Storage Command Signature Analysis for Fault Prevention

Solution Overview

Problem

In large computing environments, certain commands involving storage systems can take a long time to complete, and if a fault occurs, significant time is wasted waiting for the operation to finish, detecting the fault, and recovering from it, due to the complexity and duration of operations like data migration, which can take hours or days, and operators may not take recommended actions to prevent faults despite being informed.

Innovation Solution

A system that receives commands for storage system operations, compares attributes associated with the command to predefined signatures based on storage volume characteristics and system configurations, indicating potential faults and allowing for remediation actions to prevent or mitigate these faults.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If operators are informed of potential faults through traditional monitoring, then fault detection capability is improved, but operators do not take recommended actions and significant time is wasted waiting for operations to complete

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefault detection capabilityVSAvoidtime wasted waiting for operation completion

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of command attributes against stored signatures before the command is executed. This advance checking identifies potential faults and allows operators to take remediation actions before the lengthy operation begins, rather than waiting hours or days for completion and then detecting the fault.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary command checking engine that acts as a mediator between the operator's command and the storage system execution. This engine analyzes command attributes, compares them against signatures of known fault conditions, and provides fault indications to operators, enabling informed decision-making before operation completion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If traditional fault monitoring is used, then fault detection is improved, but significant time is wasted due to operation duration and recovery complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefault monitoring capabilityVSAvoidrecovery complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of command attributes against stored signatures before the command is executed. This advance checking identifies potential faults and allows operators to take remediation actions before the lengthy operation begins, rather than waiting hours or days for completion and then detecting the fault.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides feedback to operators about potential faults by comparing command attributes against stored signatures. This feedback loop enables operators to understand the risk and take appropriate remediation actions, reducing recovery complexity by preventing faults before they occur during lengthy operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If command execution is allowed without pre-checking, then operational speed is improved, but fault risk increases for lengthy operations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational speedVSAvoidfault risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of command attributes against stored signatures before the command is executed. This advance checking identifies potential faults and allows operators to take remediation actions before the lengthy operation begins, rather than waiting hours or days for completion and then detecting the fault.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies preliminary anti-action by identifying potential faults through signature comparison before the command executes. By detecting problematic command attribute combinations in advance, the system prevents faults from occurring during the operation, rather than reacting after the fact.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Data Source

PatentUS11436073B2Fault indications for storage system commands

Publication Date: 2022.09.06 HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE DEV LP

AI summary

In some examples, a system receives a command for an operation involving a storage system, compares attributes associated with the command to a signature, the signature based on a storage volume characteristic and a configuration of the storage system, and responsive to the comparison of the attributes associated with the command to the signature, indicates a potential fault associated with the operation indicated by the command.