Key-Value Shard Creation With Coordinator Mapping and Copy-On-Write

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing data storage systems face challenges in scalability and performance due to their proprietary nature, making upgrades costly and time-consuming, and they struggle to adapt to emerging technologies like AI and machine learning.

Innovation Solution

A scalable data storage software suite that enables key-value shard creation and management, allowing for partitioning into coordinator and value shards with redirected write operations and copy-on-write cloning, supporting flexible and efficient data storage on various hardware platforms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If proprietary hardware and software clusters are used, then system integration is tight and performance is optimized, but upgrading components becomes costly and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem performanceVSAvoidupgrade capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system separates storage software from hardware infrastructure, dividing the storage system into independent software layers that can be upgraded without replacing entire hardware clusters. This segmentation allows individual software components to be updated while maintaining hardware compatibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The storage software is designed to run on multiple hardware platforms and configurations, making it universal rather than proprietary to specific hardware. This allows the same software to operate across different hardware generations and vendors, enabling flexible upgrades.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Stability of the object's composition

If outdated purpose-built hardware is used, then system stability is maintained, but system performance becomes sub-par

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem stabilityVSAvoidsystem performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables dynamic hardware updates by allowing software to adapt to new hardware configurations without requiring complete system reconfiguration. This dynamic approach allows performance optimization through hardware upgrades while maintaining operational stability through software continuity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If entire infrastructure is replaced to adopt latest hardware, then performance and scalability improve, but costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveperformance and scalabilityVSAvoidimplementation cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The architecture segments the storage system into replaceable software components and persistent hardware infrastructure, allowing incremental adoption of new hardware without replacing the entire system. This reduces implementation costs by enabling phased upgrades.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses data replication and shard copying mechanisms that allow data to be migrated to new hardware without requiring complete system replacement. This enables performance improvement through hardware upgrades while maintaining data accessibility and reducing migration costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS12572273B2System and method for key-value shard creation and management in a key-value store
Publication Date: 2026.03.10 QUANTUM CORP
  • US12572273B2 patent drawing
  • US12572273B2 patent drawing
  • US12572273B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Methods and systems for key-value shard creation and management in a key-value store (319). A method includes the steps of partitioning the key-value store (319) including a plurality of keyspaces (364A, 364B) into a plurality of shards including a coordinator shard (362), receiving a first shard assignment value for a first key-value pair from a key-value store client, the key-value store client having access to the key-value store, creating a first shard (321A) using the first shard assignment value, the first shard including a data structure, assigning the first key-value pair to the first shard (321a) based on the first shard assignment value, updating the coordinator shard (362) to reference to the first shard (321A), writing the first shard (321A) to a storage device, and storing modifications to the first shard (321A) in a modified version of the first shard (321A) while the first shard (321A) remains unmodified.