Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for assigning and associating resources in a cloud computing environment. Virtual machines in the cloud computing environment can be assigned or associated with pools corresponding to users as dedicated, standby, or preemptible machines. The various states provide users with the ability to reserve a desired level of resources while also allowing the operator of the cloud computing environment to increase resource utilization.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that enable a general framework for partitioning application-defined jobs in a scalable environment. The general framework decouples partitioning of a job from the other aspects of the job. As a result, the effort required to define the application-defined job is reduced or minimized, as the user is not required to provide a partitioning algorithm. The general framework also facilitates management of masters and servers performing computations within the distributed environment.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to synchronously replicating data in a distributed computing environment. To achieve synchronous replication both an eventual consistency approach and a strong consistency approach are contemplated. Received data may be written to a log of a primary data store for eventual committal. The data may then be annotated with a record, such as a unique identifier, which facilitates the replay of the data at a secondary data store. Upon receiving an acknowledgment that the secondary data store has written the data to a log, the primary data store may commit the data and communicate an acknowledgment of success back to the client. In a strong consistency approach, the primary data store may wait to send an acknowledgement of success to the client until it receives an acknowledgment that the secondary has not only written, but also committed, the data.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to synchronously replicating data in a distributed computing environment. To achieve synchronous replication both an eventual consistency approach and a strong consistency approach are contemplated. Received data may be written to a log of a primary data store for eventual committal. The data may then be annotated with a record, such as a unique identifier, which facilitates the replay of the data at a secondary data store. Upon receiving an acknowledgment that the secondary data store has written the data to a log, the primary data store may commit the data and communicate an acknowledgment of success back to the client. In a strong consistency approach, the primary data store may wait to send an acknowledgement of success to the client until it receives an acknowledgment that the secondary has not only written, but also committed, the data.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that enable a general framework for partitioning application-defined jobs in a scalable environment. The general framework decouples partitioning of a job from the other aspects of the job. As a result, the effort required to define the application-defined job is reduced or minimized, as the user is not required to provide a partitioning algorithm. The general framework also facilitates management of masters and servers performing computations within the distributed environment.

Abstract: In various embodiments, methods and systems for providing access to file systems are provided. An SFA-based operation having an operation modifier for a file in a file system is received. The SFA-based operation is defined based on a file-representational state transfer (REST) interface. The SFA-REST interface comprises integrated functionality of an SFA protocol and REST protocol. The SFA-based operation is executed using the operation modifier. A REST-based operation for the file in the distributed file storage is received. The REST-based operation is defined based on the SFA-REST interface. The operation modifier is referenced in order to execute the REST-based operation. The REST-based operation based on the SFA-REST interface. A schema can be implemented for accessing the file system. The schema includes tables to store files, the table comprises fields corresponding to elements of a SFA-REST interface. A snapshot component can be implemented to backup file shares in the file system.

Abstract: Presented herein are methods of replicating versioned and hierarchical data structures, as well as data structures representing complex transactions. Due to interdependencies between data entities and a lack of guaranteed message ordering, simple replication methods employed for simple data types cannot be used. Operations on data structures exhibit dependencies between the messages making up the operations. This strategy can be extended to various types of complex transactions by considering certain messages to depend on other messages or on the existence of other entries at the data store. Regardless of origin, these dependencies can be enforced by suspending the processing of messages with unsatisfied dependencies until all of its dependencies have been met. Alternately, transactions can be committed immediately, creating entities that include versioned identifiers for each of their dependencies. These entities can then be garbage collected of the parent objects are not subsequently created.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that enable a general framework for partitioning application-defined jobs in a scalable environment. The general framework decouples partitioning of a job from the other aspects of the job. As a result, the effort required to define the application-defined job is reduced or minimized, as the user is not required to provide a partitioning algorithm. The general framework also facilitates management of masters and servers performing computations within the distributed environment.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for assigning and associating resources in a cloud computing environment. Virtual machines in the cloud computing environment can be assigned or associated with pools corresponding to users as dedicated, standby, or preemptible machines. The various states provide users with the ability to reserve a desired level of resources while also allowing the operator of the cloud computing environment to increase resource utilization.

Abstract: In various embodiments, methods and systems for implementing a distributed metadata management system in distributed storage systems are provided. A distributed storage system operates based on data storage resources (e.g., extents and streams). The distributed metadata management system is implemented for extent and stream metadata to facilitate the scalability of metadata processing. The distributed storage system implements extent managers and stream managers that independently manage extent and stream metadata, respectively. The extent managers are associated with an extent table that stores extent metadata. The stream managers are associated with streams that store associations with extents. The distributed metadata management system can also utilize a bootstrap layer that leverages components of a legacy distributed storage system to facilitate distributed management of extent and stream metadata.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for assigning and associating resources in a cloud computing environment. Virtual machines in the cloud computing environment can be assigned or associated with pools corresponding to users as dedicated, standby, or preemptible machines. The various states provide users with the ability to reserve a desired level of resources while also allowing the operator of the cloud computing environment to increase resource utilization.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that enable a general framework for partitioning application-defined jobs in a scalable environment. The general framework decouples partitioning of a job from the other aspects of the job. As a result, the effort required to define the application-defined job is reduced or minimized, as the user is not required to provide a partitioning algorithm. The general framework also facilitates management of masters and servers performing computations within the distributed environment.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that enable a general framework for partitioning application-defined jobs in a scalable environment. The general framework decouples partitioning of a job from the other aspects of the job. As a result, the effort required to define the application-defined job is reduced or minimized, as the user is not required to provide a partitioning algorithm. The general framework also facilitates management of masters and servers performing computations within the distributed environment.

