Multicast Data Mirroring for Storage Network Redundancy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current storage networks lack efficient methods for data redundancy and availability, particularly in multicast environments, where ensuring data is reliably stored and accessible across multiple storage targets within a local area network remains a challenge.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a multicast data mirroring method that defines a multicast group within a local area network, including a storage initiator device and multiple storage targets, where data segments are multicast and stored across these targets using IP or MAC addresses, ensuring redundancy and availability through multicasting write and read requests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional unicast data mirroring is used in storage networks, then data can be stored on multiple targets, but the network bandwidth consumption increases and data transmission efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple unicast data transmission operations into a single multicast transmission. By combining data segments into a multicast stream that is simultaneously delivered to multiple storage targets, the system achieves the same data redundancy goal while consuming significantly less network bandwidth compared to sending separate unicast streams to each target.
Solution Approach 2:
The multicast transmission mechanism serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides data redundancy, enables efficient bandwidth utilization, and supports scalable deployment to any number of storage targets. This universal approach replaces the need for multiple dedicated unicast connections, making the system both more efficient and more scalable.
2Reliability
If data is mirrored across multiple storage targets using traditional methods, then data availability is improved, but the system complexity and configuration difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables storage targets to automatically join multicast groups and receive data segments without manual configuration. The multicast protocol handles group management, data distribution, and redundancy establishment automatically, eliminating the need for complex manual setup and reducing system configuration complexity while maintaining high data availability.
3Reliability
If multiple storage targets are used for data redundancy, then data integrity is improved, but the network traffic and transmission time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing multicast groups and preparing data segment distributions before actual data mirroring operations. This allows the network paths to be pre-configured and optimized, reducing the time required for actual data transmission while ensuring data integrity across multiple targets through the efficient multicast delivery mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and computer program product for defining a multicast group within a local area network. The multicast group includes a storage initiator device and a plurality of storage targets. A write request for storing a data segment within the multicast group is received on the storage initiator device. The data segment is multicast to the plurality of storage targets included within the multicast group. The data segment is stored on each of the plurality of storage targets.