Parallel Find Operations on Union-Mounted File System Layers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Union-mounted file systems experience significant delays and timeouts during find operations due to the need to process multiple layers sequentially, which can lead to inefficiencies and failures in cloud computing environments.
Innovation Solution
Performing separate find operations on individual underlying file layers and fusing the results, rather than executing the find operation on the union mount, allows for parallel processing and reduces processing time by avoiding the union mount delay.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a find operation is executed on a union-mounted file system, then the operation can search across multiple layers, but the processing time increases significantly due to sequential processing of each layer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the union-mounted file system into separate underlying file layers and executes independent find operations on each layer. This segmentation allows parallel processing of multiple layers simultaneously, eliminating the sequential processing bottleneck while maintaining comprehensive search capability across all layers.
2Ease of operation
If a find operation is executed on a union mount, then the operation can access consolidated directory views, but the operation experiences delays and timeouts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by executing find operations on individual underlying layers before consolidating results. This approach avoids the timeout-prone union mount operation while still achieving the consolidated view through result fusion, thereby improving reliability.
3Productivity
If separate find operations are performed on individual layers, then parallel processing is enabled, but the complexity of fusing results increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary result fusion process that consolidates findings from parallel layer operations. This intermediary layer manages the complexity of merging results, deduplicating entries, and presenting a unified output, thereby enabling parallel processing without exposing the full complexity to the user.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a system and method which may execute a find operation on a union mount via individual find operations on the underlying file systems that make up the union mount rather than perform the find operation through the union mount itself. As a result, processing time of can be significantly reduced. In one example, the method may include receiving a request for a data item to be retrieved from a union-mounted file system comprising a plurality of layers of files which have been merged together, simultaneously executing, via a file manager, a plurality of find operations on the plurality of layers, respectively, without merging the plurality of layers together, receiving a plurality of sets of search results of the plurality of find operations from the plurality of layers in response to the executing, and merging and displaying the plurality of sets of search results.