RAID Protection Pool Disk Addition via Physical Extent Partitioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data storage systems, such as Data Domain, require large and complex disk farms to meet capacity and performance requirements, limiting scalability and flexibility, especially in virtual environments.
Innovation Solution
A method for adding disks in a RAID system with a protection pool of storage units, involving partitioning new physical disks into physical extents, allocating them to arrays across the storage cluster, and managing them through a Local Disk Manager or creating a new one for effective data reconstruction and migration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a scale up architecture with large disk farms is used to meet capacity and performance requirements, then storage capacity and performance are improved, but system complexity and difficulty of deployment increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the storage system into independent storage nodes that can be individually managed and scaled. Each node contains multiple disks organized into RAID arrays, creating modular units that can be added to the cluster without increasing overall system complexity. This segmentation allows the system to scale capacity while maintaining manageable complexity at each node level.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage nodes are designed as universal, multi-functional units that can perform multiple operations (data storage, RAID redundancy, data reconstruction) and can be deployed in both physical and virtual environments. This universality allows the same node design to serve various purposes and scale linearly without requiring different architectures for different scale levels.
2Quantity of substance
If a scale up architecture with large disk farms is used to meet capacity requirements, then storage capacity is improved, but scalability and flexibility are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic scalability through a cluster architecture where storage nodes can be added or removed on-demand. The protection pool and physical extent management enable dynamic allocation and redistribution of storage resources. This dynamic design allows the system to scale incrementally from small to large capacities without requiring complete system redesign, directly addressing the scalability limitation of traditional scale-up architectures.
3Quantity of substance
If physical disks are added to expand storage capacity, then storage capacity is improved, but data reconstruction complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service data reconstruction through automated processes that detect failed disks, allocate replacement disks, and automatically reconstruct data using RAID algorithms. The system autonomously manages the complex reconstruction process without requiring manual intervention, reducing the effective complexity for users while maintaining robust data protection capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a protection pool and physical extent manager as intermediary layers between the physical disks and the data. This intermediary structure abstracts the complexity of data reconstruction by managing the mapping between logical data and physical extents across multiple disks. When disks are added or fail, the intermediary layer handles the redistribution and reconstruction automatically, shielding users from the underlying complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of adding a disk in a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) system with a protection pool of storage units includes receiving a request to add a new physical disk to a storage cluster and partitioning the new physical disk into a set of physical extents. The method further includes allocating one or more physical extents of the set of physical extents of the new physical disk to at least one array of physical extents, wherein the array of physical extents is distributed across physical disks of the storage cluster.