Abstract: Techniques are disclosed which allow a secondary storage system to provide data to non-production workloads in conjunction with performing data backup and protection tasks. As disclosed, a secondary storage system exposes backup data stored by the secondary storage system to other workloads, such as test and development applications, data analytics, etc. These non-production workloads can run at the same time the secondary storage system provides backup services to a primary storage system. This consolidation eliminates the need for an enterprise to deploy separate storage clusters for analytics, test and development applications, etc. and eliminates unnecessary copies of data.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a first set of file system objects included in performing a requested file system operation is identified in response to a request to perform a file system operation. An update intent corresponding to the requested file system operation is inserted into a data structure associated with each identified file system object. Each file system object corresponding to the corresponding data structure is modified as specified by the update intent in that data structure. After modifying the file system object corresponding to the corresponding data structure, the update intent is removed from that data structure.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for managing a high performance, fault-tolerant, strongly consistent, distributed key-value store system. The key-value store may store information, such as metadata for a distributed file system. Fault-tolerance means that the distributed key-value store continues to provide access to values in the key-value store in spite of a certain number of node failures. To provide this capability, the key-value store may store copies of (key, value) pair on N+1 nodes in order to provide fault tolerance for the failure of up to N nodes. In addition, metadata describing which nodes store a given value is stored on 2N+1 nodes and the distributed key-value store is sized such that there are 3N+1 nodes in a cluster. Doing so allows the key, value store to tolerate a failure of N nodes, while still maintaining a consistent and available key-value store.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved approach for implementing and maintaining writable snapshots. An efficient approach is provided for implementing snapshots that can be used to immediately create snapshots without incurring any detectable delays in providing access to the new snapshots. Also described are improved metadata structures that can be used to implement and maintain the writable snapshots.

Abstract: Disclosed is an approach for implementing disaster recovery for virtual machines. Consistency groups are implemented for virtual machines, where the consistency group link together two or more VMs. The consistency group includes any set of VMs which need to be managed on a consistent basis in the event of a disaster recovery scenario.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide techniques for maintaining consistency in a distributed system (e.g., a distributed secondary storage system). According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a first set of file system objects included in performing the requested file system operation is identified in response to a request to perform a file system operation. An update intent corresponding to the requested file system operation is inserted into an inode associated with each identified file system object. Each file system object corresponding to the inode is modified as specified by the update intent in that inode. After modifying the file system object corresponding to the inode, the update intent is removed from that inode.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for managing a high performance, fault-tolerant, strongly consistent, distributed key-value store system. The key-value store may store information, such as metadata for a distributed file system. Fault-tolerance means that the distributed key-value store continues to provide access to values in the key-value store in spite of a certain number of node failures. To provide this capability, the key-value store may store copies of (key, value) pair on N+1 nodes in order to provide fault tolerance for the failure of up to N nodes. In addition, metadata describing which nodes store a given value is stored on 2N+1 nodes and the distributed key-value store is sized such that there are 3N+1 nodes in a cluster. Doing so allows the key, value store to tolerate a failure of N nodes, while still maintaining a consistent and available key-value store.

Abstract: A request to write data corresponding to at least a first portion of a file is received. It is determined whether to perform the request either as an in-place write or as an out-of-place write. Performing the in-place write comprises performing a write to a low latency storage device, and performing the out-of-place write comprises performing a write to a higher latency storage device. The request is performed as either the in-place write or the out-of-place write based on the determination. Performing the request as the in-place write includes writing the data to a first location on a storage tier storing the first portion of the file, and performing the request as the out-of-place write includes writing the data to a second location on one of a plurality of storage tiers of a computing node, other than the first location.

Abstract: Disclosed is an approach for implementing disaster recovery for virtual machines. Consistency groups are implemented for virtual machines, where the consistency group link together two or more VMs. The consistency group includes any set of VMs which need to be managed on a consistent basis in the event of a disaster recovery scenario.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed which allow a secondary storage system to provide data to non-production workloads in conjunction with performing data backup and protection tasks. As disclosed, a secondary storage system exposes backup data stored by the secondary storage system to other workloads, such as test and development applications, data analytics, etc. These non-production workloads can run at the same time the secondary storage system provides backup services to a primary storage system. This consolidation eliminates the need for an enterprise to deploy separate storage clusters for analytics, test and development applications, etc. and eliminates unnecessary copies of data.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for storing data in a plurality of storage tiers on a computing node. A node receives a request to write data corresponding to at least a first portion of a file. The node determines whether to perform the request either as an in-place write or as an out-of-place write. Upon determining to perform the request as the in-place write, the node writes the data to a first location on a storage tier which currently stores the first portion of the file. Upon determining to perform the request as the out-of-place write, the node writes the data to a second location on one of the storage tiers, other than the first location.

