Distributed Lock Manager Control Plane Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing distributed lock management systems require network connectivity to function, which can lead to inefficiencies and complications in managing locks across distributed computing resources, especially in cloud environments where resources are virtualized and shared among multiple clients.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a distributed lock manager within the control plane of a cloud computing environment, allowing lock management operations to be performed via API calls without relying on network connectivity used by client applications, enabling lock management across virtualized resources without consuming client application network resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If distributed lock management is implemented using existing systems, then lock management functionality is provided, but network connectivity requirements cause inefficiencies and complications in cloud environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the distributed lock manager from the data plane network infrastructure and relocates it to the control plane. This separation removes the dependency of lock management on data plane network connectivity, allowing locks to be managed independently of client application network resources while maintaining functionality in virtualized cloud environments
2Ease of operation
If lock management operations consume client application network resources, then lock management is performed, but network overhead increases and resource utilization decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the control plane as an intermediary layer between client applications and the distributed lock management functionality. The control plane handles lock management operations through its own network infrastructure, preventing client application network resources from being consumed by lock management traffic and thereby reducing overall network overhead
3Reliability
If distributed lock manager communicates over data plane network, then lock management is achieved, but network resources are consumed and scalability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network infrastructure into distinct control plane and data plane networks. The distributed lock manager operates exclusively on the control plane network, separating lock management communications from data plane network resources. This segmentation enables independent scaling of lock management functionality without consuming data plane network resources while maintaining lock consistency through dedicated control plane communication channels
Data Source
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AI summary
A distributed lock manager (DLM) may be implemented in a distributed computing system that provides virtualized computing resources and/or virtual computing services to clients. Locks may be created and managed by the DLM in response to requests from clients to do so. The components of the DLM may communicate with each other over a network other than one over which client application components communicate with each other or access the shared resources protected by the locks. For example, DLM components may communicate over a control plane network of a cloud computing environment and application components may communicate over a data plane network of the cloud computing environment. The DLM may expose an API to clients, allowing them to make local calls to a DLM component on the same node to perform various lock management operations. The meanings of the lock values may be established by their use in client applications.