Journaling Storage System Point-in-Time Data Restoration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current file systems and non-database storage systems lack effective protection against data corruption and loss due to virus attacks, leading to irreversible data loss and significant transaction losses, as they do not utilize redo-logs or journaling, resulting in the inability to restore data consistency and transactions.
Innovation Solution
A storage system with a two-stage journaling capability that includes a controller, storage devices, a buffer, and journaling devices, enabling the identification of logical units, tracks, and sectors for restoration to a specific point in time, and a process to access and restore data from either the buffer or journaling device to the original locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If journaling is implemented in storage systems, then data reliability and ability to restore to a point in time are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system is segmented into multiple functional components: primary storage devices for data, separate journaling devices for transaction logs, and buffer storage for intermediate operations. This segmentation allows the journaling function to be added without completely redesigning the storage system, as each component has a specific role. The journaling device independently records transactions while the primary storage handles data operations, resolving the contradiction by enabling reliability improvement through modular addition rather than system-wide complexity increase.
Solution Approach 2:
A buffer component serves as an intermediary between the primary storage devices and journaling devices. The buffer temporarily holds data during write operations and coordinates the interaction between storage and journaling functions. This intermediary simplifies the overall system architecture by managing the complexity of simultaneous write operations and journaling updates, allowing the system to achieve data consistency without directly coupling all components.
2Productivity
If synchronous on-line mirroring is used, then data availability is improved, but vulnerability to corruption is worsened because corrupted portions are faithfully copied to the mirror
Solution Approach 1:
The journaling function extracts the transaction recording capability from the primary storage system and places it in a separate journaling device. This extraction allows the mirror storage to be used solely for data availability while the separate journaling device provides corruption resistance by maintaining an independent transaction log. The mirror storage can be quickly restored from the journal without risking propagation of corruption, as the journaling device operates independently and can verify transaction integrity before restoration.
3Reliability
If traditional backup methods are used, then data protection is improved for older data, but recent transactions are lost as customers can lose up to 900,000 transactions per hour
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by continuously recording all write transactions in the journaling device before they are committed to the primary storage. This preliminary recording ensures that even if the primary storage fails or becomes corrupted, the journaling device already has a complete record of all transactions up to the point of failure. The buffer component facilitates this by temporarily holding transaction information, ensuring no transactions are lost during the brief window between write initiation and journaling completion.
Data Source
AI summary
A storage system including journaling comprises a controller capable of coupling to at least one storage device and to at least one journaling device, and a process executable on the controller. The executable process comprises a resolve utility capable of determining logical unit, track, and sector identification for a selected file on the at least one storage device, a user interface enabling a user to select tracks and sectors on the at least one storage device for restoration to a predetermined point in time, and a restoration utility. The restoration utility accesses data corresponding to the selected tracks and sectors from the journaling device and restores the data to the track and sector locations of the storage device to the predetermined point in time.