Storage Virtual Controller for Application-Consistent Disaster Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing disaster recovery approaches for information handling systems often lack robustness and efficiency, particularly in providing geographically-distributed recovery solutions that ensure continuity of data access and reduce the risk of data loss due to failures or disasters.
Innovation Solution
An information handling system with a processor and a storage management console that manages input/output operations, asynchronously mirrors application-consistent snapshots of data to a storage virtual controller for remote storage, and copies metadata to a geographically remote secondary system, enabling efficient disaster recovery and data continuity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If synchronous mirroring is used for disaster recovery, then data consistency between primary and secondary systems is improved, but recovery time and system performance are worsened due to increased I/O latency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic application-consistent snapshots instead of continuous synchronous mirroring. The storage management console periodically quiesces the application and creates consistent snapshots of data, which are then mirrored to the secondary system. This periodic approach maintains data consistency while avoiding the continuous I/O latency of synchronous mirroring.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by creating application-consistent snapshots before mirroring operations. The storage management console proactively quiesces the application and captures consistent data states in advance, preparing recovery-ready snapshots that can be quickly transferred without waiting for continuous synchronization.
2Reliability
If application quiescing is performed to ensure consistent snapshots, then data consistency is improved, but application availability and response time are worsened during the snapshot process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic quiescing rather than continuous application suspension. The storage management console periodically stops the application briefly to capture consistent snapshots, then resumes normal operations. This minimizes the impact on application availability while ensuring snapshot consistency when needed for disaster recovery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary quiescing only when snapshot operations are required, not continuously. The storage management console proactively prepares consistent snapshots in advance of potential disaster recovery events, rather than maintaining constant application suspension, thus preserving application productivity during normal operations.
3Reliability
If geographically-distributed storage is implemented, then disaster recovery robustness is improved, but network bandwidth consumption and system complexity are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a storage virtual controller as an intermediary between the primary physical storage controller and the secondary system. This virtual controller abstracts the complexity of geographically-distributed storage operations, managing snapshot creation, mirroring, and data transfer protocols, thereby simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining geographic distribution for robustness.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage virtual controller performs multiple functions including snapshot management, data mirroring, metadata handling, and protocol conversion. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single multi-functional component, the patent reduces system complexity while achieving geographically-distributed disaster recovery capabilities.
4Reliability
If metadata is copied to remote storage management console, then failover capability is improved, but network traffic and data transfer time are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential metadata from the complete dataset and transfers it to the remote storage management console. Instead of copying entire data sets or excessive metadata, the system identifies and transfers only the critical configuration and state information needed for failover, significantly reducing network traffic and transfer time while maintaining failover capability.
Data Source
AI summary
An information handling system may include a processor and a first storage management console comprising a program of executable instructions embodied in non-transitory computer-readable media accessible to the processor, and configured to, when read and executed by the processor: (i) manage input/output between an application and a primary physical storage controller to perform input/output between the application and a storage resource communicatively coupled to primary physical storage container; (ii) asynchronously mirror application-consistent snapshots of data associated with the application from the primary physical storage controller to a storage virtual controller configured to emulate a physical storage controller such that the storage virtual controller stores the snapshots to remote storage geographically remote from the information handling system; (iii) store metadata associated with the application and data stored to the storage resource and the remote storage; and (iv) copy the metadata to a second storage management console executing on a second information handling system geographically remote from the information handling system.