Control Window Enforcement Across DST Transitions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional storage systems face challenges in supporting control windows that span daylight saving time (DST) due to technical constraints, particularly when managing storage systems across different time zones, as they often rely on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and lack comprehensive support for time zones and DST rules, leading to issues with scheduling and configuration changes.
Innovation Solution
A management application that converts local time definitions to standardized UTC values and adjusts them according to DST rules, ensuring that control windows remain consistent across DST transitions by using a built-in database of time zones and DST rules, allowing for reliable enforcement of control windows across multiple time zones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional storage systems rely on UTC and lack comprehensive support for time zones and DST rules, then the system architecture remains simple, but control window scheduling becomes unreliable across different time zones
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a time zone database and conversion mechanism as an intermediary layer between the storage system and control windows. This intermediary handles all time zone and DST conversions, allowing the storage system to maintain simple UTC-based operations while reliably supporting multiple time zones. The management application acts as the mediator that converts user-defined local time control windows into UTC format with proper DST adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary conversion of control window definitions from local time to UTC format before enforcement. By pre-calculating the UTC start and end times based on the specified time zone and DST rules, the system ensures accurate control window scheduling without requiring complex real-time time zone handling during enforcement operations.
2Ease of operation
If control windows are defined in local time without DST adjustment, then the definition is simple, but the control window shifts unexpectedly during DST transitions
Solution Approach 1:
The time zone database serves as an intermediary that automatically handles DST adjustments. Users define control windows in simple local time format, and the system's time zone conversion mechanism automatically calculates the correct UTC times, accounting for DST transitions. This maintains ease of operation while ensuring timing accuracy through the intermediary's automated DST handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the UTC conversion parameters based on the detected applicable time (standard time or daylight savings time). By changing the offset parameters according to DST status, the system maintains accurate control window timing without requiring users to manually adjust their local time definitions during DST transitions.
3Productivity
If the system enforces control windows without detecting DST changes, then the enforcement process is simple, but control windows become inconsistent during time transitions
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by detecting DST change events and responding by updating the control window definitions. The DST detection mechanism monitors time zone status changes and triggers re-enforcement of control windows with adjusted UTC times, ensuring consistency during transitions while maintaining efficient enforcement through automated event-driven updates.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs periodic detection of DST changes and corresponding updates to control window definitions. By establishing a routine that checks for time zone status changes and re-enforces control windows as needed, the system maintains consistency during DST transitions while avoiding continuous monitoring overhead through structured periodic action.
Data Source
AI summary
A method comprising: receiving, at a management application, a first definition of a control window, the first definition specifying the control window in a local time of a time zone where the management application is being executed, wherein the first definition identifies: (i) a first start time for the control window, (ii) a first end time for the control window, and (iii) one or more days of the week when the control window should be enforced; detecting an applicable time in the time zone, the applicable time being one of standard time or daylight savings time; generating a second definition of the control window that corresponds to the applicable time, the second definition specifying the control window in a standardized time format, the second definition being generated based on the first definition; and causing the control window to be enforced in a storage array in accordance with the second definition.