Persistent Memory Snapshot via I/O Fencing and Metadata Encoding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage systems face challenges in efficiently protecting data stored in persistent memory-based file systems, as they lack effective methods for snapshotting and managing data across different storage tiers, leading to performance issues and increased time for data transfer.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a system that takes snapshots of data units stored in persistent memory by fencing I/O requests, writing data from the first tier to the second tier, and encoding metadata for efficient storage, allowing for quick snapshot creation and recovery, while managing data across both memory and block-based storage tiers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If data units are stored in persistent memory and later transferred to lower tier storage, then storage performance is improved, but data protection complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by fencing I/O requests to persistent memory before snapshot operations, ensuring data consistency is established in advance. This allows the snapshot to capture a consistent state without requiring complex coordination during the actual snapshot process, resolving the contradiction between performance and protection complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism that coordinates between the persistent memory file system and the block-based storage file system. This intermediary manages the data transfer and snapshot creation process, simplifying data protection while maintaining high storage performance by handling complexity in a structured manner.
2Reliability
If snapshots are taken of data units in persistent memory, then data protection is enhanced, but operation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system fences I/O requests to persistent memory in advance before initiating snapshot operations. This preliminary action ensures that all data modifications are completed and stabilized before the snapshot is taken, allowing for rapid snapshot creation without requiring complex post-snapshot coordination, thus enhancing data protection while minimizing operation time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables rapid snapshot creation by skipping unnecessary data transfer steps. When a snapshot is requested, the system can immediately capture the state of data units in persistent memory without waiting for complete transfer to lower tier storage, significantly reducing snapshot operation time while maintaining data protection through the fencing mechanism.
3Quantity of substance
If data is transferred from persistent memory to lower tier storage, then storage capacity utilization is improved, but transfer time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary data transfer operations from persistent memory to lower tier storage before snapshot operations are required. This ensures that data is already positioned in the storage hierarchy, allowing snapshots to be taken rapidly without waiting for data transfer, thus improving storage capacity utilization while minimizing the impact of transfer time on critical operations.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for a networked storage system is provided. One method includes creating a first snapshot for data units stored at a persistent memory of a computing device, the data units managed by a first file system; transferring metadata associated with the data units and the data units stored at the persistent memory to a storage device managed by a second file system using a logical object, the second file system executed by a storage system interfacing with the computing device; and generating a second snapshot of the logical object at the storage device, the second snapshot including data units and associated metadata of the first snapshot.