Container Disaster Recovery with Application Consistency Groups

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing container-based deployment technologies lack efficient methods for secure backup and disaster recovery, particularly for stateful applications, due to the challenge of maintaining data consistency and managing large persistent data sizes.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an application consistency group (ACG) that includes containerized applications, a disaster recovery plan, and policy, with selectable consistency levels, enabling synchronous and asynchronous replication, and dynamic policy changes for holistic control over disaster recovery processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If synchronous replication is used for disaster recovery, then data consistency is improved, but recovery time objective increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata consistencyVSAvoidrecovery time objective

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the replication process into multiple consistency levels (strong consistency, eventual consistency, snapshot consistency) allowing different applications to use different replication strategies based on their specific needs, rather than applying a uniform approach to all applications

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts replication behavior based on application-specific consistency requirements and disaster recovery policies, enabling flexible configuration of replication strength and timing for each application rather than using a fixed replication mode

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Loss of time

If asynchronous replication is used for disaster recovery, then recovery time objective is reduced, but data consistency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverecovery time objectiveVSAvoiddata consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the replication parameter (consistency level) based on application requirements and disaster recovery policies, enabling flexible configuration of replication strength and timing for each application rather than using a fixed replication mode

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If stateful applications are deployed in containers, then application flexibility is improved, but data consistency management becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplication flexibilityVSAvoiddata consistency management

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the data consistency management into application-specific consistency levels and disaster recovery policies, allowing each stateful application to have its own tailored consistency requirements and recovery strategies rather than managing all applications uniformly

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary layer (consistency level framework and policy management) between the containerized applications and the storage system, which mediates the complexity of data consistency management by providing standardized interfaces and automated policy enforcement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Reliability

If backup and disaster recovery is implemented for container-based applications, then data protection is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata protectionVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal disaster recovery framework that handles multiple application types (stateful and stateless), multiple consistency levels, and various recovery scenarios through a single integrated system rather than requiring separate solutions for each case

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service disaster recovery by allowing applications to automatically configure their own consistency levels and recovery policies based on predefined templates, reducing the need for manual intervention and simplifying operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS12566669B2Application-consistent disaster recovery for container-based applications

Publication Date: 2026.03.03 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD

AI summary

An efficient structure and methodology for container-based applications are provided for disaster recovery for data in a storage system using application consistency groups for replication from the storage system to a disaster recovery system. Application consistency groups can be generated containing applications, a disaster recovery plan, and a disaster recovery policy, where each application has a consistency level. The applications in an application consistency group can include stateless applications and stateful applications. The replication of an application consistency group from the system to a disaster recovery storage system can be controlled according to the disaster recovery policy, the disaster recovery plan, and the consistency levels of the application consistency group.