Storage Control Module Pair Allocation for Redundancy and Speed
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing distributed storage systems face challenges in maintaining data protection while preventing deterioration in response performance, particularly in ensuring redundancy for controllers and data within the system.
Innovation Solution
A storage system with a capacity control module and storage control modules arranged in pairs, where one module is active and the other is standby, with preferential allocation of physical storage areas near the active module's location for efficient data access and redundancy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundancy is performed by allocating physical storage areas from different storage nodes, then data protection is improved, but response performance deteriorates due to increased access distance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the allocation strategy based on the role of storage control modules. For active modules, physical storage areas are allocated from the same storage node to optimize access speed, while for standby modules, allocation from different storage nodes ensures data protection. This localized differentiation resolves the contradiction by applying different allocation qualities to different modules based on their functional state.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-establishing standby storage control modules with their designated physical storage areas before failures occur. When an active module fails, the standby module is already in place and can immediately take over, eliminating the need for real-time allocation decisions during failure scenarios and maintaining both performance and protection.
2Speed
If physical storage areas are allocated from the same storage node for both active and standby modules, then response performance is improved, but data protection is weakened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the allocation source flexible rather than fixed. The system dynamically determines whether to allocate from the same or different storage nodes based on the module's operational state (active or standby) and the specific failure scenario. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt between performance optimization and protection enhancement as conditions change.
3Reliability
If standby storage control modules are configured to access physical storage areas remotely, then data protection is improved, but access time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring standby storage control modules with their designated physical storage areas during system initialization or failover preparation phases. This allows the standby modules to have their access paths pre-established, minimizing the time penalty when they need to take over from active modules during actual failure scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
A capacity control module which manages a physical storage area provided by each of storage devices in a cluster by dividing the physical storage area into a physical storage area having a predetermined size, in a plurality of storage nodes configuring a storage system, and, a storage control module which receives an I/O request from a higher-level device are provided, two storage control modules, which are arranged in different storage nodes and configure a redundancy configuration, are managed as a storage control module pair, the capacity control module preferentially allocates each of the physical storage areas in the vicinity of an arrangement destination of each of the storage control modules configuring the storage control module pair, to the storage control module pair, and storage data is read from or is written on the physical storage area, according to a command applied from the storage control module.