Cloud Storage File Slicing and Hash-Based Deduplication

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current cloud storage schemes face issues such as resource waste when uploading large files, as they do not efficiently manage file duplication and storage addressing, leading to potential redundant data uploads and inefficient resource allocation.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves generating unique file and slice IDs using a hash function (like MD5) for file slicing, maintaining relationships between these IDs, and using a consistent hash algorithm to determine storage addresses and detect duplication, thereby optimizing file storage and retrieval processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If traditional cloud storage schemes are used for uploading large files, then files can be stored on servers, but resource waste occurs due to redundant data uploads and inefficient duplication management

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource wasteVSAvoidupload efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides large files into smaller slice files with unique slice IDs generated by hash functions. This segmentation enables independent verification and storage of file slices, allowing the system to identify and eliminate duplicates at the slice level rather than uploading entire redundant files, thereby reducing resource waste and improving upload efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary hash computation and duplicate detection before actual file upload. By generating slice IDs and checking for duplicates in advance, the system prevents redundant uploads from occurring, addressing resource waste before it happens rather than after

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of substance

If digest information verification is performed for every backup request, then data duplication can be prevented, but system complexity and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveredundant data storageVSAvoidverification system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the verification parameter from comparing entire file contents to comparing hash values (slice IDs). This parameter transformation maintains the ability to detect duplicates while dramatically reducing the computational complexity and data processing requirements of the verification system

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If file slicing and hash-based identification are implemented, then duplicate detection accuracy improves, but computational overhead and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveduplicate detection accuracyVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses hash functions to create compact digital representations (slice IDs) of file slices. These hash copies serve as unique identifiers that enable rapid duplicate detection without requiring comparison of the actual file data, thus maintaining high detection accuracy while minimizing processing time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP3223165B1File processing method, system and server-clustered system for cloud storage
Publication Date: 2018.10.24 ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LTD
  • EP3223165B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3223165B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3223165B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A server receives a request to upload a file form a user device. The server may generate a unique file ID associated with the file based on the request, and transmit the file ID to the user device. The user device may divide the file to generate multiple slice files and their corresponding slice IDs. From the user device, the server receives the multiple slice files and the slice IDs. Based on the slice IDs, the server may determine storage addresses at which to store the multiple slice files in a distributed storage system using a consistent hash algorithm. The multiple slice files may be stored based on the corresponding storage addresses of the distrusted storage system.