Object-Based Proxy Container for Block Device Snapshots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Distributed storage systems face performance penalties and increased costs due to the need to replicate data between block-based and object-based repositories, as well as manage significant metadata for deduplication, which complicates access and storage efficiency.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an object-based proxy container that allows block device snapshots to be exposed via an object-based gateway without duplicating data, enabling bi-directional access and eliminating the need for data replication, while using a RESTful web service interface for immutable data objects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If data is replicated between block-based and object-based repositories to enable multi-modal access, then access versatility is improved, but storage efficiency and system performance deteriorate due to duplication overhead and metadata management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an object-based proxy container as an intermediary layer between block-based repositories and object-based gateways. This proxy container enables object-based access to block device snapshots without actual data replication, thus maintaining access versatility while eliminating storage duplication overhead. The proxy acts as a virtual wrapper that translates object-based operations into block-based operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of copying actual data between repositories, the patent creates a proxy representation (copy of the interface) that references the original block-based data. This lightweight copying approach maintains access flexibility while avoiding the performance penalties of full data duplication.
2Adaptability or versatility
If data is replicated between block-based and object-based repositories, then multi-modal access is enabled, but system performance deteriorates due to additional processing overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The object-based proxy container serves as a mediator that enables object-based gateways to access block device snapshots without actual data movement. This intermediary approach maintains multi-modal access capability while eliminating the performance overhead associated with data replication and synchronization between repositories.
3Quantity of substance
If deduplication metadata is managed to reduce storage redundancy, then storage efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases due to metadata management overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the deduplication metadata management complexity from the storage system by using object-based proxy containers that inherently reference unique block device snapshots. The proxy container structure naturally prevents duplication without requiring complex metadata tracking, as each proxy represents a distinct snapshot reference.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for providing multimodal access to block devices in a distributed storage system are disclosed. In one implementation, a processing device may identify a block device snapshot stored at a block-based repository of a distributed storage system. The block device may also implement an object-based proxy container associated with the block-based repository. The processing device may further provide, to a client of the distributed storage system, access to the object-based proxy container via an object-based gateway of the distributed storage system.