Storage Volume Replication Using Abbreviated Snapshot Rollback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for synchronizing the states of volumes in a distributed storage system are inefficient, particularly when a full-copy snapshot is required, which can consume significant network bandwidth and time.
Innovation Solution
The use of abbreviated snapshots, generated as the difference between full-copy snapshots, to update replication volumes, reducing the need for transmitting large full-copy snapshots.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If full-copy snapshots are transmitted for volume synchronization, then data completeness is ensured, but network bandwidth consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the changed data blocks between snapshots rather than transmitting the entire snapshot. By identifying and transmitting only the differential portions (abbreviated snapshots), the system maintains data completeness while significantly reducing network bandwidth consumption during volume synchronization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the snapshot transmission process into two components: the base snapshot and the abbreviated snapshot containing only changes. This segmentation allows the receiver to reconstruct complete volume state by combining the base snapshot with the differential updates, thereby reducing overall transmission bandwidth requirements.
2Manufacturing precision
If full-copy snapshots are transmitted for volume synchronization, then data accuracy is maintained, but synchronization time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the changed data blocks between snapshots rather than transmitting the entire snapshot. By identifying and transmitting only the differential portions (abbreviated snapshots), the system maintains data accuracy while significantly reducing network bandwidth consumption during volume synchronization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary identification of changed blocks between snapshots before transmission. By pre-processing the snapshot data to identify only the portions that have changed, the system prepares optimized transmission data in advance, reducing the actual synchronization time while maintaining accuracy.
3Loss of energy
If abbreviated snapshots are used for volume updates, then network bandwidth is conserved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component (snapshot manager or differential calculation module) that automatically calculates and prepares the abbreviated snapshots. This intermediary handles the complexity of identifying and preparing differential data, shielding the rest of the system from complexity while enabling bandwidth-efficient transmission.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for use in a first storage system, comprising: generating a current snapshot of a first volume that is hosted by the first storage system; when the current snapshot is a full copy of the first volume and a predetermined condition is true: identifying a first snapshot of the first volume, generating an abbreviated snapshot of the first volume corresponding to a difference between the first snapshot and the current snapshot, transmitting to a second storage system an instruction to roll back a second volume to a second snapshot, waiting to receive a confirmation that the second volume has been rolled back, and transmitting the abbreviated snapshot to the second storage system for use in updating the second volume; and when the current snapshot is not a full copy of the first volume and/or the predetermined condition is not true: transmitting the current snapshot to the second storage system.