公开(公告)号：AT502341T

公开(公告)日：2011-04-15

申请号：AT05738535

申请日：2005-04-21

Applicant: NETWORK APPLIANCE INC

Inventor： EDWARDS JOHN ,  FAIR ROBERT

IPC: G06F17/30 ,  G06F3/06 ,  G06F12/16

Abstract: A cloning technique enables efficient and substantially instantaneous creation of a clone that is a writable copy of a "parent" virtual volume (vvol) in an aggregate of a storage system. A base snapshot is provided from the parent vvol. In addition, a new vvol is created, along with a new file system identifier, a new subdirectory in the aggregate and a new storage label file. The new vvol is embodied as a clone and comprises an appropriately sized container file, wherein initially the container file has no data. Moreover, a volume information (volinfo) block for the clone is created that is a slightly modified version of the volinfo block from the base snapshot; the modified volinfo block is written to the container file. The clone is then instantiated by loading a file system associated with the new vvol onto the clone and bringing the clone "online".

公开(公告)号：AT534948T

公开(公告)日：2011-12-15

申请号：AT04812166

申请日：2004-11-24

Applicant: NETWORK APPLIANCE INC

Inventor： FAIR ROBERT

IPC: G06F3/06 ,  G06F12/08

公开(公告)号：AT549685T

公开(公告)日：2012-03-15

申请号：AT05737672

申请日：2005-04-21

Applicant: NETWORK APPLIANCE INC

Inventor： FAIR ROBERT

IPC: G06F17/30 ,  G06F11/14 ,  G06F12/00

Abstract: A clone splitting technique enables efficient online splitting of blocks shared between a parent virtual volume (vvol) and a clone in accordance with a shared block splitting procedure executing on a storage system. Online splitting of shared blocks denotes allowing execution of read/write operations directed to the clone, as well as to the parent vvol, as the shared blocks are split. The clone splitting technique removes any connection between a clone and its parent vvol, thereby allowing the clone to be used as a first-class volume. Moreover, the technique removes such connection while allowing both the clone and parent vvol to remain available online and writeable (accessible) to clients during the shared block splitting procedure.