Multi-tenant Storage Lifecycle Manager for Data Accessibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional application storage models limit data accessibility and reliability, particularly in multi-user environments, as they often restrict access across different systems and platforms, and fail to efficiently manage data redundancy and cross-platform compatibility.
Innovation Solution
A multi-tenant network-accessible storage service with a lifecycle manager that enables clients to define policies for storage objects, transitioning them between service levels to optimize durability, availability, and cost based on usage patterns, using techniques like erasure coding and delayed-access storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If application data is stored on local hard drive of a particular computer system, then data storage is simple and direct, but data accessibility to other systems is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a network storage system as an intermediary between applications and physical storage devices. This network storage system manages data storage, replication, and accessibility across multiple systems, allowing applications to access data remotely while maintaining simple local storage interfaces. The network storage system handles the complexity of data management, enabling improved accessibility without increasing application-level complexity.
2Reliability
If one copy of application data is stored on one storage device by default, then storage simplicity is maintained, but data redundancy and reliability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple storage devices into a unified network storage system that manages data replication automatically. Instead of requiring individual applications to manage copies across multiple devices, the system combines storage resources and implements automated replication strategies, achieving data redundancy while simplifying management through centralized control.
Solution Approach 2:
The network storage system implements self-service mechanisms for data replication and redundancy management. The system automatically monitors data integrity, creates necessary copies, and manages storage allocation without requiring user intervention or complex configuration, thereby achieving reliable redundancy with minimal management overhead.
3Adaptability or versatility
If different operating systems store data in different incompatible formats, then each system optimizes for its own requirements, but cross-platform data accessibility is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal network storage interface that works across different operating systems and platforms. The network storage system provides standardized data access protocols and formats, allowing applications on any platform to access stored data consistently. This universal interface layer handles format conversion and compatibility issues, enabling cross-platform accessibility without requiring each system to adapt to others' formats.
4Speed
If storage resources are allocated to ensure highest access performance for all storage objects, then access speed is maximized, but storage costs become prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality optimization by providing different storage performance levels for different data based on access patterns and importance. Frequently accessed or critical data is stored on high-performance storage resources, while less frequently accessed data is stored on lower-cost resources. This differentiated approach optimizes access speed for critical data while reducing overall storage resource consumption and costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes storage parameters such as replication factor, cache allocation, and storage media type based on data characteristics and access patterns. This allows the system to adapt storage resource allocation to actual needs, providing high performance when necessary while reducing resource consumption for less demanding workloads, thereby optimizing the balance between speed and cost.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for lifecycle support for storage objects are disclosed. A storage medium stores program instructions that when executed on a processor implement a storage lifecycle manager of a multi-tenant storage service. The lifecycle manager determines a lifecycle policy to be implemented for a storage object. The policy indicates lifecycle transitions of the object, including a transition from a first service level to a second service level. The lifecycle manager initiates modification operations corresponding to the storage object's data in accordance with the lifecycle policy, and verifies that the modification operations succeeded. The lifecycle manager provides, in response to a query, an indication of a current service level of the storage object.