Application Instance Management Object for Network Storage Provisioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of provisioning applications in network storage systems burdens administrators with manual tracking and management of storage components, lacking application-level reporting and efficient data management due to the lack of application-aware functionality.
Innovation Solution
Creating an application instance management object within the network storage system, using application templates and storage service classes to simplify provisioning and management, allowing administrators to track and manage applications directly without dealing with volumes, aggregates, or LUNs, and providing reporting on capacity and performance utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional application provisioning is used, then administrators can provision applications, but the process becomes unduly burdensome and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an application template as an intermediary between the administrator and the complex storage system. The template encapsulates all necessary provisioning parameters (performance, capacity, protection characteristics) and automatically translates high-level application requirements into detailed storage configurations, eliminating the need for administrators to manually track and configure individual storage components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service provisioning by allowing administrators to simply specify application-level requirements without needing to understand underlying storage terminology or infrastructure. The storage system automatically performs capacity planning, component creation, and configuration based on the application template, making the system provision itself rather than requiring expert administrative intervention.
2Loss of information
If administrators manually track storage components, then they can manage applications, but physical tracking and mapping becomes increasingly difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The application template serves as an intermediary layer that automatically maintains the mapping between applications and their underlying storage components. Instead of administrators manually tracking volumes, LUNs, and aggregates, the template encapsulates this mapping information and automatically updates it as the application is provisioned or modified, eliminating tracking errors and information loss.
3Adaptability or versatility
If data management functionality is provided at volume or file system granularity, then storage management is possible, but application-level reporting and management is not provided
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple levels of data management (application-level, volume-level, and file system-level) into a unified application template framework. The template simultaneously manages storage allocation across multiple volumes and file systems while providing consolidated application-level reporting, allowing administrators to view and manage storage consumption at the application level without losing the underlying granular control.
4Manufacturing precision
If administrators are required to understand storage terminology and backend infrastructure, then precise provisioning is possible, but the provisioning process becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The application template acts as a copy or abstraction layer that replicates the essential provisioning parameters in a simplified format. Instead of requiring administrators to understand and manually configure complex storage terminology (aggregates, LUNs, igroups), the template provides a simplified interface that automatically translates these requirements into precise storage configurations, maintaining provisioning precision while dramatically improving ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Presented herein are methods, non-transitory computer readable media, and devices for provisioning an application within a network storage system, which include: providing an application template; requesting input into the application template to construct the application in the network storage system and receiving the requested input; validating the input using standard templates for known applications stored within the network storage system; determining storage specifications within the network storage system based on the validated input; and creating storage and protocol objects associated with the application that identifies the storage specifications.