Data vaulting in emergency shutdown
View Patent ↗A method for data storage includes accepting write commands belonging to a storage operation invoked by a host computer, and caching the write commands in a volatile memory that is powered by external electrical power. A current execution status of the storage operation is also cached in the volatile memory. Responsively to an interruption of the external electrical power during the storage operation, the cached write commands and the cached execution status are backed up in a non-volatile memory. Upon resumption of the external electrical power, the backed up execution status is recovered, so as to resume the interrupted storage operation.
1. A method for data storage by a processor device in a computing storage environment, comprising:
accepting write commands belonging to a storage operation invoked by a host computer;
caching the write commands in a volatile memory that is powered by external electrical power;
caching in the volatile memory a current execution status of the storage operation;
responsively to an interruption of the external electrical power during the storage operation, backing-up the cached write commands and the cached execution status in a non-volatile memory; and
upon resumption of the external electrical power, recovering the backed-up execution status of the storage operation, so as to resume the interrupted storage operation based on the recovered execution status.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the execution status comprises an operation journal.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the execution status comprises state information of the storage operation.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the write commands specify data that are sent by the host computer for storage in one or more storage devices, and wherein the storage operation manipulates a logical volume allocated in the one or more storage devices.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the storage operation creates the logical volume.
6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the storage operation deletes the logical volume.
7. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the storage operation creates a snapshot of the logical volume at a given point in time.
8. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the storage operation deletes a previously-created snapshot of the logical volume.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the write commands specify data items that are sent by the host computer for storage in one or more storage devices, and wherein backing-up the cached write commands comprises backing-up only a subset of the cached write commands, which specify first instances of the data items that are more recent than corresponding second instances of the respective data items that are stored in the storage devices.
10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein accepting the write commands comprises communicating with the host computer over a Storage Area Network (SAN).
11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the non-volatile memory comprises a storage device powered by a temporary power source.
12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the storage device comprises at least one component selected from a group of components consisting of a disk and a Random Access Memory (RAM) device.
13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the non-volatile memory comprises a Flash memory device.
14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the write commands specify data sent by the host computer for storage in one or more storage devices, and wherein the non-volatile memory comprises a memory space that is allocated in the one or more storage devices.
15. Apparatus for data storage, comprising:
an interface, which is operative to accept write commands belonging to a storage operation invoked by a host computer;
a volatile cache memory, which is powered by external electrical power and is coupled to cache the write commands and to cache a current execution status of the storage operation;
an auxiliary non-volatile memory; and
a processor, which is coupled, responsively to an interruption of the external electrical power during the storage operation, to back-up the cached write commands and the cached execution status in the auxiliary non-volatile memory and, upon resumption of the external electrical power, to recover the backed-up execution status of the storage operation, so as to resume the interrupted storage operation based on the recovered execution status.
16. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the write commands specify data that are sent by the host computer for storage in one or more storage devices, and wherein the storage operation manipulates a logical volume allocated in the one or more storage devices.
17. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the storage operation creates the logical volume.
18. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the storage operation deletes the logical volume.
19. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the storage operation creates a snapshot of the logical volume at a given point in time.
20. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the storage operation deletes a previously-created snapshot of the logical volume.
21. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the interface is operative to communicate with the host computer over a Storage Area Network (SAN).
22. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the auxiliary non-volatile memory comprises a storage device, and wherein the apparatus comprises a temporary power source, which is operative to provide electrical power for operating the storage device.
23. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the auxiliary non-volatile memory comprises a Flash memory device.
24. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the write commands specify data sent by the host computer for storage in one or more storage devices, and wherein the auxiliary non-volatile memory comprises a memory space that is allocated in the one or more storage devices.
25. A computer software product for data storage, the product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium, in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by the computer, cause the computer to accept write commands belonging to a storage operation invoked by a host computer, to cache the write commands in a volatile cache memory, which is powered by external electrical power, to cache in the volatile cache memory a current execution status of the storage operation, to back-up the cached write commands and the cached execution status in an auxiliary non-volatile memory responsively to an interruption of the external electrical power during the storage operation, and, upon resumption of the external electrical power, to recover the backed-up execution status of the storage operation, so as to resume the interrupted storage operation based on the recovered execution status.