Centralized logging for a data storage system

摘要

A technique for logging events in a data storage system involves designating one subset of storage processors of the data storage system as clients that generate log entries and another subset of the storage processors as servers that receive log entries. Only one server is active at a time. The active server receives the generated log entries from the clients and persists the log entries to a centralized log store. Clients assign first timestamps to the log entries based on locally accessible clocks. The active server receives the log entries, including the first timestamps, from the clients and applies second timestamps based on a clock accessible to the server. As the second timestamps are consistent across the different clients, the second timestamps can be applied to correct misalignments in time among the log entries received from the clients.

主权项

1. A method of logging events in a data storage system, the method comprising:
running a logging server on a storage processor of the data storage system; receiving, by the logging server, log entries from multiple logging clients running on respective other storage processors of the data storage system, each log entry generated by one of the logging clients in response to an event occurring on the storage processor on which the logging client runs and including a first timestamp referenced to a clock on the storage processor on which the logging client runs; applying, by the logging server, a second timestamp to each of the log entries received from the logging clients, each second timestamp referenced to a common clock accessible to the storage processor on which the logging server runs; persistently storing, by the logging server, the log entries including the respective first and second timestamps to a centralized log store;
queuing the log entries in a cache of storage processors running the logging clients; andinstructing the logging clients to send the queued log entries to a standby logging server, the standby logging server being configured to apply the second timestamp to received log entries and persistently store these log entries in the centralized log store.