Router-Based Storage Migration Preserving Thin Provisioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional migration techniques fail to leverage thin provisioning by copying the full capacity of source LUNs to destination LUNs, overriding the advantages of thin provisioning and inefficiently managing storage space.

Innovation Solution

A method and system utilizing a router to migrate data from a source storage device to a destination storage device, where the destination is initially presumed to be thin provisioned, with validation checks to determine if data read is zero, allowing efficient writing only if non-zero data is present, thereby maintaining thin provisioning benefits.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If conventional migration techniques copy the full capacity of source LUN to destination LUN, then migration is simple to implement, but thin provisioning advantages are lost and storage space is wasted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of migration implementationVSAvoidstorage space waste

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary validation to determine whether the destination LUN is thin-provisioned before executing the migration. This advance check enables the migration process to adapt its behavior accordingly, either copying only used blocks for thin-provisioned destinations or full capacity for non-thin-provisioned destinations, thus avoiding storage waste while maintaining implementation simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The migration process dynamically adjusts its copying behavior based on the destination LUN's provisioning type. The system modifies the migration strategy in real-time: for thin-provisioned LUNs, it copies only the actually used blocks rather than the full capacity, thereby preserving thin provisioning advantages while maintaining ease of implementation through automated detection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the migrating device copies full capacity of source LUN, then all data is ensured to be migrated, but destination LUN must allocate all blocks equal to entire capacity overriding thin provisioning

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata migration completenessVSAvoidthin provisioning compatibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the migrating device receives information about the destination LUN's thin provisioning status and adjusts its copying behavior accordingly. This feedback loop ensures that the migration process maintains both data completeness and thin provisioning compatibility by dynamically responding to destination characteristics

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of substance

If validation checks are performed to determine thin provisioning status, then thin provisioning benefits are preserved, but migration process complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage space efficiencyVSAvoidmigration process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary validation component that mediates between the migration process and the destination LUN. This intermediary handles the complexity of thin provisioning validation and adaptation, shielding the core migration logic from complexity while preserving storage space efficiency through automated thin provisioning detection and adaptation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS8510527B1System and methods for migrating information from source storage to destination storage

Publication Date: 2013.08.13 MARVELL ASIA PTE LTD

AI summary

Method and system for migrating information from a source storage device to a destination storage device via a router is provided. The method includes selecting the source storage device for migrating information from; selecting a destination storage device and concluding upon validation that the destination storage device is configured to operate as a thin provisioned storage device for storing information; and reading information from the source storage device and if the read information is zero, then reading a corresponding segment of the destination storage device and if non-zero information is read from the corresponding segment, then setting an indicator for indicating that the destination storage device is not configured as the thin provisioned storage device.