Abstract: In a mirrored database system, a careful write of intentions to perform file system actions is recorded in a persistent file system objects table that is flushed to disk prior to the actions being taken. The table durably and accurately records identities of file system objects that were in use by the database to facilitate creation and deletion of physical file directories and files on a database during crash recovery and during mirror resynchronize. In the event of a failure, crash recovery may quickly and easily identify file system objects which need to be cleaned up by reference to the persistent file system objects table. Similarly, resynchronization of the mirror database can be performed quickly by referring to the persistent file system table data to detect changes since the last database checkpoint.

Abstract: In a mirrored database system, a careful write of intentions to perform file system actions is recorded in a persistent file system objects table that is flushed to disk prior to the actions being taken. The table durably and accurately records identities of file system objects that were in use by the database to facilitate creation and deletion of physical file directories and files on a database during crash recovery and during mirror resynchronize. In the event of a failure, crash recovery may quickly and easily identify file system objects which need to be cleaned up by reference to the persistent file system objects table. Similarly, resynchronization of the mirror database can be performed quickly by referring to the persistent file system table data to detect changes since the last database checkpoint.

Abstract: In a database cluster comprising a plurality of mirrored database segments, a mirror database pair comprising a primary database and a mirror database are maintained substantially consistent by writing changes resulting from transactions to page data in parallel to the primary database and to the mirror database. Changes are sent to the mirror database over a network using network communications. Transaction logs are also written to the primary and mirrored databases in parallel, the transaction logs being sent to the mirror database using network communications. Bulk load changes resulting from transactions are written in parallel over the network to the primary database and the mirror database without writing the changes to a transaction log. In the event of a failure, resynchronization of the mirror database can be performed quickly while avoiding a lengthy ongoing redo process on the mirror database.

Abstract: In a mirrored database system, mirror resynchronization of bulk load and append-only tables during ongoing transactions is optimized for quick repair and high availability by catching up any changes to primary database tables that have not been made to mirror database tables during the transaction itself, and making changes due to ongoing transactions when the databases are synchronized to the resynchronization process.

Abstract: In a mirrored database system, a careful write of intentions to perform the system actions is recorded in a persistent file system objects table that is flushed to disk prior to the actions being taken. The table durably and accurately records identities of file system objects that were in use by the database to facilitate creation and deletion of physical file directories and files on a database during crash recovery and during mirror resynchronize. In the event of a failure, crash recovery may quickly and easily identify file system objects which need to be cleaned up by reference to the persistent file system objects table. Similarly, resynchronization of the mirror database can be performed quickly by referring to the persistent file system table data to detect changes since the last database checkpoint.

Abstract: A process for upgrading a mirrored shared-nothing database system comprises a sequence of short well-defined idempotent steps, and at least one non-idempotent step involving transforming a master catalog. The upgrade process is managed and controlled by a state machine that has a persistent memory running on the master node. In the event of a failure or crash during an idempotent step, the process stops the database in the current state and repeats the step. If a failure or crash occurs during a non-idempotent step, the upgrade process is rolled back to the beginning and repeated.

Abstract: In a mirrored database system, mirror resynchronization of fixed length pages is optimized for quick repair and high availability by identifying those lost page changes that must be made for resynchronization and ignoring other duplicate changes. Essential pages are identified using log sequence numbers (LSNs) to locate the most current version of a changed page, and other lower valued LSNs of less current versions of that page are eliminated as having changes that are duplicated in the current version of the page. Page changes since the last database checkpoint before losing mirror synchronization and the current LSN of the transaction log are identified as possibly necessary changes to be made.

Abstract: A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for recovering databases. In some embodiments, this includes switching an active segment to a resynchronization mode, receiving a change tracking log, determining a data block based on the change tracking log, and resynchronizing the determined data block with a non-active segment. In some embodiments, writes performed on the active segment are synchronized with the non-active segment.

Abstract: In a mirrored database system, good quality of service and high availability is afforded by minimizing the time required for suspension of operations to transition between mirror states, and by keeping track of changes made to a primary database while the mirror database was out of communications so that a later mirror resynchronization process can quickly catch up the mirror database by making only the lost changes.

Abstract: A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for recovering databases. In some embodiments, this includes switching an active segment to change tracking mode, intercepting write related changes on the active segment while in the change tracking mode, populating a change tracking log based on the intercepted write related changes, and storing the populated change tracking log in a storage device. In some embodiments, the storage device is memory. In some embodiments, the change tracking log if flushed from memory to disk.

Abstract: In a mirrored database system, mirror resynchronization of fixed length pages is optimized for quick repair and high availability by identifying those lost page changes that must be made for resynchronization and ignoring other duplicate changes. Essential pages are identified using log sequence numbers (LSNs) to locate the most current version of a changed page, and other lower valued LSNs of less current versions of that page are eliminated as having changes that are duplicated in the current version of the page. Page changes since the last database checkpoint before losing mirror synchronization and the current LSN of the transaction log are identified as possibly necessary changes to be made.

