Application-Aware Single Instance Data Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data management systems face inefficiencies in storing and restoring data due to redundant information, leading to large secondary copies that require significant storage resources and increase recovery time, especially in corporate environments where quick data recovery is critical.
Innovation Solution
A single instancing system that identifies and stores only a single instance of each data object, even within large monolithic files, by parsing proprietary data formats and retaining differing metadata, allowing for efficient data storage and recovery across multiple locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional backup systems create secondary copies of all data files, then data protection is ensured, but storage space requirements increase significantly and recovery time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data at the block level rather than treating files as monolithic units. By dividing data into blocks and identifying duplicates at this granular level, the system can retain only unique blocks while preserving file integrity through block-level references, thereby reducing storage space while maintaining protection capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges duplicate data blocks into a single stored instance and uses references to point to the same block from multiple file locations. This combining approach eliminates redundancy across files while preserving the logical structure and access patterns needed for data recovery
2Reliability
If traditional backup systems create secondary copies of all data files, then data protection is ensured, but recovery time increases due to large data volumes
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting data into blocks and maintaining an index of unique blocks with their locations and references, the system can rapidly locate and restore only the necessary blocks during recovery operations rather than transferring entire files, significantly reducing recovery time
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary identification and indexing of unique data blocks during the backup process, preparing a map of data locations and references. This preliminary action enables fast recovery operations by eliminating the need to search through large data volumes during actual recovery events
3Device complexity
If data is stored as monolithic files without application awareness, then system simplicity is maintained, but data management efficiency decreases and redundant data cannot be eliminated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data management operations from traditional file-level operations to block-level operations. By maintaining an index that maps blocks to application contexts and file locations, the system achieves application-aware data management while preserving the simplicity of the underlying storage mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary index structure that mediates between application data and storage blocks. This index layer provides application awareness and enables intelligent data management without requiring changes to the core storage system or application software
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for reducing storage requirements and speeding up storage operations by reducing the storage of redundant data includes receiving a request that identifies one or more files or data objects to which to apply a storage operation. For each file or data object, the storage system determines if the file or data object contains data that matches another file or data object to which the storage operation was previously applied, based on awareness of the application that created the data object. If the data objects do not match, then the storage system performs the storage operation in a usual manner. However, if the data objects do match, then the storage system may avoid performing the storage operation with respect to the particular file or data object.