Append Write Data Processing Eliminating Index Maintenance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing data writing methods using append write operations in storage systems require establishing and maintaining an index relationship, making operations inconvenient and inefficient.

Innovation Solution

The method involves searching for the smallest data unit in a buffer, sequentially writing appending data into it, and using an overwriting manner to write data units into the storage device, eliminating the need for an index relationship by using a fixed data unit length for efficient data integrity and convenience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If append write operations write data to new positions and establish index relationships, then data integrity is ensured, but operation convenience deteriorates and efficiency decreases due to index maintenance requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata integrityVSAvoidoperation convenience
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the index relationship mechanism from the append write process. Instead of writing to new positions and maintaining indexes, the system overwrites data at fixed positions based on predetermined offsets, completely removing the need for index establishment and maintenance while ensuring data integrity through the fixed-position overwrite mechanism

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent inverts the traditional append write approach by instead of adding new data at new positions, it overwrites existing data at predetermined positions. This inversion eliminates the need for index management while maintaining data integrity through the deterministic overwrite pattern

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If append write operations write data to new positions and establish index relationships, then data integrity is ensured, but writing efficiency deteriorates due to index maintenance overhead

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata integrityVSAvoidwriting efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the index maintenance overhead entirely by using fixed-position overwriting. Data is written directly to predetermined locations based on simple offset calculations, eliminating the time-consuming index establishment and update operations while maintaining data integrity through the deterministic write pattern

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the fundamental parameter of data positioning from dynamic (new positions with index tracking) to static (fixed positions with predetermined offsets). This parameter change transforms the write operation from an O(n) complexity operation requiring index management to an O(1) operation with direct positioning, significantly improving writing efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3739472B1Method and device for data processing, and computer device
Publication Date: 2024.12.11 ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LTD
  • EP3739472B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3739472B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3739472B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method and device for data processing, and a computer device. With respect to appending data in an appending write request, the smallest data unit of a buffer is searched for (101); at least some data in the appending data is sequentially written into the smallest data unit of the buffer so as to acquire a first smallest data unit to be stored (102), and nonwritten data in the appending data is written into at least one smallest data unit to acquire at least one second smallest data unit to be stored (103); the first smallest data unit to be stored is written in an overwriting manner into a storage device (104), the at least one second smallest data unit to be stored is sequentially written into the storage device (105); and, the appending data is buffered into a corresponding smallest data unit not fully written (106). The present application ensures data integrity, increase operation convenience, and write operation efficiency.