Storage Server Collaborative Resource Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
In network-based storage systems, managing service-level objectives across multiple infrastructure layers is challenging due to independent management tools that can lead to resource wastage and conflicts, as they may attempt to migrate data to the same congested resource, failing to meet performance and reliability goals.
Innovation Solution
A storage server implements collaborative management by receiving notifications of service violations from resource managers, estimating and comparing the costs of corrective actions, and selecting the most efficient action to mitigate violations, ensuring that only the necessary resources are used and conflicts are avoided.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple independent management tools are used to manage service-level objectives across different infrastructure layers, then each tool can independently address service violations, but resource wastage increases and conflicts occur as tools may migrate data to the same congested resources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized service level objective manager as an intermediary that receives service level objective data from multiple infrastructure layers (storage, network, hypervisor) and coordinates corrective actions across them. This mediator prevents independent tools from conflicting by centralizing the decision-making process for data migration and resource allocation, ensuring that corrective actions are coordinated rather than duplicative.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple independent management tools into a unified service level objective management system. Instead of having separate tools operating independently at different infrastructure layers, the system combines their functions into a single coordinated framework that manages service-level objectives across all layers simultaneously, eliminating redundant operations and resource wastage.
2Productivity
If multiple independent management tools operate autonomously to address service violations, then responsive action can be taken, but the tools may counteract each other's efforts or cause errors and unavailability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the service level objective manager continuously monitors service-level objective compliance across infrastructure layers and adjusts corrective actions based on the current state. When a service violation is detected, the manager coordinates corrective actions and tracks their effectiveness, preventing counterproductive actions by using real-time feedback from the system state to guide subsequent decisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized service level objective manager acts as an intermediary that receives data from multiple infrastructure layers and coordinates corrective actions, preventing independent tools from counteracting each other. This mediator ensures that actions taken at one layer are aware of and coordinated with actions at other layers, maintaining system stability while responding quickly to violations.
3Reliability
If independent tools perform data migration to address service-level objective violations, then corrective action can be taken, but more time and effort are expended compared to a single coordinated tool
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple independent data migration operations into a single coordinated migration process managed by the service level objective manager. Instead of having multiple tools independently migrate data (potentially to the same destination), the unified manager consolidates migration efforts, selecting optimal destinations and coordinating transfers to reduce total migration time and effort while ensuring service-level objectives are met.
Data Source
AI summary
Collaborative management of shared resources is implemented by a storage server receiving, from a first resource manager, notification of a violation for a service provided by the storage server or device coupled to the storage server. The storage server further receives, from each of a plurality of resource managers, an estimated cost of taking a corrective action to mitigate the violation and selects a corrective action proposed by one of the plurality of resource managers based upon the estimated cost. The storage server directs the resource manager that proposed the selected corrective action to perform the selected corrective action.