US 11,755,419 B2
Utilizing spare network nodes for deduplication fingerprints database
Alexander H. Ainscow, Winchester (GB); Ben Sasson, North Baddesky (GB); Gordon Hutchison, Eastleigh (GB); Miles Mulholland, Hampshire (GB); and Lee J. Sanders, Chichester (GB)
Assigned to INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION, Armonk, NY (US)
Filed by INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION, Armonk, NY (US)
Filed on Sep. 6, 2018, as Appl. No. 16/123,249.
Prior Publication US 2020/0081797 A1, Mar. 12, 2020
Int. Cl. G06F 11/14 (2006.01); G06F 3/06 (2006.01); G06F 11/16 (2006.01); G06F 11/20 (2006.01)
CPC G06F 11/1453 (2013.01) [G06F 3/065 (2013.01); G06F 3/0614 (2013.01); G06F 3/0641 (2013.01); G06F 3/0683 (2013.01); G06F 11/1469 (2013.01); G06F 11/1662 (2013.01); G06F 11/20 (2013.01); G06F 11/2094 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method of utilizing hot-spare nodes in a storage network having a deduplication fingerprints database, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of nodes in a storage network having a deduplication fingerprints database, wherein the deduplication fingerprints database eliminates redundant data, the storage network comprising at least one active node including an active node storage and at least one hot-spare node including a hot-spare node storage, wherein the at least one active node does not include any hot-spare node storage, wherein the deduplication fingerprints database is distributed between the at least one active node and the at least one hot-spare node during a non-failure operation of the storage network, wherein the non-failure operation of the storage network includes the at least one active node in a functioning state;
storing, on the active node storage of the at least one active node, a first portion of unique fingerprints of the deduplication fingerprints database, wherein the first portion of unique fingerprints corresponds to data that is not redundantly stored;
storing, on the hot-spare node storage of the at least one hot-spare node that is explicitly separated from the at least one active node and the active node storage, a second portion of unique fingerprints of the deduplication fingerprints database during the non-failure operation of the storage network, wherein the second portion of unique fingerprints corresponds to data that is not redundantly stored, wherein, relative to the at least one active node, the at least one hot-spare node does not serve input/output (I/O) operations and includes a larger memory allocation for storing the deduplication fingerprints database during the non-failure operation of the storage network;
responsive to providing, during the non-failure operation of the storage network, data from the at least one hot-spare node associated with the stored second portion of unique fingerprints of the deduplication fingerprints database, improving a deduplication ratio of the storage network during the non-failure operation of the storage network;
responsive to a failure operation of the storage network, wherein the failure operation includes a failed active node of the at least one active node, retaining on one of the at least one hot-spare node, a portion of the first portion of unique fingerprints of the deduplication fingerprints database associated with data stored on the failed active node, wherein the at least one hot-spare node is dedicated to retaining the portion of the first portion of unique fingerprints of the deduplication fingerprints database associated with data stored on the failed active node;
replacing the failed active node with the one of the at least one hot-spare node;
storing suspended fingerprints from the deduplication fingerprints database in a non-volatile storage associated with the at least one hot-spare node while the at least one hot-spare node is replacing the failed active node, wherein the suspended fingerprints were stored on the failed active node; and
in response to the failed active node returning to an online state, paging the suspended fingerprints from the non-volatile storage to restore the suspended fingerprints to the failed active node.