Storage Version Replication with Separate Retention Policies

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current data replication methods lack the ability to efficiently manage different retention policies between source and target storages, leading to suboptimal version management and storage resource utilization.

Innovation Solution

Implementing separate source and target retention policies to determine when to expire versions at the source storage and replicate them to the target storage, allowing for different numbers of versions to be maintained on each storage based on their respective capacity and needs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the same retention policy is applied to both source and target storage, then version management is simplified, but storage resource utilization is suboptimal

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveversion management complexityVSAvoidstorage resource utilization

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different retention policies to different storage locations (source and target), allowing each storage to have optimized version retention based on its specific capacity and requirements. The source storage can maintain fewer versions while the target storage maintains more versions, optimizing overall storage resource utilization without requiring uniform policy application across the entire system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Loss of information

If more versions are retained on source storage, then version history is preserved, but storage capacity is wasted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveversion history preservationVSAvoidstorage capacity utilization

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the version retention function from the source storage and relocates it to the target storage. By replicating versions from source to target and applying different retention policies, the system removes the burden of maintaining extensive version history from the source storage, allowing it to focus on current operations while the target storage preserves the version history archive.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Quantity of substance

If different retention policies are applied to source and target storage, then storage optimization is achieved, but version management complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage optimizationVSAvoidversion management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a replication mechanism as an intermediary between source and target storage systems. This replication layer manages the complexity of coordinating different retention policies by automatically replicating versions from source to target and applying appropriate retention rules at each location, shielding users from the underlying complexity while achieving storage optimization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12112076B2Replication of versions of an object from a source storage to a target storage

Publication Date: 2024.10.08 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for replication of versions of an object from a source storage to a target storage. A source retention policy indicates at least one source retention requirement to determine when to expire versions of an object at the source storage and a target retention policy indicates at least one target retention requirement to determine when to expire versions of the object at the target storage. The source and target retention requirements for versions of the object are different. The source retention policy is used to expire at least one version of the object at the source storage to satisfy the at least one source retention requirement. A number of the versions of the object maintained at the source storage and target storage differ due to the different source and target retention requirements.