Storage Node Base Image Planes for Power-Failure Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage systems face challenges in maintaining high performance and reliability, particularly in the event of node failures, due to the lack of effective methods for protecting control information and cache data.
Innovation Solution
A storage system with non-volatile storage devices and volatile memory that employs a dual or triple storage area plane method for base image saving, combined with log storage areas, to ensure data redundancy and rapid recovery from power failures by alternately storing base images and logs across multiple storage areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a redundancy configuration is adopted to improve availability and reliability, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The storage device is divided into multiple storage area planes (first storage area plane, second storage area plane, etc.), each capable of independently storing base images and logs. This segmentation allows parallel operation and redundancy without requiring complex centralized management, as each plane functions autonomously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension of storage organization by creating multiple storage area planes rather than simply expanding a single storage area. This dimensional expansion enables simultaneous storage of multiple base images and logs in parallel, improving reliability while maintaining manageable complexity through structured organization.
2Reliability
If base image storage is performed in a single storage area, then the device complexity is low, but the reliability decreases due to inability to recover from power failures
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by continuously storing base images and logs in multiple storage area planes before power failures occur. The storage controller maintains multiple completed base images and associated logs in advance, enabling rapid recovery without requiring complex real-time recovery operations during failure events.
Solution Approach 2:
Each storage area plane is designed with specific local quality - the first plane stores the current base image and log, while the second plane stores the previous base image and log. This local differentiation allows selective recovery based on the specific failure condition, simplifying the overall recovery process while improving reliability.
3Productivity
If multiple base images are stored in different storage area planes, then the reliability is improved for rapid recovery, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The storage controller autonomously manages the multiple storage area planes by automatically selecting which plane to read from during recovery operations. The system self-services the recovery process by detecting failure conditions and autonomously retrieving the appropriate base image and log from the appropriate plane, eliminating the need for complex external intervention or manual configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates copies of base images and logs across multiple storage area planes. The first storage area plane contains a copy of the current base image and log, while the second storage area plane contains a copy of the previous base image and log. This copying mechanism enables rapid recovery by simply reading from the appropriate copy rather than reconstructing data.
4Reliability
If log storage is integrated with base image storage in the same area, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability decreases due to potential data loss during recovery
Solution Approach 1:
The storage device is segmented into distinct functional areas within each storage area plane - a base image storage region and a log storage region. This segmentation ensures that base images and logs are stored separately but within the same plane structure, maintaining data integrity during recovery while avoiding the complexity of completely separate storage systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The log storage area is nested within the same storage area plane as the base image storage area. The log storage area is positioned to store logs corresponding to specific base images, creating a nested structure where logs are organized by association with their respective base images. This nesting enables reliable recovery by ensuring logs and base images are available together in the same plane.
Data Source
AI summary
A storage system includes one or more storage nodes each having a non-volatile storage device, a storage controller, and a volatile memory, in which the storage device includes a plurality of base image storage areas including at least a first base image storage area and a second base image storage area as areas for storing entire predetermined information stored in the memory as a base image, and the storage controller starts processing to store a next base image in the second base image storage area when the base image storage with respect to the first base image storage area is complete, and reads out the storage-completed base image and restores the image to the memory in a case where the predetermined information is lost from the memory.