Mediator Agent for Multi-Site Storage Event Serialization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multi-site distributed storage systems face challenges in efficiently processing events related to business continuity, particularly in maintaining data consistency and avoiding data corruption due to lack of coordination in processing systemic events.
Innovation Solution
A mediator agent is configured on both primary and secondary storage systems to provide coordination and serialization for events, ensuring consistent processing and maintaining application protection and availability by performing actions such as failover and resynchronization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple storage nodes generate systemic events simultaneously for continuity relationships, then event processing capacity increases, but data consistency deteriorates due to lack of coordination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mediator agent as an intermediary component that coordinates event processing between primary and secondary storage nodes. The mediator receives events from both storage nodes, serializes them in a predetermined order, and ensures consistent processing across the continuity relationship. This resolves the contradiction by providing centralized coordination that maintains data consistency while allowing multiple nodes to generate events simultaneously.
2Reliability
If a mediator agent provides coordination for all events, then data consistency improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mediator agent is implemented as a software component that runs on existing storage nodes, allowing the system to self-coordinate without requiring additional external infrastructure. The mediator utilizes predetermined event types and serialization rules that are built into the system, enabling automatic coordination while minimizing the need for external management and reducing overall system complexity.
3Reliability
If events are serialized in predetermined order, then processing consistency improves, but event processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining event types and their serialization order before events occur. The mediator is pre-configured with rules for handling specific event types (such as failover, resynchronization, and split-brain events), allowing it to quickly process events according to predetermined logic without requiring complex real-time decision-making, thus reducing processing time while maintaining consistency.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are described for efficiently processing events related to a relationship between a primary copy of data at a primary storage system and a mirror copy of the data at a cross-site secondary storage system of a multi-site distributed storage system. According to an example, a mediator agent that is configured on both primary and secondary storage systems provides coordination and serialization for various events generated in the relationship. The multi-site distributed storage system performs actions based on the event processing such as performing a failover operation from the primary storage system to the secondary storage system or resynchronizing the relationship to ensure application protection and availability.