File System Replication Using Bitmap Slice Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data storage systems face challenges in maintaining data integrity and availability during replication and failover processes, leading to inconsistencies and increased resource consumption, which can result in data loss and unavailability.
Innovation Solution
The use of a bitmap to track slice operations in a file system, allowing for efficient identification and recovery of slices in an intermittent state, thereby ensuring consistency and reducing resource usage during replication and failover.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional slice allocation tables are evaluated during replication and failover, then data integrity can be maintained, but system performance deteriorates and resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The slice allocation table is segmented into individual slice records, each with a unique identifier. Instead of evaluating the entire table during replication and failover, the system identifies and evaluates only the specific slice records that are relevant to the current operation, dramatically reducing the evaluation scope and improving performance while maintaining data integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts critical identification information (slice identifiers) from the complete slice allocation table structure. During replication and failover operations, only these extracted identifiers are used to track and verify slice state, eliminating the need to process the entire table and its associated metadata, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and productivity.
2Reliability
If entire slice allocation tables are evaluated during recovery, then consistent file system state can be achieved, but recovery time increases and data unavailability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The recovery process is segmented to focus only on slices that were interrupted or modified during the failure event. By identifying slices through their unique identifiers rather than evaluating the entire allocation table, the system achieves file system consistency while minimizing recovery time and reducing data unavailability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary tracking of slice operations using identifiers before failures occur. During recovery, this pre-established information allows the system to immediately identify which slices require verification and restoration, eliminating the need for comprehensive table evaluation and significantly reducing recovery time while maintaining consistency.
3Reliability
If comprehensive slice tracking is implemented, then data integrity is improved, but resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential slice identifier information from the complete slice allocation table structure for tracking purposes. This extracted identifier set is sufficient to maintain data integrity during replication and failover operations while consuming significantly fewer computational and memory resources compared to tracking the entire table structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is used in managing replication of file systems. Metadata of a set of slices of a file system is updated upon performing an operation on a slice of the file system. The file system includes the set of slices. The metadata of the set of slices is used for recovering the file system.