Hybrid Data Replication Triggering by Size and Time

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Solution Overview

Problem

Time-based replication approaches are static and expose a higher risk of data loss due to varying amounts of data changes between replication cycles, as they do not account for the fluctuating volume of data modifications over time.

Innovation Solution

Combining time-based and data size-based replication approaches, where a Replication Data Objective (RDO) defines a tolerance for data loss in terms of bytes, allowing replications to be triggered based on either a scheduled time or the amount of data changed, ensuring that data loss is minimized by starting replications when either threshold is met.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If time-based replication is used with fixed schedules, then replication timing is simple to manage, but data loss risk increases when data changes fluctuate between replication cycles

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereplication scheduling simplicityVSAvoiddata loss risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system transitions from static time-based replication to dynamic hybrid replication by introducing data change detection mechanisms. The replication trigger becomes dynamic, activating based on either time thresholds or data change volume thresholds, allowing the system to adapt to varying data modification patterns and reduce data loss risk while maintaining operational simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the replication trigger parameter from purely time-based to a hybrid of time-based and data-size-based parameters. By introducing a data change volume threshold as an additional trigger condition, the system can respond to actual data modification patterns, reducing data loss risk without significantly complicating the replication management process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If replication frequency is increased to reduce data loss, then data loss risk decreases, but system resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata loss riskVSAvoidsystem resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial replication action by only triggering replication when data changes exceed a defined threshold, rather than performing continuous or overly frequent replications. This approach reduces unnecessary replication operations and system resource consumption while still maintaining acceptable data loss risk levels by replicating only when significant data changes occur

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by monitoring data change volume between replication cycles. This feedback information is used to dynamically adjust replication timing, triggering replication only when data changes reach a threshold level. This feedback-driven approach optimizes the balance between data loss risk reduction and system resource consumption by avoiding unnecessary replications

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11687557B2Data size and time based replication

Publication Date: 2023.06.27 EMC IP HLDG CO LLC

AI summary

Techniques are provided for data size and time based replication. In an example, a first daemon monitors data changes that corresponds to a first replication policy, and a second daemon monitors an amount of time since performing a replication for the first replication policy. Where either a data modification threshold is met, or a time threshold is met, the daemons can perform a replication, and reset both a data counter and a timer that determine when next to perform a replication.