Compression and Deduplication Layered Driver for Storage Efficiency
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing file systems often lack native support for compression and deduplication, making it impractical to migrate to systems with these features, especially in production environments, which hinders efficient data storage utilization and performance optimization in consolidated server environments.
Innovation Solution
A compression and deduplication layered driver (COLD driver) is introduced as an upper-level operating system driver that interfaces with existing base file systems, providing logical file system functionality with compression, deduplication, and indexing features without modifying the base file system structures, using a portable file system API to ensure compatibility across various systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If compression and deduplication features are tightly integrated into file systems at a low level, then data storage efficiency is improved, but system complexity and migration difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a file system driver as an intermediary layer between the application and the base file system. This driver provides compression and deduplication functionality without requiring modifications to the base file system itself. The driver intercepts file operations, applies compression and deduplication logic, and manages storage efficiently while maintaining compatibility with existing file systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the file system functionality into distinct layers: the base file system handles core file management operations, while the file system driver handles compression and deduplication. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in specific functions, improving overall efficiency without increasing the complexity of the base file system.
2Quantity of substance
If compression and deduplication are implemented in existing file systems, then storage utilization is optimized, but compatibility and stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
By positioning the file system driver as an intermediary, the patent enables compression and deduplication features to be added without modifying the base file system. This approach maintains the stability and reliability of the proven base file system while adding new functionality through the driver layer, which can be developed and tested independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual file system layer that copies and extends the functionality of the base file system. The driver implements compression and deduplication by creating virtual representations of file operations, allowing these features to be added without altering the original file system structure or behavior.
3Productivity
If native compression and deduplication support is built into file systems, then performance is improved, but ease of operation and deployment become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The file system driver serves as a portable intermediary that can be deployed on top of various base file systems without requiring native integration. This approach maintains ease of deployment by allowing the driver to be added as a standalone component, while still providing performance optimization through compression and deduplication operations performed by the driver.
4Speed
If high-speed media such as solid state disks are used to meet performance requirements, then data request service speed is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of data representation by applying compression algorithms, transforming raw data into compressed form. This parameter change allows more data to be stored in the same physical space, effectively reducing storage costs while maintaining the same data capacity and access speed characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates virtual copies of data through compression and deduplication, allowing multiple logical representations of data to coexist in the same physical storage space. This virtual copying approach reduces the need for additional high-speed storage media while maintaining performance requirements.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
A method, apparatus, and system for interposed file system driver is provided, which provides a logical file system on top of an existing base file system. One such interposed file system driver is a compression and deduplication layered driver ("COLD driver"). File system operations are intercepted from the operating system through the COLD driver, which is provided as an upper-level operating system driver that operates on top of an existing base file system. By processing file data through various modules, the existing base file system can be extended as a logical file system with compression, deduplication, indexing, and other functionality. The COLD driver can be implemented without requiring modifications to existing base file system structures or base file system drivers. Server deployments may thus leverage the additional file system functionality provided by the COLD driver without having to migrate to another file system.