Restoring NAS servers from the cloud
A technique for restoring NAS (network attached storage) servers that have been archived to the cloud includes querying, by a local data storage system, a cloud-based data store to identify a set of cloud-backed volumes that belong to an archived NAS server to be restored. The technique further includes rendering the identified cloud-backed volumes as respective writable LUNs (Logical UNits), accessing the writeable LUNs by the local data storage system, and processing data on the writeable LUNs to operate file systems of the NAS server that are stored in the writeable LUNs.
1. A method of locally accessing NAS (network attached storage) servers archived in cloud storage, the method comprising:
receiving, in a local data storage system, a request to restore an archived NAS server from a cloud-based data store, the archived NAS server including multiple volumes that store respective file systems that belong to the archived NAS server; and
in response to receiving the request,
(a) querying searchable metadata elements in the data store, the searchable metadata elements associating volumes with NAS servers, the act of querying identifying the volumes included in the archived NAS server,
(b) rendering the volumes identified by querying the searchable metadata elements as respective writeable LUNs (Logical UNits);
(c) accessing the writeable LUNs by the local data storage system, and
(d) processing, by the local data storage system, data in the writeable LUNs to operate respective file systems belonging to the archived NAS server, the local data storage system thereby locally operating the NAS server archived in the cloud storage.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data store is configured to store data in the form of objects, and wherein the method further comprises operating, in the local data storage system, a VTO (volume-to-object) translator, the VTO translator (i) arranging the writeable LUNs from objects in the data store and (ii) providing access to the writeable LUNs using a block-based protocol.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein accessing the writeable LUNs includes discovering, by a processing node running in the local data storage system, the writeable LUNs made accessible by the VTO translator using the block-based protocol.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein querying the searchable metadata elements includes directing the VTO translator to query blobs in the data store that are associated with NAS server volumes.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein querying the data store includes specifying at least one of the following as query criteria:
a NAS server identifier that identifies a NAS server from among other NAS servers archived in the data store;
a version number indicating a NAS server version, wherein different versions of a NAS server identify different instances of a NAS server at respective points in time; and
a timestamp indicating a time when a NAS server version was created.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein rendering the volumes as writeable LUNs includes:
generating a writable clone of each of the identified volumes; and
providing the writeable clones as the writeable LUNs.
7. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
creating a root file system for the archived NAS server in the local data storage system;
creating a database in the root file system, the database identifying each of the file systems stored in the writeable LUNs.
8. The method of claim 3 , wherein the request to restore the archived NAS server is part of a recovery operation for resuming operation of the archived NAS server after a failure in another data storage system that previously hosted the archived NAS server.
9. The method of claim 3 , wherein the request to restore the archived NAS server is part of a content distribution process for receiving the archived NAS server from the cloud-based data store.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises the local data storage system accessing newly archived versions of the NAS server from the cloud-based data store on a regular basis.
11. A computerized apparatus, comprising control circuitry constructed and arranged to:
receive, in a local data storage system, a request to restore an archived NAS server from a cloud-based data store, the archived NAS server including multiple volumes that store respective file systems that belong to the archived NAS server; and
in response to receipt of the request,
(a) query searchable metadata elements in the data store, the searchable metadata elements associating volumes with NAS servers, the act of querying identifying the volumes included in the archived NAS server,
(b) render the volumes identified by querying the searchable metadata elements as respective writeable LUNs (Logical UNits);
(c) access the writeable LUNs by the local data storage system, and
(d) process, by the local data storage system, data in the writeable LUNs to operate respective file systems belonging to the archived NAS server, the local data storage system thereby locally operating the NAS server archived in the cloud storage.
12. A computer program product including a set of non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions which, when executed by control circuitry of a computerized apparatus, cause the computerized apparatus to perform a method for locally accessing NAS (network attached storage) servers archived in cloud storage, the method comprising:
receiving, in a local data storage system, a request to restore an archived NAS server from a cloud-based data store, the archived NAS server including multiple volumes that store respective file systems that belong to the archived NAS server; and
in response to receiving the request,
(a) querying searchable metadata elements in the data store, the searchable metadata elements associating volumes with NAS servers, the act of querying identifying the volumes included in the archived NAS server,
(b) rendering the volumes identified by querying the searchable metadata elements as respective writeable LUNs (Logical UNits);
(c) accessing the writeable LUNs by the local data storage system, and
(d) processing, by the local data storage system, data in the writeable LUNs to operate respective file systems belonging to the archived NAS server, the local data storage system thereby locally operating the NAS server archived in the cloud storage.
13. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the data store is configured to store data in the form of objects, and wherein the method further comprises operating, in the local data storage system, a VTO (volume-to-object) translator, the VTO translator (i) arranging the writeable LUNs from objects in the data store and (ii) providing access to the writeable LUNs using a block-based protocol.
14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein accessing the writeable LUNs includes discovering, by a processing node running in the local data storage system, the writeable LUNs made accessible by the VTO translator using the block-based protocol.
15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein querying the data store includes specifying at least one of the following as query criteria:
a NAS server identifier that identifies a NAS server from among other NAS servers archived in the data store;
a version number indicating a NAS server version, wherein different versions of a NAS server identify different instances of a NAS server at respective points in time; and
a timestamp indicating a time when a NAS server version was created.
16. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein rendering the volumes as writeable LUNs includes:
generating a writable clone of each of the identified volumes; and
providing the writeable clones as the writeable LUNs.
17. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises:
creating a root file system for the archived NAS server in the local data storage system;
creating a database in the root file system, the database identifying each of the file systems stored in the writeable LUNs.
18. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the request to restore the archived NAS server is part of a recovery operation for resuming operation of the archived NAS server after a failure in another data storage system that previously hosted the archived NAS server.
19. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the request to restore the archived NAS server is part of a content distribution process for receiving the archived NAS server from the cloud-based data store.
20. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the method further comprises the local data storage system accessing newly archived versions of the NAS server from the cloud-based data store on a regular basis.