Container Multipath Driver File System Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Containerized applications in information processing systems face challenges in efficiently managing and updating multipath devices and path mappings due to isolation from the host device's user space, leading to delayed availability of new logical volumes and inefficient system usage.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of container logic that mounts a file system data structure to the container, allowing applications to modify entries and trigger events that instruct the multipath driver to perform operations such as rescans, check forces, and releases, enabling direct communication between the kernel space and user space for updating path mappings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If containerized applications are isolated from the host device user space, then application isolation and security are improved, but the ability to efficiently manage and update multipath devices is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a special file system (e.g., procfs or sysfs) as an intermediary between the containerized application and the multipath driver. The file system contains entries that the application can modify to trigger multipath operations. When the application writes to these file system entries, the changes are detected by the multipath driver, which then executes the corresponding operations (rescan, check force, release) without breaking container isolation. This mediator enables communication while maintaining the isolation boundary.
2Reliability
If containerized applications cannot access host device user space, then system security is improved, but the timeliness of logical volume provisioning is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables containerized applications to perform self-service operations for logical volume provisioning. Through the special file system interface, applications can independently trigger multipath operations (rescan, check force, release) without requiring external intervention from the host device or storage system. This self-service capability allows applications to promptly update path mappings and make new logical volumes available as soon as they are created by the storage system, reducing provisioning time while maintaining security through the file system interface.
3Stability of the object's composition
If traditional multipath driver architecture is used, then system stability is improved, but container application integration is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the multipath driver functionality into two independent parts: the kernel space component that handles path management and device operations, and the user space component (special file system) that provides the application interface. This segmentation allows the kernel space driver to maintain its stable, proven architecture while the user space file system provides flexible integration with containerized applications. The two segments communicate through well-defined interfaces (file system entries and events), enabling container integration without compromising the stability of the core multipath driver.
Data Source
AI summary
A host device comprises a kernel space comprising a multipath driver component and a user space comprising a container comprising an application, a daemon process and a data structure comprising a plurality of file system entries. The multipath driver component comprises a handler that is configured to detect changes to the file system entries. The host device is configured to mount the data structure to the container and the file system entries are modifiable by the application via the mounting. The multipath driver component is configured to determine that a given file system entry has been modified based at least in part on a detection of a change by the handler and to issue an event to the daemon process. The daemon process is configured to execute an operation associated with the multipath driver in the user space based at least in part on the issued event.