Force Provisioning Best-Match Storage Policy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing approaches to force provisioning in software-defined data centers often result in the simplest possible layout without considering available resources, leading to inadequate storage policies that fail to provide necessary protection or performance, especially when resources are insufficient.
Innovation Solution
The system determines the available resources in a hyper-converged infrastructure environment and identifies a 'best-match' storage policy, force provisioning the VCI with a configuration that balances availability and performance by adjusting RAID settings, such as mirroring and stripe width, based on user preferences and available resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If force provisioning is performed with the simplest possible layout when resources are insufficient, then device complexity is reduced, but storage policy quality and data protection are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by implementing RAID 1 mirroring when full RAID 5 or RAID 6 protection is not feasible due to resource constraints. This provides partial data protection (survival of 1 disk failure) rather than complete protection, but still improves upon the simplest layout approach by ensuring basic redundancy when resources are insufficient.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes storage policy parameters based on available resources. When resources are insufficient, it adjusts the RAID level parameter from ideal configurations (RAID 5/6) to simplified configurations (RAID 1 or even single disk), thereby adapting the storage policy quality to match resource availability while maintaining operational feasibility.
2Ease of operation
If force provisioning ignores available resources and applies simplest layout, then ease of operation is improved, but storage policy quality and performance are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically evaluating available resources and selecting appropriate storage policies without requiring manual intervention. The force provisioning process itself becomes intelligent, automatically adjusting RAID settings and storage configurations based on resource availability, thereby maintaining ease of operation while improving storage policy quality through automated decision-making.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring available resources and using this information to adjust storage policy selections. The provisioning process receives feedback about resource constraints and adapts its behavior accordingly, selecting storage policies that balance simplicity with adequate protection and performance based on real-time resource assessment.
3Quantity of substance
If storage policy resources are insufficient to satisfy specified policy, then resource utilization is improved, but storage performance and availability are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies dynamics by making storage policies adaptable rather than static. When resources are insufficient, the system dynamically selects from multiple RAID configuration options (RAID 0, RAID 1, single disk) based on current resource availability. This dynamic selection process allows the system to maximize resource utilization while maintaining the highest possible availability given the constraints, rather than applying a fixed simplest layout.
4Ease of manufacture
If force provisioning uses simplest possible layout without considering resources, then adaptability is reduced, but ease of manufacture is improved
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves universality by creating a force provisioning mechanism that can handle multiple storage scenarios and resource conditions through a single unified process. Rather than requiring different provisioning approaches for different situations, the universal force provisioning system automatically adapts to various resource availability levels and selects appropriate RAID configurations, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture while significantly improving adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is related to methods, systems, and machine-readable media for force provisioning using available resources. A request can be received to provision a virtual computing instance by a software defined data center according to a storage policy specified as part of the request. An insufficiency of storage policy resources to satisfy the storage policy specified for the VCI can be determined. A best-match storage policy can be determined for the VCI based on available storage policy resources, and the VCI can be force provisioned according to the best-match storage policy using the available storage policy resources.