Storage Slice Reclamation via Historical Block Usage Analysis

Solution Overview

Problem

Current slice-based storage management systems face inefficiencies in provisioning and reclamation, leading to unnecessary allocation and evacuation of storage slices, which consume resources and impact performance due to frequent internal IO operations during snapshot creation and deletion.

Innovation Solution

The method identifies historical block usage in slices for a user to determine which slices to keep or evacuate, predicting required allocations based on past usage patterns to minimize unnecessary slice reclamation and allocation, thereby optimizing resource usage and reducing internal IO overhead.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If slice-based storage management systems perform frequent snapshot creation and deletion, then storage flexibility and adaptability are improved, but resource consumption increases and disk endurance deteriorates due to unnecessary internal IO operations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage flexibilityVSAvoidresource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of historical block usage patterns before executing snapshot operations. By predicting future block usage based on historical data, the system proactively identifies slices that should be preserved, preventing unnecessary evacuation and reclamation operations before they occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors and analyzes historical block usage patterns, using this feedback to optimize snapshot creation and deletion operations. The feedback loop enables the system to learn from past operations and adjust future behavior to minimize unnecessary internal IO while maintaining storage flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Adaptability or versatility

If slice-based storage management systems perform frequent snapshot creation and deletion, then storage adaptability is improved, but customer IO performance deteriorates due to unnecessary internal IO operations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage adaptabilityVSAvoidcustomer IO performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of historical block usage patterns before executing snapshot operations. By predicting future block usage based on historical data, the system proactively identifies slices that should be preserved, preventing unnecessary evacuation and reclamation operations before they occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors and analyzes historical block usage patterns, using this feedback to optimize snapshot creation and deletion operations. The feedback loop enables the system to learn from past operations and adjust future behavior to minimize unnecessary internal IO while maintaining storage flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If slice-based storage management systems evacuate slices during reclamation, then storage space is reclaimed for reallocation, but disk endurance deteriorates due to increased internal IO operations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage reclamation efficiencyVSAvoiddisk endurance

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of historical block usage patterns before executing snapshot operations. By predicting future block usage based on historical data, the system proactively identifies slices that should be preserved, preventing unnecessary evacuation and reclamation operations before they occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system selectively discards only those slices that are confirmed to be unused based on historical analysis, while preserving slices that are likely to be needed. This selective approach recovers storage space more efficiently while minimizing unnecessary disk operations that would harm disk endurance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Data Source

PatentUS11216197B2System and method for smart pool space reclamation

Publication Date: 2022.01.04 EMC IP HLDG CO LLC

AI summary

A method, computer program product, and computer system for identifying, by a computing device, historical block usage in a plurality of slices for a user. At least a portion of the plurality of slices to keep during an evacuation process for the plurality of slices may be determined. At least the portion of the plurality of slices may be excluded from the evacuation process for the plurality of slices based upon, at least in part, the historical block usage in the plurality of slices for the user.