Abstract: In various embodiments, methods and systems for providing access to file systems are provided. An SFA-based operation having an operation modifier for a file in a file system is received. The SFA-based operation is defined based on a file-representational state transfer (REST) interface. The SFA-REST interface comprises integrated functionality of an SFA protocol and REST protocol. The SFA-based operation is executed using the operation modifier. A REST-based operation for the file in the distributed file storage is received. The REST-based operation is defined based on the SFA-REST interface. The operation modifier is referenced in order to execute the REST-based operation. The REST-based operation based on the SFA-REST interface. A schema can be implemented for accessing the file system. The schema includes tables to store files, the table comprises fields corresponding to elements of a SFA-REST interface. A snapshot component can be implemented to backup file shares in the file system.

Abstract: In various embodiments, methods and systems for implementing a distributed metadata management system in distributed storage systems are provided. A distributed storage system operates based on data storage resources (e.g., extents and streams). The distributed metadata management system is implemented for extent and stream metadata to facilitate the scalability of metadata processing. The distributed storage system implements extent managers and stream managers that independently manage extent and stream metadata, respectively. The extent managers are associated with an extent table that stores extent metadata. The stream managers are associated with streams that store associations with extents. The distributed metadata management system can also utilize a bootstrap layer that leverages components of a legacy distributed storage system to facilitate distributed management of extent and stream metadata.

Abstract: In various embodiments, methods and systems for implementing garbage collection in distributed storage systems are provided. The distributed storage system operates based on independent management of metadata of extent and stream data storage resources. A hybrid garbage collection system based on reference counting garbage collection operations and mark-and-sweep garbage collection operations is implemented. An extent lifetime table that tracks reference weights and mark sequences for extents is initialized and updated based on indications from extent managers and stream managers, respectively. Upon determining that an extent is to be handed-off from weighted reference counting garbage collection operations to mark-and-sweep garbage collection operations, a reference weight field for the extent is voided and a mark sequence field of the extent is updated. The mark sequence field is updated with a latest global sequence number.

Abstract: Presented herein are methods of replicating versioned and hierarchical data structures, as well as data structures representing complex transactions. Due to interdependencies between data entities and a lack of guaranteed message ordering, simple replication methods employed for simple data types cannot be used. Operations on data structures exhibit dependencies between the messages making up the operations. This strategy can be extended to various types of complex transactions by considering certain messages to depend on other messages or on the existence of other entries at the data store. Regardless of origin, these dependencies can be enforced by suspending the processing of messages with unsatisfied dependencies until all of its dependencies have been met. Alternately, transactions can be committed immediately, creating entities that include versioned identifiers for each of their dependencies. These entities can then be garbage collected of the parent objects are not subsequently created.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that enable a general framework for partitioning application-defined computations (e.g., jobs) in a scalable environment. The general framework decouples partitioning of a computation from the other aspects of the computation. As a result, the effort required to define an application-defined job is reduced or minimized, as the user is not required to provide a partitioning algorithm. A user can optionally take advantage of a partitioning framework by providing application-defined interfaces to perform the desired job. Optionally, a user can provide additional information to allow for modification of how partitions are assigned.

Abstract: Cloud computing platforms having computer-readable media that perform methods for facilitating communications with storage. A request having a first-interface format to access storage is intercepted. The first interface format of the request supports access to a virtual hard drive (VHD). The request is translated to a blob request having a blob interface format. The blob interface format of the blob request supports access to a plurality of blobs of data in a blob store. The blob request is communicated to a blob interface such that the blob request is executed in managing the plurality of blobs.

Abstract: In various embodiments, methods and systems for implementing a distributed metadata management system in distributed storage systems are provided. A distributed storage system operates based on data storage resources (e.g., extents and streams). The distributed metadata management system is implemented for extent and stream metadata to facilitate the scalability of metadata processing. The distributed storage system implements extent managers and stream managers that independently manage extent and stream metadata, respectively. The extent managers are associated with an extent table that stores extent metadata. The stream managers are associated with streams that store associations with extents. The distributed metadata management system can also utilize a bootstrap layer that leverages components of a legacy distributed storage system to facilitate distributed management of extent and stream metadata.