Snapshot Compliance Determination Using Time Windows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data storage systems face challenges in determining snapshot compliance with policies that specify snapshot creation intervals, retention times, and maximum snapshot numbers, leading to difficulties in ensuring regulatory and operational requirements are met.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced to assess snapshot compliance by receiving policy information for a storage group, determining a timeline of expected snapshot runtimes, analyzing snapshot information, and calculating a compliance level based on the number of valid snapshots and predefined thresholds, which includes a time window for allowable variation in snapshot timestamps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If snapshot compliance is determined by strictly checking whether snapshots are taken at exact expected policy runtimes, then measurement precision is improved, but the system becomes overly sensitive to timing variations and may incorrectly flag compliant snapshots as non-compliant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter from exact timing matching to time window-based matching. Instead of checking if a snapshot timestamp exactly equals the expected policy runtime, the system defines a time window around the expected runtime and checks if the snapshot timestamp falls within this window. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by maintaining measurement precision through structured time window definitions while improving reliability by accommodating normal timing variations in snapshot execution.
2Measurement precision
If the system tracks and analyzes every snapshot timestamp against expected policy runtimes, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need to maintain and query timeline data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing the timeline of expected policy runtimes before compliance checking. The system generates the expected runtime schedule in advance based on the snapshot policy configuration, and this pre-computed timeline is then used during compliance determination. This approach improves measurement precision by having accurate expected runtimes ready for comparison, while managing device complexity by performing the computationally intensive timeline generation once rather than repeatedly during compliance checks.
3Reliability
If compliance thresholds are set to require a high percentage of snapshots to meet policy requirements, then data integrity is improved, but the compliance level becomes harder to achieve and may cause operational disruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by allowing compliance to be determined based on a percentage of snapshots meeting the policy requirements, rather than requiring every single snapshot to be perfect. The system can configure threshold percentages (e.g., 95% compliance) that balance data integrity requirements with operational reality. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining adequate data protection through high but not absolute compliance thresholds, while allowing normal operational variations without causing disruptions.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for determining snapshot compliance may include receiving policy information for a snapshot policy associated with a storage group of logical devices; receiving snapshot information regarding snapshots taken of the storage group during a time period denoting an amount of time corresponding to the retention time for the storage group; determining, based on the snapshot creation interval of the snapshot policy, a timeline of expected policy runtimes denoting different points in time at which the snapshot policy is scheduled to run to take a snapshot of the storage group; analyzing the snapshot information and the timeline to determine a number of valid snapshots of the storage group; and determining a compliance level for the time period based on the number of valid snapshots of the storage group and at least one compliance threshold.