Container Volume ID Embedding for Automated Storage Association
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Solution Overview
Problem
Constructing a debugging environment separate from a production environment is burdensome, and existing virtualization technologies require manual association of containers with volumes, lacking an intermediate layer for automatic volume management.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where a volume ID is embedded in a container image, allowing a volume driver to automatically associate the container with the corresponding volume by searching the storage system, reducing the burden of manual volume management and enabling automated association.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If container virtualization is used for debugging environment, then the burden of constructing debugging environment is reduced, but manual association of container with volume is required
Solution Approach 1:
The container image automatically contains volume ID information, enabling the container to self-associate with the correct volume without manual intervention. The volume driver reads the volume ID from the container image and automatically completes the association process.
Solution Approach 2:
The volume driver acts as an intermediary between the container engine and the storage system. It intercepts container creation requests, extracts volume ID information from the container image, and automatically performs the association with the storage system without requiring manual cooperation between container manager and storage manager.
2Extent of automation
If volume ID is embedded in container image, then automatic association is enabled, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The volume ID information is merged into the container image itself, combining storage identification data with the container runtime information. This allows the volume driver to retrieve volume identification directly from the container image without requiring separate manual association processes.
3Reliability
If separate physical systems are constructed for production and debugging environments, then environment isolation is achieved, but system complexity and burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of maintaining separate physical systems, the invention uses container virtualization to create isolated debugging environments that copy the necessary runtime characteristics of the production environment. The container image with embedded volume ID enables the debugging environment to access the same storage volumes as production, providing isolation without requiring duplicate physical infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
A volume driver is provided in each server that executes a container engine. A first volume driver embeds, in a container image of a container in a first server, a volume ID (which is the ID of a volume, and is according to information acquired from a storage system with respect to the volume) of the volume associated with the container. A second volume driver searches, in the storage system, for a volume to be associated with the container based on the container image, by using the volume ID embedded in the container image outputted from the first server and inputted to the second server.