Granular Data Replication Session Management for Storage Volumes

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current data replication systems swap all storage volumes during a session trigger, regardless of the source of the issue, leading to unnecessary processing and resource utilization, impacting volumes that do not need swapping and causing delays in volume availability.

Innovation Solution

Creating a second data replication session to isolate and manage only the affected storage volume, allowing for targeted swapping and minimizing the number of replication pairings that need to be swapped, thereby reducing processing load and improving system performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If all storage volumes are swapped during a data replication session trigger, then the replication session can handle storage system issues, but unnecessary processing and resource utilization increase, and volumes that do not need swapping are impacted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata replication session reliabilityVSAvoidsystem processing efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the data replication session into multiple independent sessions based on storage system identifiers. When a swap trigger occurs, only the affected storage system's volumes are swapped in its dedicated session, while other sessions continue normally. This segmentation eliminates unnecessary swapping of unaffected volumes and reduces overall system processing overhead.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If all storage volumes are swapped during a data replication session trigger, then comprehensive coverage of potential issues is achieved, but the delay for volume availability to applications increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage volume availabilityVSAvoidvolume availability delay

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

By dividing the replication session into storage-system-specific segments, the patent enables parallel processing where unaffected volumes remain available immediately while only problematic volumes undergo swapping. This segmentation directly reduces the time loss for volume availability by limiting swaps to only necessary volumes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If a second data replication session is created for the affected storage volume, then granular management of replication is achieved, but session complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereplication session management granularityVSAvoiddata replication session structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates separate data replication sessions for each storage system, with each session containing only the volumes from that specific storage system. This segmentation provides granular control over each session independently, allowing targeted swaps without affecting other sessions. The increased adaptability in managing individual sessions outweighs the structural complexity of having multiple sessions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS11475040B2Managing data replication sessions in response to an inability to access a storage volume

Publication Date: 2022.10.18 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

A computer-implemented method according to one approach includes identifying an inability to access a first storage volume during a first data replication session, creating a second data replication session including the first storage volume, and removing the first storage volume from the first data replication session.