Storage Data Migration Metadata Transfer Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data migration techniques fail to properly transfer I/O state information, leading to operational issues in systems that rely on metadata for proper operation, especially during non-disruptive data migration between servers and storage arrays.
Innovation Solution
A system that creates new paths on the target storage device, transfers metadata from the source to the target, and sets both devices to specific states to manage I/O operations, including exporting metadata to a platform-independent format and importing it on the target device, ensuring seamless data migration with associated metadata.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If data migration is performed without properly transferring metadata, then migration speed is improved, but system reliability deteriorates due to operational issues
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates new paths to the target storage device and transfers metadata before actually switching I/O operations. This preliminary preparation ensures that when the switch occurs, all necessary metadata is already in place, maintaining both speed and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary state mechanism where I/O operations are temporarily redirected during migration. This intermediary approach allows seamless transition between source and target storage devices, ensuring continuous operation while transferring complete metadata.
2Ease of operation
If I/O operations are immediately accepted on target storage device, then ease of operation is improved, but data integrity deteriorates due to incomplete metadata transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary metadata transfer to the target storage device before accepting I/O operations. This ensures that all necessary information is in place beforehand, allowing immediate and safe acceptance of I/O operations without data loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism that monitors metadata transfer completion status. This feedback loop ensures that I/O operations are only accepted on the target device after metadata transfer is verified complete, maintaining both ease of operation and data integrity.
3Productivity
If metadata is transferred in platform-specific format, then transfer efficiency is improved, but adaptability deteriorates when migrating to different storage platforms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a platform-independent metadata format as an intermediary layer between source and target storage devices. This intermediary format allows efficient transfer from one platform while maintaining compatibility with different target platforms, resolving the contradiction between efficiency and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the metadata format parameter to be platform-independent during transfer. This parameter change allows the metadata to maintain its structural integrity and efficiency while adapting to different storage platform requirements, enabling versatile cross-platform migration.
Data Source
AI summary
Migrating data from a source storage device to a target storage device includes creating new paths to the target storage device, setting the target storage device to a state where I/O operations are initially accepted, where accepted I/O operations are rejected some time after acceptance, setting the source storage device to a state where at least some I/O operations are rejected, transferring metadata corresponding to the source storage device to the target storage device, where state information is transferred from the source storage device to the target storage device and setting the target storage device to a state where I/O operations are accepted and performed. Migrating data from a source storage device to a target storage device may also include creating new volumes on the target storage device and transferring data from the source storage device to the target storage device.