Data Deduplication Indicator for Redundancy Preservation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Data deduplication systems often conflict with redundancy requirements in multi-tiered computing environments, as they may eliminate duplicate data copies needed for redundancy, leading to potential data loss and system instability.

Innovation Solution

A mechanism is introduced where an indicator is set for specific data segments to prevent deduplication operations, allowing applications to dictate storage policies and ensure redundancy by allocating new physical storage for critical data, even if it is identical, thereby maintaining flexibility and redundancy while still utilizing deduplication benefits.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If data deduplication is applied to reduce storage requirements, then storage efficiency is improved, but data redundancy and reliability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage capacityVSAvoiddata redundancy
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different quality treatments to different data blocks by introducing a deduplication suppression indicator. Critical data blocks are marked with this indicator to prevent deduplication, while non-critical blocks undergo deduplication. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by preserving redundancy where needed while maintaining storage efficiency elsewhere.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments data into individual data blocks and applies deduplication selectively to each block based on its criticality. By dividing the data stream into manageable units and treating them differently, the system achieves both storage efficiency and reliability - critical blocks maintain redundancy while non-critical blocks contribute to deduplication benefits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If deduplication operations are performed on all data, then storage performance is improved, but data security characteristics deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage performanceVSAvoiddata security
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements local quality control by assigning different deduplication policies to different data blocks based on their security requirements. Data blocks marked with the suppression indicator receive enhanced protection (no deduplication), while other blocks benefit from deduplication performance improvements. This resolves the contradiction between storage performance and data security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Quantity of substance

If duplicate data copies are eliminated to reduce physical storage, then storage efficiency is improved, but system stability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvephysical storageVSAvoidsystem stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality differentiation by marking critical data blocks with a suppression indicator that prevents deduplication. This ensures that data requiring high system stability maintains multiple physical copies, while non-critical data can be deduplicated. The result is improved storage efficiency without compromising system stability for critical data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS9798734B2Preserving redundancy in data deduplication systems by indicator
Publication Date: 2017.10.24 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION
  • US9798734B2 patent drawing
  • US9798734B2 patent drawing
  • US9798734B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Various embodiments for preserving data redundancy in a data deduplication system in a computing environment are provided. In one embodiment, a method for such preservation is disclosed. An indicator is configured. The indicator is provided with a selected data segment to be written through the data deduplication system to designate that the selected data segment must not be subject to a deduplication operation, such that repetitive data can be written and stored on physical locations despite being identical.