Block Data Storage Service Reliability via Distributed Replication
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Solution Overview
Problem
The management of large-scale computer networks and data centers has become increasingly complex due to the scale and scope of operations, with existing technologies struggling to provide reliable and efficient access to non-local block data storage across multiple geographical locations.
Innovation Solution
A block data storage service that utilizes multiple server storage systems to store block data, allowing programs to access and use non-local block data storage volumes through a Block Data Storage System Manager and Node Manager, which ensure reliability and availability by maintaining primary and mirror copies of volumes across geographically distributed data centers and utilizing archival storage systems for long-term backups.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If block data is stored on non-local server storage systems across multiple geographical locations, then reliability and availability are improved through redundancy, but access speed and data retrieval time deteriorate due to network latency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the storage system into multiple geographically distributed server storage systems, each maintaining copies of block data. This segmentation allows the system to achieve reliability through distribution while managing access speeds by allowing local operations to proceed with asynchronous remote replication.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing mirror copies of block data across multiple server storage systems before failures occur. This preliminary replication ensures that when a failure happens, redundant copies are already available, maintaining reliability without requiring slow recovery operations.
2Reliability
If multiple server storage systems are used to store redundant copies of block data, then reliability is improved, but system complexity increases due to coordination and consistency management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component that manages the coordination between multiple server storage systems. This intermediary handles the complexity of maintaining consistency across distributed copies, shielding users from the underlying system complexity while ensuring reliability through coordinated redundancy management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses copying to create redundant copies of block data across multiple server storage systems. By maintaining identical copies rather than managing complex distributed data structures, the system achieves reliability while reducing the complexity of consistency management compared to true distributed storage protocols.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If archival storage systems are used for long-term backups, then data retention capability is improved, but access time and retrieval speed deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different access characteristics to different data copies based on their location and purpose. Frequently accessed data maintains faster access paths through primary server storage systems, while archival copies provide long-term retention with appropriate retrieval timelines, optimizing both duration and access speed for different use cases.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are described for managing access of executing programs to non-local block data storage. In some situations, a block data storage service uses multiple server storage systems to reliably store copies of network-accessible block data storage volumes that may be used by programs executing on other physical computing systems, and at least some stored data for some volumes may also be stored on remote archival storage systems. A group of multiple server block data storage systems that store block data volumes may in some situations be co-located at a data center, and programs that use volumes stored there may execute on other computing systems at that data center, while the archival storage systems may be located outside the data center. The data stored on the archival storage systems may be used in various ways, including to reduce the amount of data stored in at least some volume copies.