Object Storage Deduplication Using Slice Granularity and Soft Links

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Solution Overview

Problem

Large-scale object storage systems lack deduplication functionality, leading to high performance consumption, inaccurate duplicate data search, and potential security risks, while existing solutions outside the system impose complex data management and maintenance burdens on users.

Innovation Solution

Implement deduplication within the object storage system by determining target granularities of object or slice granularity, performing duplicate data screening, and adding soft links in metadata to recycle storage space, reducing performance overhead and improving stability and security without additional management complexity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of substance

If deduplication function is not implemented in object storage system, then system complexity remains low, but storage space is wasted and performance consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage space efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments object data into multiple slices at a specified granularity. Each slice can be independently deduplicated, allowing the system to manage large objects in smaller, more manageable units. This segmentation enables efficient deduplication while maintaining object integrity and reducing the computational burden of processing entire objects at once.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary deduplication layer between the object storage system and the underlying storage resources. This intermediary component handles duplicate detection and elimination without requiring changes to the core object storage architecture, thus improving storage efficiency while minimizing system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of substance

If external deduplication solution is added, then storage space is saved, but data management and maintenance complexity increases for users

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage space efficiencyVSAvoiduser operation simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the deduplication function directly into the object storage system, combining storage and deduplication operations into a unified system. This integration eliminates the need for separate external deduplication solutions, reducing user management overhead while maintaining storage efficiency benefits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The deduplication system automatically performs duplicate detection and elimination without requiring user intervention. The system self-manages the deduplication process, including slice creation, duplicate identification, and space reclamation, thereby simplifying user operations while achieving storage space savings.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of manufacture

If object granularity deduplication is used, then implementation is simple, but deduplication effectiveness is reduced due to large data processing units

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimplementation simplicityVSAvoiddeduplication effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments objects into slices at a configurable granularity level. This segmentation allows the system to achieve finer deduplication effectiveness compared to whole-object deduplication, while still maintaining implementation simplicity by processing manageable slice units rather than entire large objects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces granularity as a configurable parameter that can be adjusted to optimize between implementation simplicity and deduplication effectiveness. By changing the slice granularity parameter, the system can adapt to different workloads and storage patterns, achieving effective deduplication without overly complex implementation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Loss of substance

If slice granularity deduplication is implemented, then deduplication effectiveness improves, but performance overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvededuplication effectivenessVSAvoidperformance overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements deduplication at slice granularity rather than processing entire objects, applying partial action to only the necessary data units. This approach improves deduplication effectiveness by identifying duplicates at the slice level while reducing overall performance overhead compared to processing complete objects, as only relevant slices require deduplication operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4671950A1Method, device and storage medium for deduplication of object storage system
Publication Date: 2025.12.31 BEIJING VOLCANO ENGINE TECH CO LTD
  • EP4671950A1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP4671950A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4671950A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The disclosed embodiment provides a method, device and storage medium for deduplication of an object storage system, which determines (S201) the target granularity for deduplication of the object storage system, which is the object granularity or the slice granularity; obtains (S202) the first check value of each data of the target granularity in the object storage system, and screens out the data with the same first check value from the object storage system to determine as duplicate data; adds (S203), by taking one data in any group of duplicate data as the reference data, a soft link to the metadata of other data except the reference data in any group of duplicate data to point to the reference data, and recycles the storage space of other data.