Computing Object Snapshot Batch Consolidation for Lower I/O

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing data management systems face significant disk input/output operations per second (IOPS) and central processing unit (CPU) cycles due to frequent snapshot consolidation jobs, which are inefficient and resource-intensive.

Innovation Solution

The system defers consolidation jobs until multiple chained incremental snapshots can be merged together, reducing redundant read and write operations by applying heuristic thresholds to optimize disk IOPS and CPU cycles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If frequent snapshot consolidation jobs are performed, then data management reliability is improved, but disk IOPS and CPU cycles increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata management reliabilityVSAvoiddisk IOPS and CPU cycles

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple incremental snapshots into a single consolidated operation rather than processing them individually. The system identifies a chain of incremental snapshots and merges them together in one batch operation, reducing the total number of read and write operations required while maintaining data integrity and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary identification and grouping of incremental snapshots into chains before consolidation. By pre-processing the snapshot metadata to determine which snapshots form a consolidatable chain, the system prepares the data structure in advance to enable efficient batch consolidation, reducing the computational overhead during the actual consolidation process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If individual incremental snapshots are consolidated separately, then data consistency is maintained, but redundant read and write operations increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata consistencyVSAvoidredundant read and write operations

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple incremental snapshots into a single consolidated operation by identifying chains of dependent snapshots. Instead of processing each snapshot individually, the system combines them into one batch consolidation task, eliminating redundant read and write operations while preserving data consistency through the chain dependency relationship.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the consolidation parameter from individual snapshot processing to batch processing of snapshot chains. By modifying the consolidation unit from single snapshots to groups of chained snapshots, the system reduces the total number of operations required while maintaining data integrity through the inherent dependency structure of the snapshot chains.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20250328495A1Batch consolidation of computing object snapshots

Publication Date: 2025.10.23 RUBRIK INC

AI summary

Methods, systems, and devices for data management are described. A backup cluster may store incremental or base snapshots of computing objects. When a snapshot expires, a data management system (DMS) that manages the backup cluster may in some cases merge or consolidate the expired snapshot with a non-expired snapshot to create a new merged snapshot. In some cases, however, consolidation may be deferred until a chain of multiple expired snapshots satisfies one or more heuristic thresholds, to conserve resources. Example heuristic thresholds may be a length of the chain, an amount of space reclaimable by consolidating the snapshots, an age of the expired snapshots in the chain of incremental snapshots, or an amount of free space on the backup cluster.