Federated Discovery Controller for Multi-Cloud Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
In multi-cloud operating environments, the lack of a centralized discovery controller that can be directly utilized by both source and destination storage systems across different administrative domains and subnets hinders efficient data transfer, leading to tedious explicit configuration and potential connectivity issues.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a Federated Discovery Controller (FDC) system, which comprises a primary centralized discovery controller and non-primary discovery controllers deployed across different locations, enabling bi-directional communication and synchronization of name server databases to facilitate data movement and connectivity across different administrative domains and subnets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single centralized discovery controller is deployed, then discovery and connection establishment is simplified, but it cannot serve multiple administrative domains and subnets simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the centralized discovery controller function into multiple distributed discovery controllers, each serving specific administrative domains and subnets. Each discovery controller maintains local name server databases and handles discovery requests within its domain, while federation mechanisms enable cross-domain discovery through coordinated communication between controllers.
2Reliability
If environments are administered separately, then administrative domain separation is maintained, but centralized discovery and connection establishment becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces intermediary discovery controllers that act as mediators between separately administered environments. These controllers implement federation mechanisms that enable coordinated discovery and connection establishment across administrative domains while preserving domain separation. The intermediaries translate and synchronize name server databases across domains, facilitating unified discovery without centralizing administrative control.
3Reliability
If explicit configuration is used, then connectivity requirements are met, but the process becomes tedious and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service discovery mechanisms where storage systems automatically discover available resources and establish connections without manual configuration. Discovery controllers publish service information in name server databases, and storage systems autonomously query these databases to discover and connect to target resources, eliminating tedious explicit configuration while maintaining reliable connectivity establishment.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments presented herein address issues related to discovery controller collaboration in multi-cloud operating environments, in which a resource storage system and a destination storage system may not be managed by the same team or process. Therefore, providing a single Centralized Discovery Controller (CDC) that can be directly utilized by both the source and destination may not be possible. To address the multi-datacenter configuration concerns, embodiments of a Federated Discovery Controller (FDC) are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, an FDC comprises a primary CDC (PCDC) and one or more non-primary Discovery Controllers (NDCs). After initial configuration and connection establishment, a bi-directional connection between the PCDC and each NDC may be established for desired namespace discovery and storage capacity utilization across different Discovery Controllers.