Opportunistic Data Storage Management Module
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data storage systems face inefficiencies in utilizing reserved physical capacity for random write-intensive workloads and storage reduction techniques, as they often reserve space for guaranteed retention, limiting opportunistic data storage and capacity utilization.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a storage management module that supports both guaranteed and opportunistic retention levels, allowing for dynamic allocation of storage space and the use of storage reduction techniques like compression and de-duplication to optimize capacity usage by opportunistically reallocating space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If physical capacity is reserved for guaranteed retention, then data availability is improved, but capacity utilization is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments storage capacity into two distinct levels: guaranteed retention capacity and opportunistic retention capacity. This segmentation allows the system to reserve specific physical blocks for guaranteed data while making other blocks available for opportunistic storage, thereby resolving the contradiction between data availability and capacity utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the retention parameter from a single uniform level to a dual-level structure (guaranteed and opportunistic). By assigning different retention characteristics to different portions of storage capacity, the system can simultaneously ensure data availability where needed while maximizing overall capacity utilization through opportunistic reuse of freed blocks.
2Quantity of substance
If storage reduction techniques are applied, then the ratio of physical capacity per unit logical data is reduced, but data retrieval complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer (the storage management system with dual retention levels) between the physical storage and logical data. This intermediary handles the complexity of tracking and managing compressed or deduplicated data, allowing storage reduction techniques to be applied without directly increasing retrieval complexity for applications, as the intermediary manages the mapping and retrieval logic.
3Productivity
If physical capacity is reserved for random write-intensive workloads, then I/O efficiency is improved, but opportunistic storage opportunities are lost
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting capacity into guaranteed and opportunistic portions, the system can maintain reserved space for I/O efficient operations while simultaneously making other space available for opportunistic storage of freed data blocks, thus avoiding the loss of opportunistic opportunities that would occur with complete reservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically manages the boundary between guaranteed and opportunistic capacity. Blocks can transition between these states based on retention requirements, allowing the system to adapt to changing workload patterns and maximize both I/O efficiency and opportunistic storage utilization at different times.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for opportunistic data storage are described. In one embodiment, for example, an apparatus may comprise a data storage device and a storage management module, and the storage management module may be operative to receive a request to store a set of data in the data storage device, the request indicating that the set of data is to be stored with opportunistic retention, the storage management module to select, based on allocation information, storage locations of the data storage device for opportunistic storage of the set of data and write the set of data to the selected storage locations. Other embodiments are described and claimed.