Synchronization Log for Encoded Slice Recovery in Storage Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data replication methods in storage networks face challenges such as increased maintenance costs due to higher probabilities of disk failures, security issues from multiple data copies, and risks of data loss from natural disasters or hardware failures.
Innovation Solution
A dispersed or distributed storage network (DSN) that uses dispersed storage error encoding to encode data into multiple encoded data slices, which are then stored across multiple geographically diverse storage units, ensuring data redundancy and resilience without the need for redundant copies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data is copied to multiple RAID devices for redundancy, then data loss risk is reduced, but security issues arise due to unauthorized access possibilities and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data into multiple encoded slices distributed across different storage units. Instead of storing complete redundant copies, the data is divided and encoded such that a threshold number of slices are needed to reconstruct the original data. This segmentation approach provides redundancy while enhancing security, as unauthorized access to individual slices does not compromise the entire dataset.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of data representation from complete copies to encoded fragments. By applying error correction encoding, the data is transformed into a form where multiple representations exist, but none are complete or directly usable without the required threshold. This parameter change enables both redundancy and security simultaneously.
2Reliability
If more disks are added to RAID array for increased redundancy, then data protection improves, but probability of disk failure increases and maintenance costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs error correction codes that can tolerate a certain number of failed storage units. Individual storage units can be replaced without affecting overall data integrity, as long as the threshold is maintained. This approach allows using simpler, potentially less reliable individual components while achieving high system-level reliability through the encoding scheme.
3Reliability
If data is replicated across multiple locations for disaster recovery, then data loss from natural disasters is reduced, but security risks from multiple copies increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent distributes encoded data slices across multiple geographically dispersed storage units. This segmentation enables disaster recovery since the system can tolerate failures at any single location, while simultaneously enhancing security because no single location contains a complete or usable copy of the data. The encoded fragments require combination at the threshold to reconstruct original data.
4Reliability
If redundant data copies are stored for fault tolerance, then system reliability improves, but storage space efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms data from complete redundant copies to encoded fragments with mathematical relationships. The error correction encoding allows the system to tolerate a certain number of failures while using less total storage space than traditional replication. The encoded slices contain redundant information in a compressed form that enables recovery without requiring full duplicate copies.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for replication of data in storage networks. In an embodiment, a processing module(s) of a computing device identifies a first storage set and a second storage set for replicated storage of data. The processing module(s) maintains a synchronization log for the first storage set and the second storage set. After initiating storage of a data object in the first storage set and the second storage set, the processing module(s) detects an unavailability of one or more storage units of the second storage set. In response to detecting a return to availability of the one or more storage units, the processing module(s) determines, based on the synchronization log, that the second storage set requires at least a portion of the data object to maintain synchronization with the first storage set, and facilitates storage of the at least a portion of the data object in the second storage set.