File System Clone Creation Using Differential Files
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing file cloning techniques require the creation of snapshots and management tables before updating, leading to inefficient clone file creation, especially for large files, resulting in prolonged processing times and excessive capacity consumption.
Innovation Solution
The method involves creating a differential file when a clone request is received, prohibiting updates until a management table is created, and only then assigning disk blocks for updates, allowing for efficient data management and access without initial snapshot creation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a snapshot is created to create a clone, then the clone can be created with data protection, but the creation process takes a long time and consumes excessive capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by creating the differential file structure and management tables before any actual data copying or updating occurs. The clone file is pre-configured with the necessary metadata and block management structures, allowing the cloning process to start immediately without waiting for snapshot completion or data transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the clone creation process into distinct phases: (1) creating the differential file and management tables, (2) establishing the clone relationship metadata, and (3) performing incremental data synchronization. This segmentation allows the essential clone structure to be created quickly while deferring time-consuming data operations to later incremental updates.
2Ease of operation
If management tables are created before update of the clone occurs, then data block management is enabled, but the capacity of the file management table must be large for large files, prolonging creation time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic management tables that are created with initial minimal capacity and automatically expanded as data blocks are allocated to the clone file. The management tables grow dynamically based on actual data needs rather than being pre-allocated to the full potential size of large files, significantly reducing initial creation time while maintaining full management capability.
3Quantity of substance
If the size of virtual disk files is large (a few GB), then comprehensive data storage is achieved, but the physical copying process takes tens of seconds to even tens of minutes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a logical copying mechanism where the clone file initially references the same data blocks as the parent file through the differential file structure. Instead of physically copying gigabytes of data, the system creates a lightweight reference structure that enables the clone to access parent file data immediately, achieving instant cloning of large files while maintaining data integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of data representation from physical data copies to logical data references. By transforming the cloning process from a data-intensive operation to a metadata-intensive operation, the system achieves rapid clone creation for large files while the actual data remains stored once in the parent file.
Data Source
AI summary
In the prior art clone creating technique of a file, a management table of a snapshot and the file was created when creating the clone file, so that a considerable amount of creation time for creating the clone file and storage capacity was required. In order to solve the problems of the prior art, the present invention provides a system wherein if a request to create a clone of a file is received, a differential file is created while inhibiting update of the file, and update data is written to the differential file. Further, when a first update request is received to the differential file after creating the differential file, a management table is created. According to the invention, a large amount of clone files can be created speedily.