Efficiently storing and retrieving data and metadata

摘要

For efficiently storing and retrieving data and metadata in phases, in a first phase, metadata tokens, which are assigned to most active metadata-emitting entities, are used for storing the data and the metadata together in a single input/output operation while piggybacking the metadata of least active metadata-emitting entities onto one of the most active metadata-emitting entities having one of the metadata tokens. In a second phase, the metadata is re-written to a metadata delta journal for reclaiming the metadata tokens. In a third phase, the metadata journal is applied to a metadata structure containing the metadata of the storage system, the metadata delta journal is then cleared after successfully updating the main metadata structure with the metadata of the metadata journal. The metadata journal is swapped with an empty metadata journal for concurrently adding metadata while retaining the metadata journal until applying the metadata delta journal to the metadata structure.

主权项

1. A system for efficiently storing and retrieving data and metadata in a plurality of phases in a storage system, the system comprising:
at least one processor device, for storing and retrieving the data and metadata in the plurality of phases, wherein the at least one processor device: in a first phase, uses metadata tokens assigned to most active metadata-emitting entities for storing the data and the metadata together in a single input/output (I/O) operation while piggybacking the metadata of least active metadata-emitting entities onto one of the most active metadata-emitting entities having one of the metadata tokens; and in a second phase, re-writes the metadata to a metadata delta journal for reclaiming the metadata tokens.