Common Software Environment for Storage Platform Independence
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional programming environments for data storage devices are often static, non-expandable, and lack a common interface, making it difficult to integrate software components and add functionality across different operating systems, leading to significant duplication of work and limited platform independence.
Innovation Solution
A common software environment (CSE) is introduced that uses APIs to provide a unified architecture for integrated management of network attached storage (NAS) and object storage block services, enabling platform independence by leveraging existing technologies and allowing code to execute in both user and kernel modes, thus facilitating portability and reuse of technology across different platforms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a common software environment with unified APIs is implemented to enable platform independence and code reuse, then adaptability and ease of manufacture improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a Common Software Environment (CSE) as an intermediary layer between the operating system and storage management applications. This CSE provides unified APIs and abstractions that mediate between platform-specific implementations and platform-independent code, enabling code to run across different operating systems without modification while managing the complexity through standardized interfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universal APIs in the Common Software Environment that serve multiple functions across different platforms. These unified interfaces allow the same software code to perform storage management operations on diverse operating systems (Windows, Linux, macOS, etc.), eliminating the need for separate platform-specific implementations and enabling one codebase to serve multiple platforms
2Adaptability or versatility
If code modules are allowed to execute in both user space and kernel space to provide flexible service provisioning, then adaptability improves, but reliability and stability worsen due to potential conflicts and errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the software architecture into distinct execution environments (user space and kernel space) with clearly defined boundaries and communication protocols. Code modules can be selectively placed in appropriate execution spaces based on their requirements, with the CSE managing inter-space communication through standardized interfaces that maintain system stability while enabling flexible deployment
Solution Approach 2:
The Common Software Environment acts as an intermediary layer that manages code execution across user and kernel spaces. It provides abstraction and mediation mechanisms that allow code modules to execute in different spaces while maintaining system reliability through controlled access and standardized communication protocols between execution environments
Data Source
AI summary
Described are techniques for providing a logical device model. In one embodiment, a a method for providing a logical device model includes providing a plurality of logical devices, at least one of said plurality of logical devices being provided by a first provider executing in kernel space and at least one of said plurality of logical devices being provided by a second provider executing in user space, and establishing a relationship between the first provider and the second provider wherein the first provider is a consumer of a logical device provided by the second provider, said logical device model including said relationship.