Set-based mutual exclusion using object metadata tags in a storage appliance

1. A computer-implemented method for implementing a mutual-exclusion semantic for target update, the method comprising:

receiving a tagset update request for an existing tagset associated with an object, the tagset update request comprising an updating tagset having a plurality of metadata tags;

determining whether updating the existing tagset based on the received tagset update request would cause a value of any existing metadata tag in the existing tagset to change;

in response to determining that updating the tagset based on the received tagset update request would cause a value of at least one existing metadata tag in the existing tagset to change, rejecting all of the plurality of metadata tags of the tagset update request; and,

in response to determining that updating the tagset would cause none of the existing metadata tags to change, merging the existing tagset and the updating tagset to thereby generate a new tagset.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising in response to determining that updating the existing tagset based on the received tagset update request would not cause a value of any existing metadata tag in the existing tagset to change, updating the existing tagset based on the tagset update request.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the existing tagset comprises standard metadata tags and system metadata tags.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the object of the data storage system is a filesystem file.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the object of the data storage system is identifiable with a Universal Unique Identifier (UUID).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the object of the data storage system is associated with one or more namespaces, and the object is identifiable with a unique persona in each associated namespace.

7. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a tagset update request for an existing tagset associated with an object, the tagset update request comprising an updating tagset having a plurality of metadata tags;

determining whether updating the existing tagset based on the received tagset update request would cause a value of any existing metadata tag in the existing tagset to change;

in response to determining that updating the existing tagset based on the received tagset update request would cause a value of at least one existing metadata tag in the tagset to change, rejecting all of the plurality of metadata tags of the tagset update request; and,

in response to determining that updating the tagset would cause none of the existing metadata tags to change, merging the existing tagset and the updating tagset to thereby generate a new tagset.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 7 , the operations further comprising in response to determining that updating the existing tagset based on the received tagset update request would not cause a value of any existing metadata tag in the existing tagset to change, updating the existing tagset based on the tagset update request.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the tagset comprises standard metadata tags and system metadata tags.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the object of the data storage system is a filesystem file.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the object of the data storage system is identifiable with a Universal Unique Identifier (UUID).

12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the object of the data storage system is associated with one or more namespaces, and the object is identifiable with a unique persona in each associated namespace.

13. A data processing system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor to store instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations including:

receiving a tagset update request for an existing tagset associated with an object, the tagset update request comprising an updating tagset having a plurality of metadata tags;

determining whether updating the existing tagset based on the received tagset update request would cause a value of any existing metadata tag in the existing tagset to change;

in response to determining that updating the existing tagset based on the received tagset update request would cause a value of at least one existing metadata tag in the existing tagset to change, rejecting all of the plurality of metadata tags of the tagset update request; and,

in response to determining that updating the tagset would cause none of the existing metadata tags to change, merging the existing tagset and the updating tagset to thereby generate a new tagset.

14. The data processing system of claim 13 , the operations further comprising in response to determining that updating the existing tagset based on the received tagset update request would not cause a value of any existing metadata tag in the existing tagset to change, updating the existing tagset based on the tagset update request.

15. The data processing system of claim 13 , wherein the existing tagset comprises standard metadata tags and system metadata tags.

16. The data processing system of claim 13 , wherein the object of the data storage system is a filesystem file.

17. The data processing system of claim 13 , wherein the object of the data storage system is identifiable with a Universal Unique Identifier (UUID).

18. The data processing system of claim 13 , wherein the object of the data storage system is associated with one or more namespaces, and the object is identifiable with a unique persona in each associated namespace.