[Lustre-devel] Lustre HSM - some talking points.

Nathaniel Rutman Nathan.Rutman at Sun.COM
Tue Feb 3 16:41:18 PST 2009


Colin Ngam wrote:

Is OSAM available on Linux?

Object SAMQFS - HSM for Lustre
------------------------------

0.  We re basically looking at the HSM as a Repository right?

    yes


2.  Object SAMQFS meta data(inodes) is used as a database for files that are
archived etc.

    You mean, store the Lustre metadata attributes in these inodes?  Or
    rather that these inodes just keep track of the objects in the
    archive (like block pointers)

3.  This database can be dumped and restored really quick using normal meta
data backup of the HSM.  The inodes are kept in 1 file.  This is not a 
Lustre
dump but rather a dump of Object SAMQFS.  No file data dump is 
required.  Files
not archived yet are irrelevent ..  Incrementals can be obtained by 
comparing
2 full dumps and just keeping the diffs.  Persistent Object SAMQFS file id
can be preserved if we restore a complete version of the dump.  Otherwise,
it can be different.  We can update Lustre with the new file id for the 
given
Lustre File ID.  Consider this error recovery path ..

    If we're already storing archive-specific opaque data (the SamFID),
    I see no reason why we couldn't allow the archive to modify that
    value at will.  We'd need to put a lock around it...


4.  Object SAMQFS should have very simple policies - archive immediate, 
number
of copies and when copies to be made etc..  This can actually be passed by
Lustre and executed by Object SAMQFS.  Last thing we want to do is to 
have to
configure 2 Policy engines.

    I was envisioning the Lustre "action list" as a list of files and
    actions.  The actions could be semi-complex (e.g. "archive at level
    4") which would mean something to the archive.


5.  Lustre will store a 16 Bytes Object SAMQFS identifier.  A 8 bytes unique
file system ID and a 8 bytes Object SAMQFS File ID.  An Object SAMQFS 
can only
support 32 bits number of files.  This will be less if we use inodes for
extended attributes etc.  The file system ID will allow us to create 
multiple
Object SAMQFS "mat" file system - provide infinite number of files that can
be supported.

    Do separate filesystems need separate disks?  This opens up a
    inodecount/filesize relation, or we have to create new OSAM
    filesystems on demand (ENOSPC, create new fs, store file -- hmm, not
    so hard).


6.  No namepace.  Lustre pathnames can be stored as Extended
Attributes.

    No problem except for the disaster recovery scenario.  And even in
    that case we don't need EAs if we're storing mini-tarballs already -
    just add an empty file to the tarball with the actual filename.


7.  Files to be archived and staged in together(associative archiving) to be
given in a list by Lustre.  Object SAMQFS will figure out a way to link 
these
files together and put them on the same tarball - this is not for free.

    It's actually not clear that this is useful for Lustre.  If the
    point of Lustre HSM is to extend the filesystem space, it makes
    little sense to bother archiving small files.  Anyhow, this can be a
    future optimization.



Basic Object SAMQFS - HSM for Lustre Archive Events
-------------------------------------------

Lustre calls with the following Information:

1.  Luster FID
2.  Luster Opaque Meta Data
3.  Luster Tar File required Data e.g. Path Name
4.  Luster Archiving Policy for this file - must be simple.

Lustre gets back:

1.  Object SAMQFS Identifier.

Depending on asynchronous or synchronous archiving:

1.  Lustre can status with the given "Object SAMQFS Identifier"

    Sounds fine.  Lustre will always use asynchronous archiving, as far
    as I can see.



Basic Object SAMQFS - HSM for Lustre Stage In Events(bring data back)
---------------------------------------------------------------------

1.  Lustre just reads the file with the given "Object SAMQFS Identifier"


Basic Object SAMQFS - HSM for Lustre status Events(check state)

1.  Lustre perform "sls" command on Object SAMQFS Client.

PS - We can have both User level command and API capabilities.

    well technically, Lustre calls with the following information
    1.  Luster FID
    2.  Luster Opaque Meta Data
    (BTW, that's Lustre, not Luster)
    OSAM ignores fid and just uses OSAM identifier



Basic Object SAMQFS - HSM for Lustre Delete Event
-------------------------------------------------

1.  Lustre can effectively do an "rm" on the Object SAMQFS Identifier or
calls an API.


Object SAMQFS Dump and Restore
------------------------------

Independent Administrative event.

Lustre Dump and Restore
-----------------------

Can be an Independent Lustre event.
However, this does have impact on when we can actually delete a file from
tape if a Lustre Dump has a reference to this file e.g.
1.  Archive file.
2.  Dump Lustre.
3.  Delete file.

Now you want to restore the deleted file.

    Dumping the Lustre metadata isn't something we've really talked
    about before - or, rather, the restore part isn't :)
    Effectively, the Lustre metadata is (all the data on) the entire MDT
    disk.  I'm not sure it makes any sense to try to be any more
    elaborate than that, but maybe.  It would be nice to be able to e.g.
    dump the disk to a regular (big!) file store in OSAM, so we've got
    everything on 1 set of tapes...



Ultimate Disaster Recovery - Directly from Tapes
------------------------------------------------

Requires Tar File to be complete with Lustre Meta Data.
Since this is a recreation of both the Lustre FS and Object SAMQFS "mat" FS
I would be incline to believe that at a minimum, we will not require the
Object SAMQFS identifier to be persistent from previous incantation.  I 
am also
incline to believe that if you take regular Object SAMQFS dumps, both 
full and
also incrementals and store this safely on tape - you may not need this
procedure .. but then, that's why we call it Ultimate Recovery.

    If everything is wiped out except the tapes, we would just
    repopulate a new Lustre fs anyhow. Once the OSAM fs is regenerated,
    we walk all the objects and create object placeholders in the new
    Lustre fs referencing the new OSAM fids and marking everything as
    punched.  As users start using files they are pulled back in
    automatically.



Syncing Object SAMQFS with Lustre
---------------------------------

Lustre File Identifier and Object SAMQFS Identifier can get out of sync 
- shit
happens.  We need syncing capabilities.

    Only if we stored enough information to mismatch :)  If Lustre asks
    for a FID, and it gets back the wrong file, it doesn't / can't
    know.  Unless we store the FID inside the file it gets back and we
    verify it.

 

Object SAMQFS - Freeing space on tapes
--------------------------------------

We will need a way to determine with Lustre - conclusively that an 
archive is
no longer needed.

    If Lustre policy manager says "rm", then Lustre has no way to ever
    get that file back.  There's no time-machine like old versions of
    directories.  Would be a cool feature though.  Maybe archive says
    "ok" to the rm, but secretly holds on to the file for some time in a
    special "recently deleted" dir?






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