Configuration-less network locking infrastructure for shared file systems

摘要

A network-based method for managing locks in a shared file system (SFS) for a group of hosts that does not require any configuration to identify a server for managing locks for the SFS. Each host in the group carries out the steps of checking a predetermined storage location to determine whether there is a host ID written in the predetermined location. If there is no host ID written in the predetermined location, the first host to notice this condition writes its host ID in the predetermined location to identify itself as the server for managing locks. If there is a host ID written in the predetermined location, the host ID of the server for managing locks is maintained in local memory. When the host needs to perform IO operations on a file of the SFS, it communicates with the server for managing locks over the network using the host ID of the server for managing locks to obtain a lock to the file.

主权项

1. A method of managing locks in a shared file system (SFS) for a group of hosts, including first and second hosts, that are coupled to one or more storage arrays through a first network and to each other through a second network, comprising:
when the first host determines that there is no host ID written in a predetermined storage location in the storage arrays, obtaining, by said first host, exclusive access to the predetermined storage location, and writing, by said first host, a host ID of the first host in the predetermined storage location to identify the first host as a server for managing locks; at each of the other hosts including the second host, reading the predetermined storage location to obtain the host ID of the first host and communicating with the first host over the second network to obtain one or more locks to files of the SFS; determining, by the second host, that the first server is inactive; and responsive to the determining by the second host,
overriding, by the second host, the exclusive access to the predetermined storage area obtained by the first host andwriting, by the second host, a host ID of the second host in the predetermined storage location to identify the second host as the server for managing locks.