Centralized NVMe-oF Configuration Service Reduces Management Overhead
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current storage provisioning in NVMe-oF environments requires a separate management and orchestration framework for each host, network element, and subsystem, leading to increased costs, complexity, and the need for vendor-specific plugins and robust user interfaces, which is inefficient and disliked by end-users.
Innovation Solution
A centralized NVMe-oF namespace masking and configuration repository, referred to as a distributed configuration service (DCS), that provides a single user interface for managing host and subsystem interfaces, eliminating the need for multiple user interfaces and vendor-specific plugins, and simplifying the storage provisioning process by centralizing the functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a separate management and orchestration framework is implemented for each host, network element, and subsystem, then storage provisioning can be performed, but the system complexity and overhead costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates multiple separate management and orchestration frameworks into a single centralized management framework that handles provisioning for all hosts, network elements, and subsystems. This merging eliminates the need for duplicate frameworks across different device types, directly reducing system complexity while maintaining comprehensive storage provisioning capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a universal management framework that can provision storage across diverse device types (hosts, network elements, subsystems) through a single interface. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for vendor-specific plugins and device-specific management interfaces, reducing overhead costs and simplifying operations while maintaining adaptability to different storage provisioning scenarios.
2Adaptability or versatility
If vendor-specific plugins and robust user interfaces are added to each device type, then storage provisioning can be performed, but overhead costs and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal management framework that provides a single user interface for managing storage across all device types. This eliminates the need for administrators to learn and operate multiple vendor-specific interfaces and plugins, significantly reducing operational overhead while maintaining compatibility with diverse storage devices through standardized protocols.
3Adaptability or versatility
If IP addresses and credentials for each device's NBI are maintained, then device access can be managed, but overhead costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a centralized management framework that acts as an intermediary between administrators and storage devices. This framework maintains a single set of access credentials and configuration information, eliminating the need to maintain separate IP addresses and credentials for each device's north-bound interface. The intermediary handles all authentication and communication, reducing configuration overhead while maintaining device access capability.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments herein comprise a centralized NVMe-oF namespace masking and configuration repository, which may be referenced for convenience herein as a distributed configuration service (DCS). By centralizing the functionality, there is no longer a requirement that each host, network element, and subsystem have its own user interface (UI). DCS embodiments provide a single UI for a number of features, including but not limited to: (1) viewing the list of Host interfaces that are attached to the network and are registered; (2) viewing the list of Subsystem interfaces that are attached to the IP Network and are registered with the DCS; (3) viewing the storage capacity available behind each subsystem interface; and (4) allowing a user to define the Host to Subsystem interface relationships as well as define how much storage should be allocated to each Host.