Mounted Filesystem Integrity Checking and Salvage

Abstract

A method and system for conducting an integrity check of system and user metadata when the metadata is mounted. A filesystem reviewer is embedded within software of a server node. A mutual exclusion lock is obtained on the selected metadata. An automated verification of the locked metadata is conducted while the filesystem is mounted. In addition, an automated salvage of the locked metadata may be conducted while the filesystem is mounted. The verification and/or salvage of the locked metadata can be applied to system, user, and/or a portion of the user metadata.

1 . A method for reviewing a data storage system, comprising: 
 embedding a filesystem reviewer within server software of a server node in communication with a shared storage system, wherein said reviewer is adapted to communicate with metadata of said shared storage system;    obtaining a mutual exclusion lock on select metadata;    performing an automated consistency check on locked metadata while said metadata is mounted; and    reporting corruption of any inconsistent data to an operator.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising performing an automated salvage of inconsistent locked and mounted metadata.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said salvage includes attempting to make said inconsistent data valid.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising detecting blocks in a free space map from data provided by a shadow copy of specified user metadata, wherein said blocks are selected from the group consisting of: orphaned blocks and duplicate blocks.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising detecting orphaned objects in data provided by a shadow copy of specified user metadata.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said metadata is selected from the group consisting of: system metadata, user metadata, a portion of said user metadata, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       7 . A data storage review system comprising: 
 memory and a processor in communication with storage media;    a file system reviewer embedded within server software of a server node in communication with a shared storage system of said storage media, wherein said reviewer is adapted to communicate with metadata of a shared storage system;    a mutual exclusion lock adapted to be obtained on metadata;    a review manager adapted to conduct an automated consistency check on locked metadata while said metadata is mounted; and    a report to communicate corrupted data to an operator.    
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising a salvage manager adapted to conduct an automated salvage of inconsistent locked and mounted metadata.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein said review manager is adapted to detect blocks in a free space map from data provided by a shadow copy of specified user metadata, wherein said blocks are selected from a group consisting of: orphaned blocks and duplicate blocks.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein said review manager is adapted to detect orphaned objects from data provided by a shadow copy of specified user metadata.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said metadata is selected from a group consisting of: system metadata, user metadata, a portion of said user metadata, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       12 . An article comprising: 
 a computer-readable storage medium;    means in the medium for embedding a filesystem reviewer within server software of a server node in communication with a shared storage system, wherein said reviewer is adapted to communicate with metadata of said shared storage system;    means in the medium for obtaining a mutual exclusion lock on metadata;    means in the medium for performing an automated consistency check on locked metadata while said metadata is mounted; and    reporting corruption of inconsistent data to an operator.    
   
   
       13 . The article of  claim 12 , wherein the medium is selected from the group consisting of: a recordable data storage medium, and a modulated carrier signal.  
   
   
       14 . The article of  claim 12 , further comprising means in the medium for performing an automated salvage of inconsistent locked and mounted metadata.  
   
   
       15 . The article of  claim 12 , further comprising means in the medium for detecting blocks in a free space map from data provided by a shadow copy of specified user metadata, wherein said blocks are selected from a group consisting of: orphaned blocks and duplicate blocks.  
   
   
       16 . The article of  claim 12 , further comprising means in the medium for detecting orphaned objects data provided by a shadow copy of user specified metadata.