Lockless method for writing updated versions of a configuration data file for a distributed file system using directory renaming

摘要

System and method for writing updated versions of a configuration data file for a distributed file system in a storage system uses a directory renaming operation to write a new updated version of the configuration data file using the latest version of the configuration data file and a target directory. After the latest version of the configuration data file is modified by a particular host computer in the storage system, the modified configuration data file is written to a temporary file. The directory naming operation is then initiated on the temporary file to change the directory for the temporary file to the target directory. If the directory renaming operation has failed, a retry is performed by the particular host computer to write the new updated version of the configuration data file using a new latest version and a new target directory.