Distributed Block Storage Write Performance via Client-Side Striping

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Solution Overview

Problem

In distributed block storage systems, the primary storage node often becomes a data write bottleneck, leading to increased data exchange between storage nodes and degraded write performance.

Innovation Solution

The method eliminates the need for a primary storage node by allowing clients to divide data into strips and send them directly to corresponding storage nodes, reducing data exchange and improving write concurrency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a primary storage node is used to receive data from clients and distribute it to other storage nodes, then data storage can be achieved, but the primary storage node becomes a bottleneck and write performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewrite performanceVSAvoiddata exchange between storage nodes
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the primary storage node from the system architecture. Clients directly send data to target storage nodes without routing through a primary node, eliminating the bottleneck and reducing unnecessary data exchange between storage nodes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Storage nodes autonomously determine their roles as primary or secondary based on data strip location. Each storage node independently handles data reception and distribution decisions, eliminating the need for a centralized primary storage node that coordinates all operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Quantity of substance

If data is sent through a primary storage node to other storage nodes, then data distribution is achieved, but data exchange between storage nodes increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata distributionVSAvoiddata exchange overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the primary storage node intermediary from the data distribution path. Clients directly transmit data to target storage nodes, eliminating redundant data copying and exchange operations between storage nodes that occur in traditional architectures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of data flowing from primary storage node to secondary nodes, the architecture inverts the flow direction: clients directly send data to the storage node that will ultimately store it, reversing the traditional hierarchical data distribution pattern.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP3495939B1Method and device for storing data in distributed block storage system, and computer readable storage medium
Publication Date: 2021.06.30 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
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AI summary

This solution discloses a method for storing data in a distributed block storage system. A client generates data of a stripe, and concurrently sends data of strips in the stripe to storage nodes corresponding to the strips, so as to reduce data exchange between the storage nodes, and improve write concurrency, thereby improving write performance of the distributed block storage system.