Data Retrieval Order Rearrangement for Storage Container Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional data backup and replication systems are inefficient due to repeated access to data containers, leading to increased time and resource costs, and a higher risk of data loss between backups.
Innovation Solution
A method that rearranges access to data containers to minimize repeated visits, allowing each container to be accessed fewer times than in the initial access order, by determining the most efficient sequence based on container usage and prefetching adjacent data segments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If data is retrieved using traditional backup replication systems that access data containers in initial access order, then data can be retrieved from storage systems, but data containers are visited multiple times causing inefficiency and increased retrieval time
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of the initial access order to identify data containers that will be visited multiple times, then pre-retrieves data from those containers in advance. This allows the system to prepare data before it is actually needed, eliminating repeated container visits and reducing overall retrieval time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the data retrieval process into distinct phases: analysis phase (identifying containers to be visited multiple times), pre-retrieval phase (fetching data from identified containers), and execution phase (processing data in initial access order). This segmentation allows optimization of each phase independently, improving overall efficiency.
2Ease of operation
If backup systems retrieve data without accounting for locality, then data can be accessed, but data containers are opened and closed multiple times leading to resource inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis to identify all data containers that will be accessed during the retrieval operation, then pre-opens these containers before data access begins. This eliminates the need to repeatedly open and close containers during the actual data retrieval, reducing operational overhead and resource consumption.
3Reliability
If backup creation requires substantial time, then data can be backed up, but backups are less likely to be frequently updated increasing data loss risk
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary retrieval of data containers and their contents before the actual backup creation process. By having data readily available in memory or cache from the pre-retrieval phase, the actual backup creation can proceed much faster, enabling more frequent backups and reducing data loss risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous data flow from storage to backup destination by pre-loading data into intermediate storage or memory during the analysis phase, then continuously transferring it during backup creation without interruption. This eliminates idle time between data retrieval and backup writing, reducing total backup time.
Data Source
AI summary
A disclosed computer-implemented method for retrieving data may include (1) receiving a request to retrieve data segments from a storage system that stores data segments in a plurality of data containers, (2) obtaining, for each data segment, information that indicates which data container stores the data segment, (3) determining, based on the information that indicates which data container stores each data segment, that using an initial access order to retrieve the data segments would result in visiting one or more data containers more than one time, (4) rearranging access to one or more data segments such that retrieving the data segments results in visiting the data containers at least one fewer times than using the initial access order, and (5) retrieving the data segments from the storage system based on the rearranged access order. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.