Storage System File Deletion via Indirect Block Merging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for deleting snapshot copies of files in storage systems are inefficient, requiring extensive resource consumption and time due to the need to traverse entire file system hierarchies and create numerous metadata transactions, especially when dealing with large files or multiple replicas.
Innovation Solution
The method involves identifying sibling indirect blocks that share data blocks with replicas to be deleted, merging their distributed reference counts into a merged weight value, updating metadata, and processing these blocks concurrently for deletion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional methods are used to delete snapshot copies of files, then data integrity is maintained, but extensive resource consumption and long operation time occur due to traversing entire file system hierarchies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the deletion operation by identifying and processing only the specific indirect blocks that need to be deleted, rather than traversing the entire file system hierarchy. This is achieved by receiving a deletion request that specifies particular snapshot copies, identifying the indirect blocks associated with those snapshots, and processing only those blocks for deletion while maintaining data integrity through proper reference count management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by merging distributed reference counts into a consolidated weight value before executing the deletion operation. This preliminary consolidation of reference count information allows the system to efficiently determine which indirect blocks can be safely deleted without traversing the complete file system hierarchy, thereby improving deletion efficiency while preserving data integrity.
2Measurement precision
If distributed reference counts are processed individually for each indirect block, then accurate weight tracking is maintained, but memory utilization decreases and operation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges distributed reference counts from multiple indirect blocks into a single consolidated weight value. Instead of processing each indirect block's reference count separately, the system combines them into one aggregated weight that represents the total reference count for all shared data blocks. This merging approach maintains measurement precision while significantly reducing the time required for deletion operations.
3Reliability
If entire file system hierarchies are traversed to ensure proper deletion, then data integrity is preserved, but I/O operations increase and performance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the file system traversal by directly identifying the specific indirect blocks that need to be deleted based on the deletion request, rather than traversing the entire file system hierarchy. This selective approach maintains file system consistency by properly managing reference counts for the relevant blocks while avoiding unnecessary I/O operations on unrelated parts of the file system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary identification and consolidation of the indirect blocks requiring deletion before executing the actual deletion process. By pre-processing the reference count information and determining the exact scope of blocks to be deleted, the system preserves file system consistency without requiring extensive traversal of the entire hierarchy, thereby improving overall system performance.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is used in managing file deletions in storage systems. A request to delete a set of replicas of a file of a file system is received. A replica of the file represents a state of the file at a particular prior point in time. A sibling indirect block associated with a portion of the file identified for deletion is identified. The sibling indirect block includes a set of file system blocks. A set of indirect blocks associated with replicas of the file is identified. The sibling indirect block and the set of indirect blocks share a subset of the set of file system blocks where the set of indirect blocks have been identified for deletion. Weight information associated with the subset of the set of file system blocks shared among the set of indirect blocks that have been pending deletion is merged. The set of indirect blocks are processed for deletion concurrently. Metadata of the sibling indirect block is updated with the merged weight information.