Deduplicated Storage View Tracking for Reclaimable Disk Space
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in deduplicated storage systems is the unclear amount of storage space reclaimed when data is deleted, as deduplicated data is referenced across domains, leading to uncertainty in the actual space freed up.
Innovation Solution
A storage system employs tree data structures and metadata to track deduplicated data chunks, allowing precise calculation of incremental disk space utilization by identifying and deleting specific views, thereby accurately determining the space reclaimed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If data is deleted from a deduplicated storage system, then storage space should be reclaimed, but the actual amount of space freed is unclear because deduplicated data is referenced across multiple domains
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the storage system into multiple domains and introduces the concept of 'views' to represent data from different domain perspectives. By dividing the storage space into domain-specific views, the system can track and measure the actual reclaimable space for each domain independently, resolving the uncertainty about how much space is truly freed when data is deleted.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the view-based tracking system) that mediates between the deduplicated storage layers and the user domains. This intermediary maintains metadata about which data chunks are referenced by which domains, enabling precise calculation of reclaimable space without requiring complex cross-domain analysis.
2Quantity of substance
If deduplicated storage is used to save space, then storage capacity utilization improves, but uncertainty arises about actual space reclaimed when data is deleted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by maintaining view-based metadata and tracking references before deletion operations occur. By pre-calculating and storing information about data chunk references across domains, the system can immediately determine the exact reclaimable space upon deletion, eliminating measurement uncertainty.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the storage system continuously tracks and reports the actual reclaimable space for each domain based on current reference counts. This feedback loop provides users with accurate information about storage utilization and potential space recovery, enabling better storage capacity management decisions.
Data Source
AI summary
A plurality of different views of data associated with a storage domain stored on a deduplicated storage are traversed to determine data chunks belonging to each view of the plurality of different views of data associated with the storage domain. A request for a metric associated with disk space utilization of a group of one or more selected views of data associated with the first storage domain included in the plurality of different views of data associated with the first storage domain that are stored on the deduplicated storage is received. Data chunks belonging to the one or more selected views of data associated with the first storage domain of the group are identified. An incremental disk space utilization of the group is determined, including by determining a total size of the identified data chunks. The metric associated with disk space utilization is provided based on the determined incremental disk space utilization of the group.