Dynamic Space Assignment in Clustered Storage Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional content addressable storage systems face sub-optimal performance due to unbalanced resource allocation across processing modules in clustered implementations, leading to inefficiencies and limitations in scaling up to balanced configurations.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic assignment mechanism is implemented, where content-based signature spaces are allocated to data modules proportionally to their local physical storage capacities, and logical address spaces are allocated to control modules in inverse proportion, ensuring balanced resource utilization across the system, thereby optimizing performance and enabling future scale-up.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional techniques for allocating resources across multiple processing modules are used, then the system can operate with simple allocation rules, but system performance becomes sub-optimal due to unbalanced resource allocation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic space assignment where the content-based signature space and logical address space are dynamically allocated to data modules and control modules respectively, based on local physical storage capacities. This dynamic allocation mechanism allows the system to adapt to varying storage capacities across different nodes, optimizing performance by ensuring balanced resource utilization while maintaining manageable complexity through automated space management.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system is designed to support future scale-up to balanced configurations, then long-term adaptability is improved, but the system becomes more complex in managing multiple configuration states
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs preliminary action by pre-configuring the dynamic space assignment mechanism to automatically adjust content-based signature space and logical address space allocations. This preliminary setup enables the system to handle future scale-up events without requiring complex manual reconfiguration, as the automated mechanism proactively adapts to changing storage capacities and maintains balanced resource distribution across configurations.
3Productivity
If content-based signature space is allocated proportionally to local physical storage capacities, then resource utilization is optimized, but the allocation mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the allocation parameters of content-based signature space and logical address space based on local physical storage capacities. The system changes these space parameters proportionally to match actual storage capabilities, optimizing resource utilization efficiency. This automated parameter adjustment maintains manageable complexity by using straightforward proportional allocation rules that adapt to varying storage configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
A storage system comprises multiple storage nodes each comprising at least one storage device. Each of the storage nodes further comprises a set of processing modules configured to communicate over one or more networks with corresponding sets of processing modules on other ones of the storage nodes. The sets of processing modules of the storage nodes each comprise at least one data module and at least one control module. The storage system is configured to assign portions of a content-based signature space of the storage system to respective ones of the data modules, and to assign portions of a logical address space of the storage system to respective ones of the control modules. The assignment of portions of the logical address space to the control modules is configured to at least partially offset an unbalanced condition between local physical storage capacities of the data modules.