Storage Capacity Utilization via OS-Level Deduplication

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing storage systems face challenges in efficiently determining effective space utilization, leading to suboptimal data management and storage capacity utilization.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves a method and apparatus for determining effective space utilization in a storage system, which includes multiple storage nodes and non-volatile solid state storage units. This system uses a direct-mapped flash storage approach where the operating system initiates and controls data management processes, such as data rewriting and erasure, directly across multiple flash drives without involving lower-level storage controllers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If traditional storage systems use lower-level storage controllers for data management, then storage operations can be performed, but storage capacity utilization is suboptimal and redundant write operations occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage capacity utilizationVSAvoidredundant write operations

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the data management function from lower-level storage controllers and assigns it to the operating system. This allows the OS to implement deduplication and optimize write operations at a higher level, eliminating redundant writes and improving storage capacity utilization without being constrained by traditional storage controller limitations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The operating system performs preliminary actions by deduplicating data before it reaches the storage controllers. The system identifies and eliminates redundant write operations in advance, ensuring that only necessary data is written to storage devices, thereby improving capacity utilization and reducing unnecessary write operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If the operating system directly controls data management processes across multiple flash drives, then storage capacity utilization improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage capacity utilizationVSAvoiddata management process control

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The operating system is designed to perform multiple functions: it manages deduplication, coordinates data rewriting operations, and controls write operations across multiple flash drives simultaneously. This multi-functional approach consolidates control in the OS, improving storage capacity utilization while managing complexity through integrated control rather than separate management layers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS20250156074A1Determining Storage Capacity Utilization Based On Deduplicated Data

Publication Date: 2025.05.15 PURE STORAGE INC

AI summary

Determining effective space utilization in a storage system, including: identifying an amount of data stored within the storage system that is associated with a user-visible entity; identifying an amount of data stored within the storage system that is associated with all snapshots of the user-visible entity; and reporting, in dependence upon the an amount of data stored within the storage system that is associated with the user-visible entity and the amount of data stored within the storage system that is associated with all snapshots of the user-visible entity, a total capacity utilization associated with the user-visible entity.