Offload Provider Token Immutability Data Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional data transfer methods are inefficient and prone to delays, especially with increasing data volumes, and face security and complexity issues, particularly when accessing data over networks.
Innovation Solution
An offload provider system that ensures data immutability by using tokens to represent data, allowing offload reads and writes while maintaining data integrity through various actions such as invalidating tokens and updating data structures to prevent changes during writes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If data is read into main memory and written to destination location, then data transfer can be completed, but transfer time increases significantly as data volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the data copying operation from the traditional read-into-memory-write-to-destination process. By using storage copy commands, the data remains in place in the source storage device and is copied directly to the destination storage device, eliminating the need to load data into main memory. This extraction of the intermediate memory step resolves the contradiction by maintaining transfer completeness while eliminating the time penalty associated with processing large datasets through main memory.
2Adaptability or versatility
If data is accessed over a network, then data can be transferred between locations, but additional delays are imposed on data transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-fetching data from networked storage locations into local storage devices before the actual data transfer operation. The storage copy command is prepared and queued in advance, and data is preliminarily loaded into the source storage device's memory or buffer. This preliminary action reduces the impact of network delays during the actual copy operation, as the data is already positioned and ready for copying when the transfer begins.
3Reliability
If security measures and complex storage arrangements are implemented, then data security and integrity are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer in the form of a storage copy command interface that sits between the host system and the storage devices. This intermediary handles the complexity of security verification, data integrity checking, and coordination of the copy operation. The host system simply issues a high-level copy command, while the intermediary manages the complex underlying operations including authentication, encryption, and error checking. This mediator approach maintains high reliability while presenting a simplified interface to users.
4Reliability
If data immutability is ensured during token validity, then data integrity is maintained, but additional actions are required to prevent changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses copying as the fundamental mechanism to ensure data immutability. When a storage copy command is executed, the data is copied from the source storage device to the destination storage device. The source data remains unchanged and immutable during this process. The system creates a duplicate representation of the data at the destination, allowing the source to maintain its integrity without requiring complex locking or protection mechanisms. This copying approach ensures immutability while keeping the protection mechanism relatively simple.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to an offload provider. In aspects, an offload provider may provide a token that represents data. The offload provider may be expected to ensure that the data the token represents will not change while the token is valid. The offload provider may take actions to ensure the immutability of the data. The actions may be taken, for example, in conjunction with receiving an offload read and/or offload write, and/or in conjunction with receiving another write that, if allowed to proceed, would otherwise change the data represented by the token.