Autonomous Handle Provisioning for External Virtual Memory Snapshots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for accessing data in external virtual memory require manual intervention and maintain unnecessary ITLs and host viewable volumes due to the overhead of managing a large number of snapshots, leading to inefficient resource utilization and access limitations.
Innovation Solution
A method where the host autonomously provisions and manages handles for accessing volumes in external virtual memory, allowing for concurrent access to multiple snapshots while adhering to security rules, reducing the need for manual intervention and minimizing unnecessary ITLs and host viewable volumes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual provisioning of ITLs and host viewable volumes is used to manage snapshots, then security and access control are maintained, but the system complexity and resource overhead increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The host autonomously provisions handles and manages access to snapshots without requiring manual storage administrator intervention. The storage system automatically creates handles when snapshots are formed and manages the mapping between handles and snapshots, enabling the system to serve itself rather than requiring continuous human management.
Solution Approach 2:
A single handle can be used to access multiple snapshots across different volumes, and a single application can access multiple volumes concurrently through multiple handles. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate provisioning operations for each snapshot-access combination, reducing overall system complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a large number of ITLs and host viewable volumes are maintained to support multiple snapshots, then all snapshots remain accessible, but resource utilization becomes inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
A single handle serves as a universal access mechanism that can be mapped to multiple snapshots across different volumes. Instead of requiring separate ITLs and host viewable volumes for each snapshot, the system uses one handle that can be dynamically associated with any snapshot, dramatically reducing the number of resources needed while maintaining full accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of handle mapping from a one-to-one relationship (one ITL per snapshot) to a one-to-many relationship (one handle to multiple snapshots). This parameter change allows the same handle to reference different snapshots as needed, improving resource utilization while maintaining snapshot accessibility.
3Reliability
If manual intervention is required for snapshot provisioning, then security control is maintained, but access efficiency and speed are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system automatically provisions handles and manages snapshot access without requiring manual storage administrator intervention. When snapshots are created, the system automatically creates corresponding handles and updates the mapping tables, enabling rapid automated provisioning while maintaining security through the handle abstraction layer.
Solution Approach 2:
Handles are pre-created and registered in the storage system before snapshots are accessed. The mapping between handles and snapshots is maintained in advance in mapping tables, so when a snapshot needs to be accessed, the system can quickly resolve the handle to the appropriate snapshot without requiring manual provisioning at access time.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided for accessing data in an external virtual memory. A host receives from a storage manager a created handle for autonomous access of a volume. The volume forms part of accessible volumes in the virtual memory. The host autonomously provisions the handle to a selected volume from among the accessible volumes, and the host accesses the selected volume through the handle.