Container File System Auxiliary Files Co-location
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data storage systems often store support files and data objects in different storage areas, leading to potential synchronization issues due to hardware or software faults, where events affecting one do not necessarily impact the other.
Innovation Solution
Storing auxiliary files in a container file system alongside the container file that realizes a data object, such as a file system, LUN, or vVOL, within the same fault domain, and placing auxiliary files in the metadata region to conceal them from direct-mapping logic, allowing direct mapping to proceed even with multiple files.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If support files and data objects are stored in different storage areas, then storage organization is simplified, but synchronization reliability deteriorates due to potential faults affecting one but not the other
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges support files and data objects into the same storage area by storing support files within the container file system that also stores the data objects. This co-location ensures that hardware or software faults affecting the data object will also affect its support files, maintaining synchronization reliability while using a unified storage structure.
2Reliability
If auxiliary files are co-located with container files in the same fault domain, then synchronization reliability improves, but direct mapping capability deteriorates due to multiple files in the container file system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the container file system into two distinct regions: a data region for storing container files and a metadata region for storing auxiliary files. This segmentation allows the direct-mapping logic to operate exclusively on the data region, maintaining direct mapping efficiency, while auxiliary files reside in the metadata region, ensuring co-location and synchronization reliability.
3Productivity
If auxiliary files are stored in the metadata region, then direct mapping logic remains unaffected, but storage space allocation becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The metadata region, traditionally used solely for file system metadata, is given a dual function by also storing auxiliary files. This multi-functionality allows the container file system to maintain direct mapping efficiency for data files while accommodating auxiliary files in the same region, avoiding the need for separate storage allocation mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A technique for storing support files in a data storage apparatus provides auxiliary files in a container file system. The container file system stores a container file that provides a file-based realization of a data object, such as an entire file system, LUN, or vVOL, for example, and stores one or more auxiliary files in the container file system alongside the container file. Thus, an auxiliary file that supports an application program's operations on a data object resides in the same fault domain with the container file that realizes the data object.