Abstract: A computer implemented method implemented with a processor for assigning a unique identifier for a data item initially deployed at a cluster of a networked environment that includes determining a unique cluster identifier for the cluster of the networked environment, atomically modifying a local counter value at the cluster of the networked environment and appending the unique cluster identifier to the atomically modified local counter value at the cluster of the networked environment to form a unique ID for the data item.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed which allow a secondary storage system to provide data to non-production workloads in conjunction with performing data backup and protection tasks. As disclosed, a secondary storage system exposes backup data stored by the secondary storage system to other workloads, such as test and development applications, data analytics, etc. These non-production workloads can run at the same time the secondary storage system provides backup services to a primary storage system. This consolidation eliminates the need for an enterprise to deploy separate storage clusters for analytics, test and development applications, etc. and eliminates unnecessary copies of data.

Abstract: A computer implemented method implemented with a processor for assigning a unique identifier for a data item initially deployed at a cluster of a networked environment that includes determining a unique cluster identifier for the cluster of the networked environment, atomically modifying a local counter value at the cluster of the networked environment and appending the unique cluster identifier to the atomically modified local counter value at the cluster of the networked environment to form a unique ID for the data item.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed which allow a secondary storage system to provide data to non-production workloads in conjunction with performing data backup and protection tasks. As disclosed, a secondary storage system exposes backup data stored by the secondary storage system to other workloads, such as test and development applications, data analytics, etc. These non-production workloads can run at the same time the secondary storage system provides backup services to a primary storage system. This consolidation eliminates the need for an enterprise to deploy separate storage clusters for analytics, test and development applications, etc. and eliminates unnecessary copies of data.

Abstract: A method for performing distributed data replication from a source cluster of nodes to a destination cluster of nodes includes electing a master file management instance and slave file management instances for the source cluster of nodes, identifying a set of files to be replicated, assigning the identified set of files to the master file management instance and the slave file management instances, processing the identified set of files by the master file management instance and the slave file management instances and performing replication on the processed set of files by file replication instances corresponding to the master and slave file management instances at the source cluster of nodes.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for storing data in a plurality of storage tiers on a computing node. A node receives a request to write data corresponding to at least a first portion of a file. The node determines whether to perform the request either as an in-place write or as an out-of-place write. Upon determining to perform the request as the in-place write, the node writes the data to a first location on a storage tier which currently stores the first portion of the file. Upon determining to perform the request as the out-of-place write, the node writes the data to a second location on one of the storage tiers, other than the first location.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for allocating shared resources to nodes in a distributed computing network system. Nodes request a lock for each instance of a computing resource (e.g., a virtual IP address associated with a service provided by the distributed computing network system) from a distributed lock manager. The distributed lock manager maintains a queue of requests for each instance of the shared resource. Upon receiving a lock from the distributed lock manager, the receiving node performs a fairness allocation protocol to determine whether to accept the lock. If so determined, the shared computing resources associated with the lock is configured.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide techniques for maintaining consistency in a distributed system (e.g., a distributed secondary storage system). According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a first set of file system objects included in performing the requested file system operation is identified in response to a request to perform a file system operation. An update intent corresponding to the requested file system operation is inserted into an inode associated with each identified file system object. Each file system object corresponding to the inode is modified as specified by the update intent in that inode. After modifying the file system object corresponding to the inode, the update intent is removed from that inode.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed which allow a secondary storage system to provide data to non-production workloads in conjunction with performing data backup and protection tasks. As disclosed, a secondary storage system exposes backup data stored by the secondary storage system to other workloads, such as test and development applications, data analytics, etc. These non-production workloads can run at the same time the secondary storage system provides backup services to a primary storage system. This consolidation eliminates the need for an enterprise to deploy separate storage clusters for analytics, test and development applications, etc. and eliminates unnecessary copies of data.