Native Consistency Groups in Filesystem Objects
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current data storage systems face increased complexity and inefficiency due to the need to implement consistency groups outside the filesystem, requiring additional orchestration and coordination between the filesystem and the layer implementing consistency groups and snapsets.
Innovation Solution
Integrating consistency groups as native filesystem objects, allowing the filesystem to support snapshot requests by transactionally suspending IO and creating snapset objects within the filesystem, thereby simplifying operations and improving efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If consistency groups are implemented outside the filesystem, then consistency group functionality can be provided, but system complexity increases due to additional orchestration and coordination requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges consistency group functionality directly into the filesystem by representing consistency groups as native filesystem objects (e.g., directory objects or file objects). This integration eliminates the need for separate orchestration layers and coordination mechanisms between external consistency group implementations and the filesystem, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining full consistency group functionality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If consistency groups are implemented outside the filesystem, then consistency group operations can be performed, but operational efficiency decreases due to coordination overhead between layers
Solution Approach 1:
By combining consistency group operations with filesystem operations at the same native layer, the patent eliminates inter-layer coordination overhead. Operations such as creating, deleting, and managing consistency groups can be performed directly through filesystem APIs without requiring communication between separate consistency group management layers and the filesystem, thereby improving operational efficiency.
3Adaptability or versatility
If consistency groups are implemented as external structures, then flexibility in consistency group management is achieved, but ease of operation decreases due to special programming requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the filesystem universally capable of handling both regular files/directories and consistency groups through a unified object model. By representing consistency groups as native filesystem objects, the same filesystem APIs and operations can be used for both traditional files and consistency groups, eliminating the need for special programming or separate management interfaces while maintaining management flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer has a secondary storage device with a filesystem for persistent storage of application data, the filesystem having filesystem objects including files, directories, and group objects such as consistency groups. The group objects specify respective groups of the filesystem objects on which certain filesystem group operations act as a unit. The filesystem also has filesystem routines for performing filesystem operations including single-object operations and group operations. A single-object operation acts upon a specified user file or directory independently (e.g., opening or reading from a file), while a group operation acts upon a respective set of filesystem objects grouped together by a specified group object.