Secondary Storage Server Read Access to Primary Pool
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network-based storage systems face performance bottlenecks due to the limited processing power of storage servers, and existing solutions like distributed data storage and cluster-failover configurations are hindered by complex data locking mechanisms and reduced performance.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where a secondary storage server provides read access to a pool of mass storage devices owned by a primary storage server, even during normal operation, allowing efficient utilization of storage device bandwidth and reducing processing overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple storage servers are connected to a mass storage subsystem to improve throughput, then system throughput is improved, but complex data locking mechanisms are required which increase processing overhead and reduce overall performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the data locking mechanism from the storage access protocol by introducing a storage server ownership model. The primary storage server owns the storage devices and handles all data locking internally, while secondary storage servers can access the same devices without requiring complex locking mechanisms between multiple servers. This removes the need for inter-server data locking while enabling improved throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The primary storage server acts as an intermediary that mediates access to storage devices for both itself and secondary storage servers. It manages the ownership and access rights, allowing secondary servers to read from or write to storage devices without direct coordination or locking mechanisms between servers. This intermediary approach simplifies the system while enabling multi-server throughput.
2Reliability
If a secondary storage server is connected to provide failover capability, then system reliability is improved, but the secondary storage server does not have access to disks under normal circumstances, reducing resource utilization
Solution Approach 1:
The secondary storage server is designed with multi-functionality: it can serve as a backup for failover when the primary storage server fails, and simultaneously act as an active storage server that provides storage services to clients during normal operation. This is achieved by allowing the secondary server to access and operate on storage devices owned by the primary server without requiring exclusive access or complex locking mechanisms, thereby improving both reliability and resource utilization.
3Productivity
If storage server processing power is increased to handle higher throughput rates, then system throughput is improved, but the storage subsystem's capability to deliver data exceeds the server's processing capacity, creating a bottleneck
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the storage server functions by introducing multiple independent storage servers that can access the same storage subsystem. Instead of increasing the processing capacity of a single storage server, the system distributes storage services across multiple servers. Each server handles its own client requests independently, and the storage subsystem can service multiple servers simultaneously, thereby increasing overall throughput without requiring any single server to have excessive processing capacity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for efficiently accessing a pool of mass storage devices are described. In one embodiment of the invention, a primary storage server and a secondary storage server share a pool of mass storage devices. The secondary storage server is configured to provide read-only access to the storage pool of mass storage devices, while the primary storage server is configured to provide read and write access to the pool of mass storage devices.