Dynamic Zone Mapping for Object Addressable Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
In object addressable storage systems, determining the physical location of content units using object identifiers is challenging, especially when content units can be stored on any of a plurality of zones, and managing changes in zone availability and capacity is complex.
Innovation Solution
The system modifies object identifiers to map content units to available zones by parsing and revising mapping schemes, using intrinsic location techniques and hashing algorithms to determine zone allocation, and employs a two-phase commit process to synchronize mapping changes across distributed nodes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If object identifiers are used to map content units to zones in an object addressable storage system, then data accessibility is improved, but determining the physical location of content units becomes challenging when zones become unavailable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic zone mapping where the system automatically detects when a zone becomes unavailable and modifies the mapping scheme in real-time. The object identifier mapping is no longer static but adapts dynamically to zone availability, allowing the system to maintain data accessibility while handling zone failures without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the mapping parameters by modifying how object identifiers are interpreted based on current zone availability. When zones become unavailable, the mapping scheme adjusts its parameters to redirect traffic to available zones, transforming the mapping from a fixed structure to a flexible one that responds to changing system conditions.
2Productivity
If the storage system dynamically adjusts zone mapping to handle unavailable zones, then storage capacity utilization is improved, but processing overhead increases due to modifying object identifiers
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing alternative mapping paths and maintaining a ready pool of available zones. When a zone becomes unavailable, the mapping modification has already been prepared or can be executed quickly using pre-computed alternatives, reducing the actual processing time required during failure events.
Solution Approach 2:
The mapping system serves itself by automatically detecting zone unavailability and performing its own reconfiguration without external intervention. The system monitors its own state and autonomously adjusts mappings, eliminating the need for complex external management processes and reducing overall processing overhead.
3Reliability
If the system modifies object identifiers to map to available zones, then storage availability is improved, but the mapping scheme complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the zone mapping into manageable components, dividing the complex mapping scheme into smaller, independent mapping units. Each segment can be independently modified when specific zones become unavailable, rather than requiring complete reconfiguration of the entire mapping scheme, thereby reducing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary layer between object identifiers and physical zones that handles the complexity of mapping adjustments. This intermediary abstraction layer simplifies the interface while managing the complex reconfiguration logic internally, shielding users from the underlying complexity while maintaining high availability.
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments are directed to a technique for storing and/or locating content units stored on an object addressable storage (OAS) system, wherein each content unit is identified by an object identifier. The OAS system may comprise a plurality of zones, each of which stores content units. A mapping process may be defined that maps object identifiers for content units to zones on the OAS system. Thus, the storage location for a content unit on the OAS system may be the zone on the OAS system to which the object identifier for the content unit maps.