RAID LUN Copying with Oversized Buffers and Collision Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional RAID systems face inefficiencies in copying large numbers of delta map chunks due to fixed communication buffer sizes equal to delta map chunk sizes, leading to excessive copy operations and potential data corruption from collisions during archival or transfer processes.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method that uses buffers larger than delta map chunks, with a delta map for tracking changes and collision management, allowing for sequential copying and handling collisions to prevent data corruption, thereby optimizing the copying process in RAID environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If communication buffer size is increased to improve copying efficiency, then productivity improves, but device complexity increases due to collision management requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by allocating buffers larger than delta map chunks before copying operations begin. This allows the system to pre-establish collision detection and management mechanisms, tracking which buffer regions may be subject to collisions before they occur, thereby enabling efficient bulk copying while maintaining data integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary collision management system that acts as a mediator between the bulk copying process and the underlying storage operations. This intermediary layer tracks potential collisions, identifies affected regions, and coordinates with the copying process to prevent data corruption, allowing large buffers to be used without compromising reliability.
2Ease of operation
If buffer size is set equal to delta map chunk size to simplify operations, then ease of operation is maintained, but productivity decreases due to excessive copy operations
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter of buffer size from being equal to delta map chunk size to being larger than delta map chunks. This parameter change enables fewer, larger copying operations while introducing collision management tracking to handle the increased complexity, thereby improving productivity without completely sacrificing operational simplicity.
3Reliability
If incremental copying with write prohibition is used to prevent collisions, then reliability improves, but productivity decreases due to operation restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the buffer into regions that may be subject to collisions and regions that are not. By identifying and tracking only the specific buffer regions that require collision protection, the system can allow concurrent write operations in safe regions while maintaining data integrity in protected regions, thereby improving throughput without sacrificing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the collision management system continuously monitors copying operations and dynamically identifies buffer regions subject to collisions. This feedback allows the system to adjust which regions require protection in real-time, enabling concurrent operations where safe while maintaining data integrity where needed, thus improving overall productivity without compromising reliability.
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 larger 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 larger 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.