Storage Reclamation via Valid Free Space Indication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional storage approaches face difficulties in efficiently reclaiming unused storage resources, particularly for applications like databases that initialize datafiles with non-zero blocks, leading to resource-intensive and inflexible reclamation processes that can impact application performance.
Innovation Solution
A storage reclamation method that includes a potential reclamation identification process, a reclamation process for eligible storage resources associated with data files, and a valid free space indication process, which marks reclaimed resources with an application fill-on-demand indicator and generates an application-specific valid free space indication, allowing for efficient reclamation and maintenance of data consistency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional reclamation methods are used to reclaim storage resources from application data files, then storage resources can be recovered, but the process is resource-intensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary identification of reclaimable storage resources within application data files before actual reclamation occurs. By pre-identifying free space blocks that can be reclaimed without moving application data, the system prepares the reclamation process in advance, reducing the actual execution time and resource requirements when reclamation is performed.
Solution Approach 2:
The reclamation process is segmented into distinct phases: identification of potential reclamation candidates, validation of reclamation safety, and execution of reclamation. This segmentation allows the system to efficiently manage the complex reclamation process by handling each phase separately, reducing overall resource intensity and time requirements.
2Loss of energy
If conventional reclamation methods are used to reclaim storage resources, then storage can be recovered, but application performance suffers
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary validation process that acts as a mediator between the reclamation operation and the application. This intermediary validates that reclamation operations will not impact application performance before executing reclamation, ensuring that only safe reclamation candidates are processed. This protects application performance while still enabling storage recovery.
3Adaptability or versatility
If thin provisioning with ZPR techniques is deployed, then flexibility in creating large volumes is improved, but reclamation does not work well for applications that initialize datafiles with non-zero blocks
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by treating different blocks within data files differently. Instead of applying a uniform reclamation approach to all blocks, the system identifies and processes only those specific blocks that are safe to reclaim (i.e., blocks containing zeros or uninitialized data). This localized approach enables effective reclamation even when applications initialize datafiles with non-zero blocks, maintaining reclamation effectiveness while preserving storage flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
Storage systems and methods are presented. In one embodiment, a storage reclamation method comprises performing a potential reclamation identification process, wherein the potential reclamation identification process includes determining if there is the potential for reclaiming storage resources; performing a reclamation process, wherein reclamation is performed on storage resources identified by the potential reclamation identification process as being eligible for reclamation, and wherein the storage resources correspond to free space associated with a data file; and performing a valid free space indication process, wherein a valid free space indication process includes forwarding a valid free space indication recognizable to an application as a valid free space indication when the application attempts to direct a read to the storage spaces reclaimed by the reclamation process.