RAID LUN Copying with Sub-Chunk Buffers to Reduce Bandwidth Waste
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional RAID systems face inefficiencies in data copying due to the requirement for communication buffer sizes equal to delta map chunk sizes, limiting fine-grain copy operations and wasting bandwidth, and suffer from data corruption issues known as collisions during archival and mirroring processes.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that uses buffers smaller than delta map chunks for copying logical units (LUNs) in a RAID environment, with a delta map to track changes and buffer descriptors to manage data transfer, allowing for sequential copying and collision management to prevent data corruption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If communication buffer size is set equal to delta map chunk size, then copying operations can be performed, but fine grain copy operations are prevented and communication bandwidth is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the delta map chunk into smaller segments by using buffers smaller than the full chunk size. This allows the copying process to operate on fine-grained portions of data rather than being constrained to copy entire chunks, enabling more flexible and efficient copy operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the buffer size parameter from being equal to delta map chunk size to being smaller than delta map chunk size. This parameter change enables fine grain copy operations while maintaining the copying functionality, resolving the contradiction between copying capability and fine grain operation versatility.
2Productivity
If communication buffer size is set equal to delta map chunk size, then copying operations can be performed, but communication bandwidth is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary portion of data from each delta map chunk by using smaller buffers. Instead of transferring entire chunks through the communication buffer, only the required data segments are copied, reducing unnecessary bandwidth consumption while maintaining copying capability.
3Reliability
If incremental copying is performed to manage collisions, then data integrity can be maintained, but write operations must be prohibited during copying
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by using smaller buffers to copy data in finer increments, which reduces the window of time during which collisions can occur. This preliminary fine-grained copying approach maintains data integrity while minimizing the impact on write operation flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are methods, systems, and computer program products for optimized copying of logical units (LUNs) in a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) environment using buffers that are smaller than delta map chunks. According to one method, a delta map is provided including delta indicators for tracking locations of changes to data stored in a plurality of source delta map chunks representing partitions of storage in physical disks of a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) array. A first buffer of a buffer size smaller than a delta map chunk size is provided. An amount of data is sequentially copied to fill the first buffer beginning at an address in the delta map chunk corresponding to a first change indicated by a delta indicator in the delta map.