Archive Coordinator for Distributed Data Grid Snapshot Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Distributed computing environments face challenges in efficiently archiving and retrieving snapshots of a distributed data grid's state across multiple nodes, particularly in ensuring data reliability and availability during failures and forensic analysis.

Innovation Solution

A system with an archive coordinator that initiates archiving and retrieval operations in parallel across all members, utilizing a central portal to manage snapshots on a shared storage medium, optionally encrypting and compressing data for secure and efficient storage and retrieval.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If snapshots are archived to local disk on each node, then retrieval speed is improved, but device complexity and resource consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveretrieval speedVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the snapshot archival and retrieval operations across all cluster nodes into a single centralized operation managed by the archive coordinator. Instead of each node independently managing its own snapshots, the coordinator collects snapshots from all nodes and performs unified archiving to a central location, reducing system complexity while maintaining efficient retrieval through parallel processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The archive coordinator acts as an intermediary between cluster nodes and the central storage location. It receives snapshot requests, coordinates the collection of snapshots from all nodes, manages the archiving process, and handles retrieval operations. This intermediary approach simplifies the overall system architecture by centralizing control while enabling efficient parallel operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If snapshots are archived to a central location, then device complexity is reduced, but retrieval speed deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidretrieval speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The system maintains continuous availability of snapshot data by keeping snapshots accessible at their source locations on each node while simultaneously maintaining archived copies at the central location. This ensures that retrieval operations can proceed without interruption and maintains high speed by allowing direct access to local snapshots when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary archiving of snapshots to a central location before they are needed for retrieval or forensic analysis. This advance preparation ensures that when retrieval is requested, the data is already available at the central location, eliminating delays associated with data collection during critical retrieval operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If encryption and compression are applied to snapshots, then data security and storage efficiency are improved, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata securityVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies encryption and compression operations periodically during the archiving process rather than continuously during data access. Snapshots are encrypted and compressed when they are archived to the central location, but these operations do not interfere with subsequent retrieval speed since the processed data is stored in ready-to-use format.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates processed copies of snapshots with encryption and compression applied, while the original unprocessed snapshots remain available at source locations. This copying approach allows security processing to occur without impacting the availability or access speed of the original data for operational purposes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

4Productivity

If parallel archiving across all members is implemented, then productivity is improved, but resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvearchiving efficiencyVSAvoidresource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the level of parallelism in snapshot archiving operations based on current cluster conditions and resource availability. The archive coordinator can control the degree of parallel execution across nodes, enabling efficient archiving during low-utilization periods while reducing resource consumption during peak operational periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS10585599B2System and method for distributed persistent store archival and retrieval in a distributed computing environment

Publication Date: 2020.03.10 ORACLE INT CORP

AI summary

A system and method for supporting persistent store archival and retrieval in a distributed computing environment. The system provides a central portal operative to initiate the archiving (or retrieval) which is executed in parallel across all members with access to persisted stores, either being sent or gathered from an archive repository. The system and method can include an archive coordinator associated with an in-memory data grid. The archive coordinator receives an instruction to store a snapshot of a current state of the in-memory data grid, the instruction including a storage location, the storage location being a destination selected from the group consisting of a local disk and a shared disk. The system can archive the snapshot of the current state of the in-memory data grid at the storage location.