Clustered File System Lock Transfer for Node Failover
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In networked data processing systems, the failure of a server node can lead to data corruption and access issues due to improper coordination of locks across multiple server nodes, as clients may continue to operate with invalid locks after a node failure, causing errors and corruption.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for managing clustered network file system locks, where lock status data is transferred from a failed server node to a backup node, allowing the backup node to manage existing locks and prevent new lock requests during failover, ensuring data integrity and preventing corruption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple server nodes are implemented as a server cluster to eliminate single point of failure, then system reliability is improved, but lock management complexity increases and data corruption risk arises when nodes fail
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a lock manager as an intermediary component that centralizes lock status tracking across the server cluster. When a server node fails, the lock manager detects the failure and transfers lock status data to a backup node, preventing data corruption while maintaining system reliability. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by adding centralized coordination to manage the complexity of distributed lock management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by maintaining lock status data in a transferable format before failures occur. The lock manager proactively tracks and preserves lock state information so that when a node fails, the backup node can immediately assume lock management responsibilities without data loss or corruption. This preliminary preparation reduces the complexity of failure recovery while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If lock status data is transferred to a backup node upon failure, then data integrity is maintained, but system response time increases due to additional coordination overhead
Solution Approach 1:
Lock status data is maintained in a transferable format as a preliminary preparation step, so that when node failure occurs, the backup node can immediately assume lock management responsibilities without requiring complex data reconstruction or lengthy coordination protocols. This preliminary structuring of data reduces the time penalty associated with failover while maintaining data integrity.
3Productivity
If clients are allowed to access data through multiple server nodes, then system availability is improved, but data corruption risk increases due to concurrent write access
Solution Approach 1:
The lock manager serves as an intermediary that all clients must consult before performing write operations. It maintains centralized lock status data and grants or denies write access based on current lock state, preventing concurrent writes that could cause data corruption. This mediator enables multiple server nodes to serve clients simultaneously while maintaining data integrity through coordinated access control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the lock manager continuously monitors lock status and communicates availability to clients. When locks are granted or released, this information is fed back to the lock manager and propagated to backup nodes, ensuring that all server nodes have consistent information about data access rights. This feedback loop prevents data corruption by ensuring clients receive accurate, up-to-date information about lock status before attempting writes.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for implementing clustered network file system lock management is provided. A failure of a first server node among a collection of nodes is detected. The first server node includes lock status data. The lock status data grants a first client exclusive access to data stored on a server storage device. The server storage device is coupled to the collection of server nodes. The lock status data is transferred to a second server node among the collection of server nodes. The first client is granted exclusive access to data stored on the server storage device, based on the lock status data transferred to the second server node from the first server node, in response to the transferring. Lock requests from the collection of clients are accepted, in response to the transferring.