Storage Sub-System Pacing and Dynamic Capacity Reallocation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Data communication systems face congestion and performance degradation due to inefficient management of content transfer requests across storage devices, particularly when some storage devices malfunction or have varying performance levels, leading to wasted resources and sub-optimal use of storage sub-system capacity.
Innovation Solution
The system employs processing circuitry to manage content transfer requests by pacing their commencement based on available spare data capacity and device performance, identifying malfunctioning devices, and reallocating resources. It uses counters to track device performance and dynamically updates weights for storage devices to prioritize higher performing devices, ensuring optimal resource utilization and handling of pending requests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If storage devices are assigned fixed data capacity without dynamic reallocation, then device stability is improved, but system productivity deteriorates when devices malfunction or have varying performance levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic reallocation of data capacity among storage devices based on their current operational status and performance. The system continuously monitors device health and adjusts capacity assignment in real-time, transitioning from static to dynamic resource management to optimize system throughput while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of storage devices by adjusting their assigned data capacity based on performance metrics and health status. When devices malfunction or show varying performance, their capacity parameters are dynamically modified through reallocation algorithms, allowing the system to adapt to changing conditions and maintain optimal productivity.
2Speed
If all content transfer requests are served simultaneously without pacing, then system responsiveness is improved, but resource utilization deteriorates leading to congestion and performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements pacing mechanisms that periodically control the serving of content transfer requests based on available spare data capacity. Instead of simultaneous processing, requests are served in controlled intervals that match system capacity, preventing congestion while maintaining responsive performance through rhythmically regulated resource allocation.
3Ease of operation
If data capacity is not reallocated from malfunctioning devices, then device assignment simplicity is improved, but system performance deteriorates due to wasted resources
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs feedback mechanisms that monitor storage device performance and health status, then use this information to automatically reallocate data capacity from malfunctioning or underperforming devices. This closed-loop control maintains ease of operation through automated decision-making while preventing performance degradation by removing failed devices from active service and redistributing their capacity.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
A data communication apparatus includes a storage sub-system (26) to be connected to storage devices (18), and processing circuitry (24) to manage transfer of content with the storage devices over the storage sub-system responsively to content transfer requests, while pacing commencement of serving of respective ones of the content transfer requests responsively to availability of spare data capacity (34) of the storage sub-system, find a malfunctioning storage device currently assigned a given data capacity of the storage sub-system and currently assigned to serve at least one content transfer request, and reallocate the given data capacity of the storage sub-system currently assigned to the malfunctioning storage device for use by at least another one of the storage devices while the at least one content transfer request assigned to be served by the malfunctioning storage device is still awaiting completion by the malfunctioning storage device.