Storage Deduplication with Service Level Agreements

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Solution Overview

Problem

Storage systems face a trade-off between deduplication, which reduces storage space but can lead to fragmentation and decreased readback throughput, making it challenging to balance storage savings with maintaining efficient data access.

Innovation Solution

The method involves analyzing storage system characteristics and service level objectives to perform deduplication and defragmentation, using a deduplication engine to identify and manage data segments, and optimizing data arrangement for contiguous storage to balance storage efficiency with readback throughput.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If deduplication is performed to reduce storage space requirements, then storage efficiency is improved, but data fragmentation increases and readback throughput decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage space requirementsVSAvoidreadback throughput

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary defragmentation operations before deduplication to arrange data segments in contiguous order, and conducts subsequent defragmentation after deduplication to restore contiguity. This preliminary and follow-up action ensures that data is properly organized before and after the deduplication process, preventing severe fragmentation that would harm readback throughput.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the deduplication process based on service level objectives and storage system characteristics. The deduplication engine monitors data segment references and contiguity, and adaptively performs defragmentation operations to maintain optimal balance between storage efficiency and readback performance under varying workload conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Quantity of substance

If aggressive deduplication is applied to maximize storage savings, then storage efficiency increases, but service level objectives for data access performance may not be met

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage efficiencyVSAvoidservice level objective compliance

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that monitor service level objective compliance and storage system characteristics. The deduplication engine uses this feedback to adjust deduplication aggressiveness and trigger defragmentation operations when needed, ensuring that service level objectives are maintained while still achieving storage efficiency improvements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes operational parameters such as the threshold for performing defragmentation and the aggressiveness of deduplication based on storage system characteristics and service level objectives. By dynamically adjusting these parameters, the system optimizes the balance between storage savings and performance compliance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11531641B2Storage system deduplication with service level agreements

Publication Date: 2022.12.20 QUEST SOFTWARE INC

AI summary

Mechanisms are provided for adjusting a configuration of data stored in a storage system. According to various embodiments, a storage module may be configured to store a configuration of data. A processor may be configured to identify an estimated performance level for the storage system based on a configuration of data stored on the storage system. The processor may also be configured to transmit an instruction to adjust the configuration of data on the storage system to meet the service level objective when the estimated performance level fails to meet a service level objective for the storage system.