Host Manager Storage Pool Volume Snapshot Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current host-based storage management systems require human intervention for accessing and managing snapshots in external virtual memory, limiting flexibility and efficiency due to the need for manual interaction between host administrators and storage administrators.
Innovation Solution
A method for managing resources in a storage pool of external virtual memory, where a host manager associated with a storage pool can create, delete, and access resources such as volumes and snapshots using a unique handle, without relying on virtualization familiar only to the host manager, and execute management commands like creating or deleting resources within the storage pool using an I/O protocol like SCSI.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If human intervention is required for accessing snapshots in external virtual memory, then access control and security can be maintained, but flexibility and efficiency are limited due to manual interaction requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The host manager is empowered to autonomously perform storage management operations including creating, deleting, and accessing volumes and snapshots in external virtual memory without requiring storage administrator intervention. The system enables self-service functionality where the host manager can directly issue commands to the storage system through I/O protocols, allowing autonomous resource management while maintaining security through predefined access rights.
2Extent of automation
If host managers can autonomously manage storage resources without manual intervention, then flexibility and efficiency are enhanced, but access control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system acts as an intermediary between the host manager and the external virtual memory resources. The storage manager within the storage system receives commands from the host manager, validates them against access control policies, and executes the appropriate operations. This intermediary layer automates access control validation, allowing autonomous host manager operations while maintaining security without requiring complex host-side access control mechanisms.
3Adaptability or versatility
If virtualization mechanisms familiar only to host managers are used, then host-specific compatibility is improved, but system-wide standardization and interoperability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a universal interface based on standard I/O protocols that enables the host manager to perform storage management operations across different storage systems and virtual memory configurations. The storage manager translates host manager commands into standardized operations that can be executed on any storage system supporting the protocol, providing both host manager compatibility and system-wide standardization without requiring host-specific virtualization mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for managing resources in a storage pool of external virtual memory, that includes a host manager being associated with a storage pool by a storage manager. The host manager manages the resources, the managing including creating resources in the storage pool and/or deleting resources in the storage pool. The host manager further accesses the resource in the pool, such accessing including reading data to or writing data to the resource.