Central Storage Management Interface for Multi-Domain Search
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Solution Overview
Problem
Enterprises face challenges in managing and searching across multiple storage domains located in different physical locations due to the need for separate remote connections and interfaces, which complicates tasks like determining duplicate files and performing backup jobs.
Innovation Solution
A unified metadata search interface and central storage management interface are provided through a cloud service system, allowing users to perform global searches and manage backup jobs across multiple storage domains from a single interface, with features like incremental metadata updates and native user interface support to reduce complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate remote connections are used for each storage domain, then each storage domain can be accessed independently, but the complexity of management increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate storage domain interfaces into a single unified user interface that displays and manages multiple storage domains simultaneously. This allows users to access and manage multiple storage domains through one consolidated interface rather than requiring separate connections for each domain, thereby reducing management complexity while maintaining independent access capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified user interface is designed to be universal, supporting multiple storage domains from different vendors and locations through a single interface. This multi-functional interface can display metadata, perform searches, and manage backup jobs across heterogeneous storage domains, eliminating the need for separate specialized interfaces for each domain.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate interfaces are used for each storage domain, then domain-specific functionality is preserved, but the time required for global operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple domain-specific interfaces into a single unified interface that consolidates metadata from all storage domains. This allows global operations such as cross-domain searches and backup job management to be performed simultaneously across all domains rather than requiring sequential access to each individual interface, significantly reducing operation time while preserving domain-specific functionality through standardized access methods.
3Measurement precision
If full metadata is synchronized across all storage domains, then search accuracy is improved, but the amount of data to be managed increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and synchronizes only essential metadata elements (such as file names, paths, and basic attributes) across all storage domains, rather than synchronizing complete file contents or all possible metadata. This selective extraction approach maintains search accuracy for global operations while significantly reducing the volume of data that needs to be managed and transmitted across the network.
4Productivity
If incremental metadata updates are implemented, then data synchronization efficiency is improved, but the complexity of update management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by establishing initial full metadata synchronization before transitioning to incremental updates. This preliminary setup phase creates a baseline that simplifies subsequent incremental update management, as the system only needs to track and synchronize changes since the last update rather than managing complex real-time synchronization protocols from the outset.
Data Source
AI summary
A central management interface is provided for a plurality of different storage clusters of different storage domains. An indication of one of the plurality of different storage clusters is received. A native user interface version of the indicated storage cluster is determined. The determined native user interface version is loaded to provide a native management interface of the indicated storage cluster within a user interface context of the central management interface.