Storage Apparatus Save Control Section for Remote Copy Data Order
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional storage systems with remote copy functions face delays and buffer exhaustion due to heavy update loads or network abnormalities, leading to potential data loss and system instability during disaster recovery, as they lack guaranteed order in data transfer and management.
Innovation Solution
A storage apparatus with a save control section that performs continuous writeback and staging operations, accessing data in consecutive storage areas to maintain order and efficiency, and utilizing a data group storage section to manage and distribute data groups effectively, ensuring consistent remote copy operations even under heavy loads or network issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If data is transferred to remote storage apparatus without guaranteed order, then transfer speed is improved, but data consistency and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-dividing the buffer into multiple storage areas corresponding to different generations of data before actual data transfer occurs. This pre-organization allows data to be transferred in predetermined order without requiring complex real-time coordination, thus maintaining data consistency while enabling parallel transfer operations that improve speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer is segmented into multiple storage areas, each associated with a specific generation of data. This segmentation allows independent management and transfer of different data generations, enabling ordered transfer of critical data while allowing less critical data to be transferred in parallel, thus resolving the contradiction between transfer speed and data consistency.
2Reliability
If buffer size is increased to handle heavy update loads, then data loss prevention is improved, but device complexity and resource consumption worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer is divided into multiple storage areas, each handling a specific generation of data. This segmentation reduces the management complexity of a large buffer by allowing independent operation of smaller storage areas, while still providing sufficient total capacity to prevent data loss under heavy update loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a generation-based buffer management system where older generations of data are automatically discarded from the buffer after successful transfer, making space for new data. This continuous recovery mechanism allows the buffer to maintain sufficient capacity for reliability without requiring excessively large permanent buffer allocation, thus reducing overall device complexity.
3Reliability
If data transfer order is guaranteed through generation-based buffering, then remote copy reliability is improved, but seek time and transfer efficiency worsen
Solution Approach 1:
Storage areas are pre-configured and mapped to specific data generations before data arrival. This preliminary organization eliminates the need for dynamic seeking when data needs to be transferred in order, as the correct storage area is already known and prepared in advance, thus maintaining reliability without incurring seek time penalties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple data generations into a unified buffer structure with systematic organization. This allows the system to maintain the ordered transfer requirement while reducing overall seek time by consolidating management operations and enabling parallel processing of different generation batches, thus improving transfer efficiency while preserving reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A save control section included in a storage apparatus continuously performs writeback by which a data group is read out from a plurality of storage sections of the storage apparatus and by which the data group is saved in a data group storage section of the storage apparatus, or staging by which a data group saved in the data group storage section is distributed and stored in the plurality of storage sections according to storage areas of the data group storage section which store a plurality of data groups. An output section of the storage apparatus outputs in block a data group including the data stored in each of the plurality of storage sections. The data group storage section has the storage areas for storing a data group.