implemented method according to claim 9 , wherein attempting to duplicate a set of files from the source volume includes using a file system Application Program Interface (API) to access the set of files.
13. A computer-implemented method according to claim 9 , wherein creating a second subset of files includes adding any files that have been renamed, modified, or created to the second subset of files.
14. A computer-implemented method according to claim 13 , wherein creating a second subset of files further includes adding any files that have been deleted to the second subset of files.
15. A computer-implemented method according to claim 14 , wherein duplicating the files in the second subset of files to the destination volume includes duplicating any file deletions.
16. A computer-implemented method according to claim 9 , wherein automatically redirecting requests for files in the set of files from the source volume to the destination volume includes determining if the volume manager is completing a volume move or a volume split.
17. A computer-implemented method according to claim 16 , further comprising replacing files from the source volume that are duplicated to the destination volume with a junction operative to link the destination volume to the source volume if the volume manager is completing a volume split.
18. A computer-implemented method according to claim 9 , wherein automatically redirecting requests for files further includes revising an entry in a volume location database for at least one file from the source volume to the destination volume.
19. An article comprising a machine-accessible medium having associated data that, when accessed, results in a machine:
identifying a source volume;
identifying a destination volume;
attempting to duplicate a set of files from the source volume to the destination volume while permitting a client to access at least one file in the set of files on the source volume;
identifying a first subset of files, the first subset of files including at least one file that was opened for writing and could not be duplicated from the source volume to the destination volume;
identifying a second subset of files, the second subset of files including at least one file that has been updated since the files were successfully duplicated from the source volume to the destination volume;
managing the first subset of files and the second subset of files by a volume manager;
duplicating the files in the first subset of files and the second subset of files to the destination volume;
automatically redirecting requests for files in the set of files from the source volume to the destination volume; and
deleting all files in the set of files from the source volume.
20. An article according claim 19 , having further associated data wherein directing requests for files in the set of files from the source volume to the destination volume includes:
establishing a third subset of files from the first subset of files and the second subset of files;
clearing the first subset of files and the second subset of files;
attempting to duplicate the files in the third subset of files from the source volume to the destination volume while permitting the client to access at least one file from the set of files;
identifying any files that were opened for writing and could not be duplicated to the destination volume, and adding these files to the first subset of files; and
identifying any files that have been updated since the files were duplicated from the source volume to the destination volume, and adding these files to the second subset of files.
21. An article according claim 19 , having further associated data wherein directing requests for files in the set of files from the source volume to the destination volume includes:
establishing a third subset of files including the files in the files in the first subset of files and the files in the second subset of files;
restricting access to the files in the third subset of files; and
duplicating the files in the third subset of files to the destination volume.
22. An article according to claim 19 , having further associated data wherein attempting to duplicate a set of files from the source volume includes using a file system Application Program Interface (API) to access the files in the set of files.
23. An article according to claim 19 , having further associated data wherein identifying the second subset of files includes identifying all files in the set of files that have been renamed, modified, or created.
24. An article according to claim 23 , having further associated data wherein identifying the second subset of files further includes identifying all files in the set of files that have been deleted.
25. An article according to claim 24 , having further associated data wherein duplicating the files in the second subset of files to the destination volume includes duplicating the file deletions.
26. An article according to claim 19 , having further associated data wherein automatically redirecting requests for files in the set of files from the source volume to the destination volume includes determining if the volume manager is completing a volume move or a volume split.
27. An article according to claim 26 , having further associated data that, when accessed, result in the machine replacing files from the source volume that are duplicated to the destination volume with a junction operative to link the destination volume to the source volume if the volume manager is completing a volume split.
28. An article according to claim 26 , having further associated data that, when accessed, result in the machine revising an entry in a volume location database to direct requests for at least one file from the source volume to the destination volume.
29. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the first computer is the second computer.
30. A system according to claim 6 , wherein the location of the first volume in the volume location database associates a name for the first volume with a globally unique identifier for the first volume and a physical location of the first volume.