Abstract: In a mirrored database system, mirror resynchronization of bulk load and append-only tables during ongoing transactions is optimized for quick repair and high availability by catching up any changes to primary database tables that have not been made to mirror database tables during the transaction itself, and making changes due to ongoing transactions when the databases are synchronized to the resynchronization process.

Abstract: In a database cluster comprising a plurality of mirrored database segments, a mirror database pair comprising a primary database and a mirror database are maintained substantially consistent by writing changes resulting from transactions to page data in parallel to the primary database and to the mirror database. Changes are sent to the mirror database over a network using network communications. Transaction logs are also written to the primary and mirrored databases in parallel, the transaction logs being sent to the mirror database using network communications. Bulk load changes resulting from transactions are written in parallel over the network to the primary database and the mirror database without writing the changes to a transaction log. In the event of a failure, resynchronization of the mirror database can be performed quickly while avoiding a lengthy ongoing redo process on the mirror database.

Abstract: In a mirrored database system, good quality of service and high availability is afforded by minimizing the time required for suspension of operations to transition between mirror states, and by keeping track of changes made to a primary database while the mirror database was out of communications so that a later mirror resynchronization process can quickly catch up the mirror database by making only the lost changes.

Abstract: A process for upgrading a mirrored shared-nothing database system comprises a sequence of short well-defined idempotent steps, and at least one non-idempotent step involving transforming a master catalog. The upgrade process is managed and controlled by a state machine that has a persistent memory running on the master node. In the event of a failure or crash during an idempotent step, the process stops the database in the current state and repeats the step. If a failure or crash occurs during a non-idempotent step, the upgrade process is rolled back to the beginning and repeated.

Abstract: Server supervisor processes in the segment nodes of a database cluster afford transparent reset mechanisms to a fault tolerant service (FTS). FTS probes only primary segments as to their status unless a primary segment does not respond, in which case FTS will probe the mirror of that primary-mirror pair, and change the state of the mirror to primary if the primary is faulty. Only a primary segment to initiate a reset of its mirror segment and then resets itself. If a mirror segment fails, it shuts down and its corresponding primary segment will report the failure to FTS. Transient communication failures are addressed by retry logic on FTS probing, and not reported to FTS. Reset is not initiated by FTS and preserves the segment state in the absence of errors.

Abstract: A data storage server is programmed with common software modules for management, version control, and scheduling of replication of data storage objects of multiple data storage object types. The multiple data storage object types include iSCSI LUNs, file systems, virtual servers, directories, and files. The version control determines if two data storage objects are the same or have a common base so that only a difference needs to be transmitted for replication or restoration. The scheduler controls the timing of snapshot creation and deletion, and replication transmission to one or more remote destinations. The scheduler may ensure that a replica of a data storage object is out-of-sync with the original of the data storage object by no more than a specified amount of time.

Abstract: In a mirrored database system, a careful write of intentions to perform file system actions is recorded in a persistent file system objects table that is flushed to disk prior to the actions being taken. The table durably and accurately records identities of file system objects that were in use by the database to facilitate creation and deletion of physical file directories and files on a database during crash recovery and during mirror resynchronize. In the event of a failure, crash recovery may quickly and easily identify file system objects which need to be cleaned up by reference to the persistent file system objects table. Similarly, resynchronization of the mirror database can be performed quickly by referring to the persistent file system table data to detect changes since the last database checkpoint.

Abstract: File systems possibly impacted by a bad sector in a disk drive are unmounted. Then the disk drive is scanned in order to identify additional bad sectors, and for each identified bad sector, a logical address of the bad sector is re-vectored to a good sector. An attempt is made to restore the data of each bad sector, and then the file system is checked for consistency. If a bad sector cannot be restored, any application relying on the bad sector is aborted. Once the file system is found to be consistent, the file system is remounted. Re-vectored blocks are reverse mapped to identify damaged or repaired directories and files. Damaged or repaired directories and files are reported to a system administrator, and damaged directories or files of a client are reported to the client.

Abstract: A data storage server is programmed for management, version control, and scheduling of replication of multiple types of data storage objects including iSCSI LUNs and file systems. The version control determines if two data storage objects are the same or have a common base so that only a difference needs to be transmitted for replication or restoration. A replication job may specify a “one-to-many” replication or a cascaded replication, and any snapshot retention policy is propagated during a cascaded replication. Concurrent replication sessions to the same destination are paced in accordance with respective allocation shares of the reception bandwidth. File handle information is replicated so that a file handle issued by a primary data storage server can be used for accessing a replicated file in a secondary data storage server.