Storage System Component Grouping and Preference Inheritance
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Solution Overview
Problem
In large-scale data storage systems, manually configuring new storage system components is cumbersome and time-consuming, especially when thousands of components need to be added or reconfigured, as each must be individually associated with other components and configured within the network.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for automatically grouping and configuring storage system components by selecting and associating them into logical groups based on characteristics or templates, allowing inherited storage preferences and policies, thereby simplifying the addition of new components and reducing administrative effort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual configuration is used for each storage system component, then individual component control is precise, but the time and labor required increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining storage preferences, policies, and component groupings before components are added to the network. When a new component is added, the system automatically retrieves and applies the pre-configured settings from the database, eliminating the need for manual configuration at the time of addition.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service configuration where new storage components automatically receive appropriate settings based on their characteristics. The component addition process triggers automatic database queries and configuration application without requiring administrator intervention for each individual component setup.
2Manufacturing precision
If individual configuration is performed for each component, then configuration precision is maintained, but administrative complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments configuration management by separating component characteristics from configuration settings. Component characteristics (type, location, capacity) are stored separately in the database, and configuration preferences are organized as distinct policy templates. This segmentation allows automated matching of characteristics to appropriate configurations without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a database as an intermediary between component addition and configuration application. The database stores both component characteristics and configuration preferences, and automatically mediates the matching process by querying for appropriate configurations based on added component properties, thereby reducing administrative complexity while maintaining precision.
3Productivity
If automatic grouping is implemented, then configuration speed increases, but system control flexibility may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic configuration where the grouping and policy assignment are not fixed but adapt to component characteristics. The database queries and matching processes dynamically select appropriate configurations based on the specific properties of added components, allowing the system to maintain flexibility while achieving automated high-speed configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are provided for associating a storage system component, e.g. a server, client, machine, sub-client, or other storage system component, with one or more other storage system components into a group. Storage preferences are defined for the group which are automatically associated with each component in the group. The storage preferences define how storage operations are to be performed on the storage system components.