Method and apparatus for mounting and unmounting a stable snapshot copy of a user file system

1. A method for mounting and unmounting a stable snapshot copy of a user file system, comprising the steps of:

creating a user file system on a Virtual Data Mover (VDM) application instantiated in an emulation executing on a storage system;

adding data to the user file system from a client interfaced with the VDM application over a communication network;

storing, by the storage system, the data associated with the user file system in a first region of physical storage resources of the storage system associated with a first Thin Logical Unit (TLU);

creating a snapshot copy of the user file system by the storage system;

storing the snapshot copy of the user file system in a second region of the physical storage resources of the storage system;

associating a logical view of the snapshot copy of the user file system to a snapshot copy TLU and exporting the logical view to the VDM application;

mounting, by the VDM application, the snapshot copy TLU as a snapshot copy file system; and

replaying pending transactions and sub-transactions of the user file system on the snapshot copy file system to bring the snapshot copy file system to a stable state;

wherein the emulation includes a local operating system and the VDM application is executing as a process in the context of the local operating system, and wherein the step of mounting the snapshot copy TLU as the snapshot copy file system comprises creating a logical volume for the snapshot copy TLU in the local operating system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the local operating system has a file system layer, and wherein the pending transactions and sub-transactions are transactions and sub-transactions on the user file system at the file system layer.

3. A method for mounting and unmounting a stable snapshot copy of a user file system, comprising the steps of:

creating a user file system on a Virtual Data Mover (VDM) application instantiated in an emulation executing on a storage system;

adding data to the user file system from a client interfaced with the VDM application over a communication network;

storing, by the storage system, the data associated with the user file system in a first region of physical storage resources of the storage system associated with a first Thin Logical Unit (TLU);

creating a snapshot copy of the user file system by the storage system;

storing the snapshot copy of the user file system in a second region of the physical storage resources of the storage system;

associating a logical view of the snapshot copy of the user file system to a snapshot copy TLU and exporting the logical view to the VDM application;

mounting, by the VDM application, the snapshot copy TLU as a snapshot copy file system;

replaying pending transactions and sub-transactions of the user file system on the snapshot copy file system to bring the snapshot copy file system to a stable state; and

performing write operations on the snapshot copy file system to determine performance of the snapshot copy file system.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising unmounting the snapshot copy TLU after performing the write operations.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein unmounting the snapshot copy TLU causes all write operations on the snapshot copy file system to be lost to cause the snapshot copy of the user file system to revert to an original state.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein unmounting the snapshot copy TLU causes all replayed pending transactions and sub-transactions to be lost to cause the snapshot copy of the user file system to revert to an original state.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising re-mounting, by the VDM application, the snapshot copy TLU as the snapshot copy file system; and

replaying pending transactions and sub-transactions of the user file system on the snapshot copy file system to again bring the snapshot copy file system to stable state.

8. A method for mounting and unmounting a stable snapshot copy of a user file system, comprising the steps of:

creating a user file system on a Virtual Data Mover (VDM) application instantiated in an emulation executing on a storage system;

adding data to the user file system from a client interfaced with the VDM application over a communication network;

storing, by the storage system, the data associated with the user file system in a first region of physical storage resources of the storage system associated with a first Thin Logical Unit (TLU);

creating a snapshot copy of the user file system by the storage system;

storing the snapshot copy of the user file system in a second region of the physical storage resources of the storage system;

associating a logical view of the snapshot copy of the user file system to a snapshot copy TLU and exporting the logical view to the VDM application;

mounting, by the VDM application, the snapshot copy TLU as a snapshot copy file system;

replaying pending transactions and sub-transactions of the user file system on the snapshot copy file system to bring the snapshot copy file system to a stable state; and

testing operation of the user file system by iteratively mounting the snapshot copy TLU as the snapshot copy file system, bringing the snapshot copy file system to a stable state, using the snapshot copy TLU to perform write simulations, and unmounting the snapshot copy TLU to cause all write operations and replayed pending transactions and sub-transactions to be lost so that the snapshot copy of the user file system reverts to its original state.

9. A storage system, comprising:

a storage array having physical storage resources;

a Software Defined Network Attached Storage (SDNAS) process running in an emulation on the storage system, the emulation having an operating system;

a user file system having user file system data stored in the storage array that is accessed by the SDNAS process via a first Thin Logical Unit (TLU) storage volume mounted on the emulation operating system;

a snapshot copy of the user file system stored in the storage array; and

control logic configured to:

associate a logical view of the snapshot copy of the user file system to a second TLU;

mount the second TLU on the emulation operating system as a snapshot copy file system; and

replay pending transactions and sub-transactions of the user file system on the snapshot copy file system to bring the snapshot copy file system to a stable state.

10. The storage system of claim 9 , wherein the control logic configured to associate the logical view of the snapshot copy of the user file system to the second TLU is further configured to export the logical view to the SDNAS process.

11. The storage system of claim 9 , wherein the emulation operating system includes an asynchronous input/output layer and the pending transactions and sub-transactions of the user file system are transactions and sub-transactions applied to the user file system at the asynchronous input/output layer of the emulation operating system.

12. The storage system of claim 9 , further comprising control logic configured to perform write operations on the snapshot copy file system to determine performance of the snapshot copy file system.

13. The storage system of claim 12 , further comprising control logic configured to Currently Amended the second TLU after performing the write operations.

14. The storage system of claim 13 , wherein unmounting the second TLU causes all write operations on the snapshot copy file system to be lost to cause the snapshot copy of the user file system to revert to an original state.

15. The storage system of claim 13 , wherein unmounting the second TLU causes all replayed pending transactions and sub-transactions to be lost to cause the snapshot copy of the user file system to revert to an original state.

16. The storage system of claim 15 , further comprising control logic configured to re-mount, by the SDNAS process, the second TLU as the snapshot copy file system; and

replay pending transactions and sub-transactions of the user file system on the snapshot copy file system to once again bring the snapshot copy file system to stable state.

17. The storage system of claim 9 , further comprising control logic configured to test operation of the user file system by iteratively mounting the snapshot copy TLU as the snapshot copy file system, bring the snapshot copy file system to a stable state, use the snapshot copy TLU to perform write simulations, and unmount the snapshot copy TLU to cause all write operations and replayed pending transactions and sub-transactions to be lost so that the snapshot copy of the user file system reverts to its original state.