Sparse Block Removal for Cloud Storage Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing demand for data storage in cloud computing services necessitates a more efficient and space-saving technique due to the direct proportional relationship between storage costs and data volume, particularly in remote data storage services.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that perform sparse operations on data files to identify and remove unused blocks, optimize file storage by creating and managing data files using a main block and secondary blocks with metadata, and efficiently manage storage space by locking, renaming, and deleting files, while writing additional data and handling overflow by creating new blocks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If data is stored in cloud computing services, then data storage capacity is increased, but storage costs increase proportionally with data volume
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes unused or sparse blocks from data files before storing them in cloud storage. By identifying regions that contain no actual data and eliminating them, the system reduces the total storage capacity required, thereby lowering storage costs while maintaining the same effective data storage capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of block utilization by removing entirely unused blocks from data files. This parameter change transforms the storage efficiency by ensuring that only blocks containing actual data are stored, rather than storing blocks with partial or no data, thus optimizing the ratio of useful data to total storage volume
2Quantity of substance
If sparse operations are performed to remove unused blocks, then storage space is optimized, but file structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data files into fixed-size blocks and manages them individually. By dividing the file into discrete blocks and tracking their status (used or unused), the system can efficiently identify and remove sparse blocks without having to manage the entire file as a single complex structure, thus optimizing storage while keeping management tractable
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces metadata as an intermediary structure that tracks the status and location of blocks within data files. This metadata layer simplifies the management of file structure by providing a straightforward mechanism to identify unused blocks for removal, thereby optimizing storage space without significantly increasing operational complexity
3Volume of stationary object
If blocks are removed from data files, then physical storage volume is reduced, but data integrity management becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates and maintains a metadata copy that records the status and location of all blocks in data files. This metadata copy serves as a reference for data integrity verification, allowing the system to manage removed blocks reliably by consulting the metadata rather than physically tracking each block's status, thus reducing physical storage while maintaining data integrity
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method is disclosed for using data blocks to optimize file storage in electronic data storage. An example method includes storing a data file in electronic memory, where the data file includes a main block and a plurality of secondary blocks, with the main block including metadata that indicates respective locations of the secondary blocks relative to the main block. The method further includes performing a sparse operation of a data file to determine regions of the data file that contains unused space, determining blocks that are overlapped by the regions of the data file that contains unused space, removing the overlapped blocks, and storing the updated data file in an electronic database.