Control Plane for Automated Data Storage Provisioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cloud computing systems lack an efficient method for dynamically managing and scaling data storage capacity, requiring manual intervention and expertise, which is time-consuming and prone to errors.
Innovation Solution
A separate control plane is introduced as a set of Web services that acts as a virtual database administrator, allowing users to manage data storage through a user-friendly API, monitoring the health of data instances, and automatically performing actions to ensure scalability and availability without direct access to the data plane.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If manual procedures are used for provisioning and scaling data storage, then data storage capacity can be adjusted, but the process is time-consuming and requires expert intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a control plane as an intermediary layer between users and the data plane. This control plane includes automated services that receive user requests for data storage provisioning and scaling, and automatically execute these requests without requiring manual DBA intervention. The control plane translates high-level user intentions into specific data plane operations, thereby automating the previously manual process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables users to self-service data storage provisioning and scaling through automated interfaces. Users can submit requests through control plane services without needing to contact or wait for DBA experts. The control plane automatically validates, processes, and executes these requests, allowing users to independently manage their data storage capacity needs.
2Ease of operation
If manual DBA procedures are used for enabling, tuning, and optimizing data repositories, then proper configuration is achieved, but the process is tedious and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The control plane acts as an intermediary that shields users from the complexity of data repository configuration. Instead of requiring users to directly handle complex enabling, tuning, and optimizing procedures, the control plane provides simplified interfaces that automatically manage these complex operations in the background, translating simple user actions into complex configuration tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automates the enabling, tuning, and optimizing of data repositories through self-service mechanisms. The control plane includes automated services that monitor data repository performance and automatically adjust configurations, apply optimizations, and manage tuning parameters without requiring manual DBA intervention, thereby simplifying the operational complexity for users.
3Adaptability or versatility
If direct access to data plane is provided, then full control over data instances is achieved, but security and stability are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system into two distinct planes: a control plane for management and a data plane for data operations. This segmentation allows the control plane to provide full adaptability and control over data instances through various management operations, while the data plane maintains stability by only receiving validated, filtered, and authorized commands from the control plane. The segmentation creates a protective boundary that isolates the data plane from direct user access.
Solution Approach 2:
The control plane serves as an intermediary layer between users and the data plane, providing full control adaptability while protecting data plane stability. All user requests for data instance management must pass through the control plane, which validates, authorizes, and translates these requests into appropriate data plane commands. This intermediary function ensures that only legitimate and properly formatted commands reach the data plane, maintaining its stability while still allowing comprehensive control operations.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of a data environment, such as the creation, provisioning, and management of data stores and instances, are managed using a separate control environment. A user can call into an externally-facing interface of the control environment, the call being analyzed to determine actions to be performed in the data environment. A monitoring component of the control plane also can periodically communicate with the data environment to determine any necessary actions to be performed, such as to recover from faults or events in the data environment. A workflow can be instantiated that includes tasks necessary to perform the action. For each task, state information can be passed to a component in the data environment operable to perform the task, until all tasks for an action are completed. Data in the data environment can be accessed directly using an externally-facing interface of the data environment, without accessing the control plane.