Active-Active Storage Manager Mapping Update Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage area networks (SAN) face challenges in maintaining high performance and reliability with active-active storage managers, as prior techniques result in significant overhead and performance degradation due to I/O shipping among storage managers, and require expensive complex hardware for shared memory implementations.
Innovation Solution
The method involves determining whether a writing request to a virtual storage volume requires updating the mapping, and if not, simply writing the data based on the existing mapping, while sending an updating request to another storage manager if the mapping needs to be updated, thereby reducing the amount of information exchanged among storage managers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If I/O shipping technique is used to allow active-active storage managers, then storage managers can provide service to computer servers, but significant overhead and performance degradation occur due to shipping entire data among storage managers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the mapping information from the entire data stream. Instead of shipping complete data blocks between storage managers, the system extracts and transmits only the mapping updates (metadata) that describe where data is stored. This selective extraction dramatically reduces the volume of information transferred while maintaining active-active functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces mapping information as an intermediary between data and storage systems. Storage managers maintain mapping tables that translate virtual storage addresses to physical storage locations. This intermediary layer allows storage managers to operate independently without needing to ship entire data blocks, as the mapping serves as the communication protocol for coordinate data access.
2Adaptability or versatility
If shared memory is used to support active-active mode, then multiple storage managers can update mapping simultaneously, but expensive complex hardware is required and storage managers must be located in close proximity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/shared physical memory system with a software-based mapping table approach. Instead of requiring physical shared memory hardware that demands close proximity and expensive components, the system uses software-managed mapping tables stored in local memory. Storage managers communicate mapping updates through standard network protocols, eliminating the need for complex shared memory hardware.
3Ease of operation
If non-preferred storage manager receives data to be written, then data can be written to virtual storage volume, but the non-preferred storage manager must ship entire data to preferred storage manager resulting in performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts mapping information from the data writing operation. When a storage manager receives a write request, it extracts only the mapping update information and transmits this lightweight metadata to the preferred storage manager, rather than shipping the entire data block. This allows the non-preferred storage manager to maintain local copies of data while coordinating mappings efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by transferring only the necessary mapping information rather than the complete data. The system transfers just enough information (mapping updates) to enable proper data placement, avoiding the excessive action of shipping entire data blocks. This partial transfer approach maintains functionality while dramatically improving performance.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods and apparatuses are provided for active-active support of virtual storage management in a storage area network ("SAN"). When a storage manager (that manages virtual storage volumes) of the SAN receives data to be written to a virtual storage volume from a computer server, the storage manager determines whether the writing request may result in updating a mapping of the virtual storage volume to a storage system. When the writing request does not involve updating the mapping, which happens most of the time, the storage manager simply writes the data to the storage system based on the existing mapping. Otherwise, the storage manager sends an updating request to another storage manager for updating a mapping of the virtual storage volume to a storage volume. Subsequently, the storage manager writes the data to the corresponding storage system based on the mapping that has been updated by the another storage manager.