Open-Archive NAS Data Management via Transparent Restoration

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Solution Overview

Problem

The rapid growth in data storage needs due to increasing users and computing devices poses challenges in managing storage resources and providing streamlined access, as traditional archiving methods require explicit retrieval processes, are costly, and add complexity to network-attached storage (NAS) systems.

Innovation Solution

An open-archive architecture that automatically identifies and moves rarely-accessed data from NAS devices to secondary storage, allowing for transparent and efficient restoration without user intervention, thereby optimizing NAS device usage and reducing the need for additional storage devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If traditional archiving methods are used to store rarely-accessed data, then storage capacity is improved, but retrieval complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage capacityVSAvoidretrieval complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically identifies rarely-accessed data on NAS devices and transfers it to secondary storage without user intervention. The open-archive layer monitors data access patterns and autonomously performs archiving operations, eliminating the need for manual retrieval processes and reducing operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

An open-archive layer is introduced as an intermediary between NAS devices and secondary storage. This layer manages the archiving process by intercepting data access requests, determining whether data should be retrieved from or archived to secondary storage, and coordinating the transfer operations, thereby simplifying the overall system architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Quantity of substance

If data is archived to secondary storage, then storage costs are reduced, but access time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage costVSAvoiddata access time

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system proactively identifies and archives rarely-accessed data to secondary storage before it is actually needed. By pre-positioning data in the most appropriate storage location based on access patterns, the system minimizes the time penalty when data retrieval is eventually required, while maximizing cost savings from efficient storage utilization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The archiving system dynamically adjusts data placement between NAS and secondary storage based on real-time access patterns. Frequently accessed data remains on NAS for fast access, while rarely accessed data is automatically moved to secondary storage, creating a flexible, adaptive storage hierarchy that optimizes both cost and performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Speed

If NAS devices are used for all data storage, then data access speed is maintained, but device utilization efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata access speedVSAvoiddevice utilization efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The storage system is segmented into two distinct layers: a primary NAS layer for frequently accessed data requiring fast access, and a secondary storage layer for rarely accessed data where cost efficiency is prioritized. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized for its specific function, improving overall device utilization efficiency while maintaining fast access speeds for active data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different storage locations are assigned different qualities based on data access requirements. NAS devices provide high-speed access characteristics for active data, while secondary storage provides cost-effective capacity for archival data. This local quality differentiation ensures that fast access speed is maintained where needed without sacrificing overall system efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11500730B2Storage management of data using an open-archive architecture, including streamlined access to primary data originally stored on network-attached storage and archived to secondary storage

Publication Date: 2022.11.15 COMMVAULT SYSTEMS INC

AI summary

An illustrative “open archive” architecture provides streamlined access to production data, which originally was stored on a NAS device but which is archived to secondary storage to free up NAS space. An open-archive server coordinates with an open-archive layer on the NAS device. The open-archive server identifies data sets on the NAS that meet archiving criteria, which are then automatically moved to an open archive in secondary storage. The open archive layer intercepts data-access calls coming into the NAS device, and reports the intercepted calls to the open-archive server. If the open-archive server determines that the data referenced in an intercepted call is in the open archive, the server initiates a restore job that recovers the data from secondary storage and stores it back on the NAS device. The intercepted call may now be served from the NAS. These operations occur automatically and without data agents for the NAS-based data.