Continuous Data Protection via Distributed Checkpoint Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current storage systems face challenges in providing continuous data protection (CDP) with frequent checkpoint generation, leading to increased latency and degradation in performance due to the time required for logical OR operations across multiple checkpoints.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of checkpointing and file operation logging in a file system, where blocks freed during write allocation are retained in a delete log to prevent reclamation, allowing for the reconstruction of the file system state at any consistency point, and administrator-defined retention policies manage the storage of checkpoints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If frequent checkpoint generation is implemented for continuous data protection, then data protection capability is improved, but system latency increases and performance degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the checkpoint data into multiple distributed storage locations across the storage system. Instead of consolidating all checkpoint data in one location requiring sequential processing, the system divides checkpoint blocks across multiple storage devices, allowing parallel access and reducing the time required to perform logical OR operations across checkpoints.
2Reliability
If frequent checkpoint generation is implemented for continuous data protection, then data protection capability is improved, but system performance degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-organizing checkpoint data in a segmented, distributed structure before recovery operations are needed. Checkpoint blocks are pre-positioned across multiple storage locations with associated metadata that enables rapid identification and retrieval. This preliminary organization eliminates the need for time-consuming data gathering during recovery, allowing the system to maintain high performance while providing continuous data protection.
3Reliability
If multiple checkpoints are retained for data recovery, then data protection capability is improved, but storage efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a mechanism where checkpoint data is systematically managed through discarding and recovering. Older or less critical checkpoint data can be discarded when storage capacity is limited, while maintaining the most recent and important checkpoints. The segmented structure allows selective recovery of only the necessary checkpoint blocks needed for a given recovery operation, rather than requiring all checkpoint data to be retained and processed, thus improving storage efficiency while maintaining data protection capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method provides continuous data protection using checkpoints in a write anywhere file system. During a consistency point of a write anywhere file system, freed blocks are identified and are appended to a delete log for retention. A consistency point log is updated with a new entry associated with the consistency point. If the file system needs to retrieve its state at a particular point in time, the stored blocks of the delete log may be recovered.