Hash-Based Data Consistency Verification in Storage Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for confirming data consistency between network-connected data storage sites consume significant network bandwidth, especially in systems with slower links or those requiring bandwidth for other communications, making them inefficient and potentially unreliable.
Innovation Solution
The method involves using hash functions to compute and compare hash values between data storage sites, reducing the need for transmitting large data sets and ensuring data consistency with minimal bandwidth usage by utilizing the same hash function or seed data, and repeating the process with different hash functions or seeds to increase reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional data transmission methods are used to confirm data consistency between storage sites, then data integrity can be verified, but network bandwidth consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential verification information (hash values) from the complete data sets, transmitting only these extracted elements between storage sites. This allows data consistency verification while minimizing network bandwidth consumption, as only small hash values are transmitted rather than entire data sets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the data verification problem by changing the parameter being transmitted from raw data to hash values. This parameter transformation maintains the ability to verify data consistency while dramatically reducing the amount of data that must be transmitted over the network.
2Reliability
If data is repeatedly transmitted between storage sites for consistency confirmation, then data validity can be ensured, but network bandwidth availability for other communications decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary verification component (hash value) from the complete data, allowing repeated consistency checks to be performed with minimal impact on network bandwidth availability for other communications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by transmitting only hash values rather than complete data sets for verification. This partial transmission is sufficient to confirm data consistency while preserving network bandwidth for other purposes.
3Loss of energy
If hash functions are used to reduce bandwidth consumption during data verification, then network efficiency improves, but the risk of undetected data errors increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by repeatedly performing hash verification operations multiple times. This repeated verification provides feedback that reduces the probability of undetected errors, compensating for the reduced error detection capability of individual hash comparisons while maintaining network bandwidth efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for confirming replicated data at a data site, including utilizing a hash function, computing a first hash value based on first data at a first data site and utilizing the same hash function, computing a second hash value based on second data at a second data site, wherein the first data had previously been replicated from the first data site to the second data site as the second data. The method also includes comparing the first and second hash values to determine whether the second data is a valid replication of the first data. In additional embodiments, the first data may be modified based on seed data prior to computing the first hash value and the second data may be modified based on the same seed data prior to computing the second hash value. The process can be repeated to increase reliability of the results.