Container Application Mobility via Object Storage Replication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Container-based applications in ephemeral container orchestration ecosystems, such as Kubernetes, face challenges in maintaining high availability and mobility across different clusters, especially when the original cluster becomes unavailable.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for moving container-based applications from a source cluster to a target cluster by initiating cloning, determining configuration, copying configuration to object storage, determining replication compatibility, and using either replication or data movers to transfer data, thereby restoring the application on the target cluster.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If container-based applications are moved between clusters in ephemeral container orchestration ecosystems, then application mobility and high availability are improved, but data loss and state loss may occur during the migration process
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by cloning the source cluster to the target cluster before actual migration, and by taking snapshots of data before transfer. This ensures that the application state is captured and preserved, preventing data loss during migration while enabling seamless application mobility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs copying mechanisms including cluster cloning and data snapshotting. The source cluster is cloned to create a target cluster, and data snapshots are taken to preserve the application state. These copies ensure data integrity is maintained while enabling the application to be moved between clusters.
2Reliability
If data is frequently backed up to other clusters for high availability, then reliability is improved, but system complexity and resource overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a universal data mover that can perform multiple functions: it can migrate applications between clusters, back up data, and restore applications. This multi-functional approach achieves high availability through frequent backups while avoiding the need for separate complex systems for each function, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a data mover as an intermediary component that facilitates data transfer and application migration between clusters. This intermediary abstracts the complexity of data management, providing a unified interface for backup, migration, and recovery operations, thus improving reliability without proportionally increasing system complexity.
3Productivity
If traditional data migration methods are used for container-based applications, then data transfer is achieved, but intermediate storage is required which increases cost and reduces efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the intermediate storage step from the traditional data migration process. By implementing direct data transfer mechanisms between source and target clusters through the data mover, the system achieves efficient application migration without requiring additional intermediate storage resources, thereby improving productivity while reducing storage resource consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are systems and methods for replication and moving data to provide for container-based application mobility. The configuration of the of the container-based application is determined and copied to an intermediate object storage. Depending on the replication compatibility of source array backing the source cluster and the target array backing the target cluster either a replication engine or data mover are used to move data. Configuration of the container-based application in the common storage is copied and stored to the target cluster. The target cluster is used to restore the container-based application.