Dynamic Partition Alignment with Prefix Region for Storage Block Boundaries
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Solution Overview
Problem
In storage area networks (SAN), aligning the file systems between the guest and storage systems is challenging, leading to performance penalties when importing data from a source storage system to a target storage system, as the logical blocks may not align, resulting in the need to read or write twice as many blocks as requested.
Innovation Solution
The target storage system creates a data structure with a prefix region, a data region, and a suffix region, determining the file system and partition scheme of the source storage system to align the logical blocks, using the starting logical block address to calculate the prefix region size, ensuring alignment and optimizing data transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the partition scheme of the source storage system is imported as-is to the target storage system, then the import process is simple and fast, but the logical blocks will not align causing performance penalties and requiring twice as many read/write operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by calculating the required prefix region size before creating the target partition. The system determines the offset between source and target block boundaries in advance, then pre-allocates a prefix region of the calculated size. This ensures that when data is imported, the logical blocks are already aligned with target block boundaries, eliminating the need for complex real-time adjustments during data operations.
2Productivity
If a prefix region is added to align logical blocks, then data transfer efficiency improves, but the storage space required increases due to the prefix and suffix regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the prefix region size dynamic rather than uniform. The system calculates the exact offset between source and target block boundaries and sets the prefix region size specifically to match this offset. This means each partition gets a prefix region of precisely the size needed for its alignment requirements, not a fixed or excessive size, thereby minimizing wasted storage space while ensuring proper alignment.
3Manufacturing precision
If the starting logical block address is used to calculate prefix region size, then alignment precision improves, but the calculation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by having the system automatically determine its own alignment requirements. The import module retrieves the starting logical block address from the source partition information, calculates the offset against the target block boundaries, and autonomously determines the required prefix region size. This self-calculating approach eliminates the need for manual configuration or complex external alignment tools, achieving precise alignment through automated self-service.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments are generally directed an apparatus and method for creating a target data structure on a target storage system, the target data structure including a prefix region, a data region and a suffix region for storing information from a source data structure. Further, embodiments are directed to setting a size of the prefix region to align a partition of the source data structure with a block size boundary of the target data structure.