Concurrent Snapshot Deletion via Aggregate Markers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data storage systems face challenges in efficiently deleting multiple snapshot copies of files, leading to increased time consumption and resource usage due to the inability to aggregate deletion requests effectively, resulting in poor I/O performance and inefficient storage resource utilization.
Innovation Solution
The technique involves creating a delete group for selected snapshots, using a delete marker to track progress, and deleting each snapshot concurrently, starting from the last block, to optimize file truncate and delete operations, thereby reducing the number of I/O operations and metadata transactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple snapshot copies are deleted sequentially using existing methods, then each deletion request is processed individually, but the total deletion time and resource consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual deletion requests into a single aggregate deletion operation. When multiple snapshots are identified for deletion, the system combines them into one deletion task that processes all snapshots concurrently, rather than handling each snapshot separately. This merging approach reduces the total number of I/O operations and metadata transactions, directly improving deletion efficiency while reducing time consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary identification and aggregation of snapshots to be deleted before the actual deletion process begins. By pre-grouping snapshots that need deletion and creating a unified deletion plan, the system prepares the deletion operations in advance, allowing for optimized concurrent execution and reducing overall deletion time.
2Productivity
If deletion operations are performed on multiple snapshots simultaneously, then deletion speed improves, but system resource usage and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary aggregation mechanism that manages multiple deletion requests. This intermediary layer combines individual deletion requests into a unified operation, coordinating the concurrent deletion of multiple snapshots while managing system resources efficiently. The intermediary structure simplifies the overall process by providing a single point of control for aggregate deletion operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The deletion process is segmented into distinct phases: identification of snapshots to be deleted, aggregation into deletion groups, and concurrent execution of deletion operations. This segmentation allows the system to manage complexity by breaking down the overall deletion task into manageable segments that can be processed independently and concurrently.
3Ease of operation
If individual deletion requests are processed separately, then resource allocation is simple, but I/O performance and storage resource utilization are inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual deletion operations into a single aggregate I/O operation. By combining the deletion of multiple snapshots into one coordinated process, the system reduces the total number of I/O requests and metadata transactions, improving I/O performance and storage resource utilization while maintaining manageable resource allocation through the aggregation mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is used in managing deletion of replicas of files. A request is received to delete a replica of a file of a file system. The replica of the file represents a state of the file at a particular prior point in time. The replica is associated with a group including a set of replicas of the file system identified for deletion. Each replica is deleted in the group concurrently by using a delete marker. The delete marker is used for tracking deletion of each replica in the group.