Storage Provider Mediates Virtual Machine Quota Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage systems in virtual machine environments face challenges in efficiently managing and presenting storage shares across multiple virtual machines, particularly in dynamically allocating and managing storage space while maintaining quota reports and permissions.
Innovation Solution
A hierarchical data structure maintained by a storage provider interfaces with a storage system to manage storage space, allowing for the assignment and modification of storage shares based on storage pools or volume sub-units, and generates quota reports to track actual usage, enabling flexible storage allocation and management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If storage space is presented to virtual machines as virtual hard disk files, then storage accessibility is improved, but storage management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a storage provider as an intermediary component that sits between the storage system and virtual machines. This storage provider maintains a hierarchical data structure and manages storage shares, acting as a mediator that simplifies storage management while maintaining accessibility. The storage provider handles the complexity of managing multiple virtual hard disk files and their corresponding storage shares, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and device complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If storage shares are dynamically allocated to virtual machines, then storage flexibility is improved, but quota tracking accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the storage provider continuously monitors and tracks the actual usage of storage shares by virtual machines. The system generates quota reports that provide feedback on storage consumption, enabling accurate quota tracking even as storage shares are dynamically allocated and modified. This feedback loop ensures that despite the flexibility of dynamic allocation, the system maintains precise knowledge of storage usage for each virtual machine.
3Ease of manufacture
If hierarchical data structure is maintained for storage management, then storage organization is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the storage management system into distinct hierarchical levels: storage pools, storage shares, and virtual machine allocations. This segmentation organizes storage resources into manageable units while maintaining a clear hierarchical structure. By dividing the storage system into these discrete, organized segments, the patent improves storage organization without creating unmanageable system complexity, as each segment can be independently managed and tracked.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for managing storage shares in a virtual environment having a plurality of virtual machines are provided. The system includes a storage system for managing storage space for the storage shares and generating a quota report. The quota report shows an assigned quota for each storage share and actual storage used by each storage share. The assigned quota indicates an amount of designated storage space for each storage share. The system also includes a storage provider for obtaining the quota report from the storage system and filtering the quota report based on storage shares that are managed by the storage provider. The storage provider modifies a quota for a storage share based on a client request and notifies the storage system of the modification.