Storage Virtualization for Heterogeneous Disk Allocation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data storage systems face complexity in managing heterogeneous storage environments and scaling to meet large storage needs, particularly in multi-tenant and geo-distributed setups, where managing large numbers of storage arrays is challenging and requires inefficient manual scaling.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that associate disk devices with containers based on policies, allowing granular access control and allocation, enabling a unified management of heterogeneous storage systems through a REST API and CLI, and allowing for scalable, cloud-scale storage solutions by treating multiple storage arrays as a single logical array.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple heterogeneous storage arrays are managed manually in a multi-tenant environment, then storage capacity and reliability are improved, but system complexity and management difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments storage management into independent tenant virtualization layers, where each tenant's storage resources are isolated and managed separately through virtual containers. This segmentation allows multiple heterogeneous storage arrays to be managed independently, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliability through tenant-level isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a storage virtualization layer as an intermediary between physical storage arrays and tenant applications. This intermediary abstracts the complexity of managing multiple heterogeneous arrays, presenting a unified interface to tenants while handling the complexity of array management, provisioning, and access control in the background.
2Quantity of substance
If storage systems are scaled to meet large data storage needs, then storage capacity is improved, but the complexity of implementing and managing the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal storage virtualization platform that can manage multiple types of storage arrays (heterogeneous environments) through a single system. This multi-functional approach allows the same management infrastructure to handle different storage technologies, protocols, and array types, enabling scalable capacity expansion without proportionally increasing implementation complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a virtualization dimension to storage management, transitioning from direct physical array management to abstracted virtual container management. This dimensional shift allows storage capacity to scale independently of management complexity, as virtual containers can be provisioned and managed through standardized interfaces regardless of the underlying physical array complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual scaling is used to manage storage arrays, then flexibility in deployment is maintained, but productivity and efficiency of storage provisioning decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service storage provisioning through automated virtual container management. The system automatically discovers available storage resources, provisions virtual containers based on tenant requirements, and manages allocation without manual intervention. This self-service capability maintains deployment flexibility through automated policy-based provisioning while dramatically improving productivity by eliminating manual scaling operations.
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, a method includes associating disk devices with containers based on a policy, allocating a disk device to a container based on the policy and allowing access to the disk device from the container. In another aspect, an apparatus includes electronic hardware circuitry configured to associate disk devices with containers based on a policy, allocate a disk device to a container based on the policy and allow access to the disk device from the container. In a further aspect, an article includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores computer-executable instructions. The instructions cause a machine to associate disk devices with containers based on a policy, allocate a disk device to a container based on the policy and allow access to the disk device from the container.