Policy Engine Automates Data Protection Assignment for Storage Replicas
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional data storage systems fail to automatically duplicate data protection schemes from local to remote storage resources during failover events, requiring manual configuration and lacking synchronized data protection levels between source and destination storage objects.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a policy engine that automatically assigns and manages data protection policies from a local data storage array to its replica on a remote array, ensuring that the destination storage object receives the same data protection level as the source, thereby eliminating the need for manual configuration and maintaining consistent protection levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual configuration of data protection policies is performed on local storage systems, then data protection can be customized for specific storage objects, but the same protection cannot be automatically applied to replicated storage objects on remote systems
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by automatically propagating data protection policies from source to destination storage objects. The policy engine monitors policy assignments on the source array and autonomously applies corresponding policies to replicated objects on the destination array, eliminating the need for manual reconfiguration and ensuring consistent protection levels across distributed storage systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the policy engine continuously monitors policy assignments and replication status. When a policy is assigned to a source storage object, the system detects this change and automatically triggers policy propagation to the destination, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains policy consistency without human intervention.
2Reliability
If data protection policies are manually configured on each storage system separately, then local protection can be optimized, but administrative burden increases and consistency between source and destination cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The policy engine serves multiple functions: it monitors policy assignments, manages replication metadata, detects failover events, and propagates policies across storage systems. This universal component simplifies configuration management by consolidating what would otherwise require separate manual operations on each storage system into a single automated process.
Solution Approach 2:
The policy engine acts as an intermediary between source and destination storage systems. It receives policy assignment information from the source array, processes this information according to replication metadata, and automatically applies corresponding policies to destination objects, thereby mediating the configuration management complexity and ensuring consistency without requiring direct manual intervention on each system.
3Reliability
If replication is implemented without automatic policy propagation, then storage redundancy is achieved, but data protection levels differ between source and destination objects
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring the policy propagation mechanism during replication setup. The policy engine is预先 configured to monitor source storage objects and automatically apply policies to destination objects, so that when data is replicated, protection policies are already in place and will be automatically maintained, eliminating the need for subsequent manual policy configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The replication system provides self-service by automatically propagating data protection policies from source to destination storage objects. The policy engine autonomously detects policy assignments on the source array and applies corresponding policies to replicated objects on the destination array, ensuring consistent protection levels without requiring manual reconfiguration.
4Reliability
If failover is implemented without automatic policy assignment, then system availability is improved, but manual reconfiguration is required to maintain data protection on the new primary system
Solution Approach 1:
During failover, the system provides self-service by automatically detecting the role reversal and reassigning data protection policies. The policy engine monitors replication status, detects when the destination becomes the new primary, and autonomously applies the appropriate policies to the failedover storage objects, eliminating manual reconfiguration time and maintaining protection continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The policy engine implements feedback monitoring of replication status and failover events. When a failover occurs, the system detects this change through continuous status monitoring and automatically triggers policy reassignment to the new primary system, ensuring that data protection is maintained without manual intervention and minimizing the time loss associated with reconfiguration.
Data Source
AI summary
A data protection technique involves, based on a first set of policies on a first storage array, generating a second set of policies on a second storage array to track the first set. The first array maintains a first storage object, and the second array maintains a second storage object as a replica of the first storage object. The technique further includes detecting assignment of the first set of policies to the first storage object and, in response to such detection, assigning the second set of policies to the second storage object. Application of a set of storage policies to a storage object may be delayed if the storage object is a replication destination. A policy group may identify multiple data protection rules or policies, which may include a snapshot rule and/or replication rule, and a user may be prevented from directly making a rule modification to a policy group. An orphan policy group cleanup operation may be performed to delete orphan policy groups.