Metadata Hash Tables for Multi-Storage Object Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
As storage systems increase in capacity and complexity, existing technologies face challenges in efficiently accessing information across multiple storage components, particularly in rapidly retrieving objects from diverse storage mediums like NVRAM and SSDs, due to differences in retrieval speeds and storage capacities.
Innovation Solution
The use of metadata structures, including metadata hash tables and reverse lookup tables, to efficiently locate and manage objects across multiple storage components, allowing for faster access and operation performance by providing location indications and supporting concurrent operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If metadata structures are used to locate objects across multiple storage components, then access efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The metadata system is segmented into multiple independent components: a metadata hash table for rapid object location, reverse lookup tables for storage component mapping, and state/lock tracking structures. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in a specific function, improving overall access efficiency while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The metadata hash table serves as an intermediary layer between the host device and the physical storage components. Instead of directly managing complex multi-component storage access, the host device interacts with the simplified metadata interface, which handles the complexity of locating objects across NVRAM, SSDs, and other storage mediums
2Quantity of substance
If multiple storage components with different retrieval speeds are used, then storage capacity and cost-effectiveness are improved, but access time variability increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-calculating and storing metadata that indicates the location of each object across multiple storage components. When an access request arrives, the metadata is immediately retrieved to determine the optimal storage component, eliminating the need for time-consuming search operations and reducing access time variability
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes operational parameters by selecting different storage components based on object location and access patterns. The metadata structure tracks which objects reside in fast storage (NVRAM) versus slower storage (SSDs), allowing the system to optimize access times by directing requests to the appropriate storage medium
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for using metadata to efficiently access object data from two or more storage components. Control circuitry receives a request from a host device to perform an operation on a uniquely identified object in a storage system comprising at least a first storage component and a second storage component. Control circuitry retrieves metadata information about the location of the object in store, wherein the metadata information comprises a first indication of a location of the object in the first storage component and a second indication of a location of the object in the second storage component. The objects in one or both of the first and second storage components are located based on the retrieved metadata information, and the requested operation is performed on the requested object.