Hybrid Cloud Storage Segmentation for Cost and Latency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cloud storage solutions face challenges in balancing the flexibility and scalability of public cloud storage with the cost and performance advantages of private cloud storage, particularly in terms of data access, storage costs, and performance.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid cloud storage arrangement is implemented, comprising a private data center connected to a public cloud storage service. This setup includes a data bucket maintained in the private data center, with metadata and policy decisions stored in the public cloud. The system allows for seamless access to data objects, bypassing the public cloud for data storage while utilizing it for directory information and policy management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If data is stored in public cloud storage service, then accessibility and scalability are improved, but storage costs and access time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments cloud storage functionality into two parts: metadata management (directory information, policies) is stored in the public cloud, while actual data objects are stored locally in the private data center. This segmentation allows the system to maintain public cloud accessibility and scalability while avoiding the performance penalties of storing all data remotely.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hybrid cloud storage system as an intermediary between the public cloud and private data center. This intermediary manages data objects by storing metadata in the public cloud while keeping data locally, thereby mediating between the accessibility benefits of public cloud and the performance benefits of private storage.
2Adaptability or versatility
If data is stored in public cloud storage service, then scalability is improved, but storage costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments storage responsibilities by keeping data objects locally in the private data center where they can be stored at lower cost, while using the public cloud only for metadata management. This allows the system to scale metadata operations using the public cloud's scalability without incurring high costs for storing large volumes of actual data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual representation (copy) of the data storage structure in the public cloud through metadata and directory information, while the actual data remains locally. This copying approach allows the system to leverage public cloud scalability for management functions without paying for actual data storage capacity in the public cloud.
3Loss of time
If data objects are kept in private data center, then storage costs and access time are improved, but flexibility and scalability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments storage functions by keeping data objects locally for fast access while delegating metadata management to the public cloud. This segmentation provides flexibility for data access patterns while maintaining scalability through cloud-based metadata management.
Solution Approach 2:
The hybrid cloud storage system provides multiple functions: it enables fast local data access like private storage, while simultaneously providing cloud-based scalability, accessibility, and policy management. This multi-functionality allows the system to benefit from both private and public cloud characteristics.
4Adaptability or versatility
If hybrid cloud arrangement is implemented, then flexibility and cost are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hybrid cloud storage system acts as an intermediary layer that manages the complexity of coordinating between public cloud and private data center. By handling metadata management, policy enforcement, and data object coordination centrally, it simplifies the overall system architecture despite the distributed nature of the underlying infrastructure.
Data Source
AI summary
A cloud environment is provided generally having at least one private data center possessing a controller/routing system and nonvolatile mass storage, a plurality of data objects retained in the nonvolatile mass storage, and a public cloud storage service provider linked to the controller/routing system. The public cloud storage service provider possessing a database containing policy decisions and metadata of the plurality of data objects. The private data center is not in possession of the policy decisions and the metadata for the plurality of data objects, rather the public cloud storage service provider is. The private data center in possession of the plurality of data objects, whereas the public cloud storage provider is not. The public cloud storage service provider adapted to be communicatively linked to an end-user computing system by way of the controller/routing system. The data center is independent of the public cloud storage provider.