Thin-Provisioned Block Storage for Bootloader-Compatible Volume Concatenation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Managing block storage volumes in computer systems is challenging due to inefficient resource allocation and the lack of thin provisioning support in boot volumes, leading to over-provisioning and wasted space, especially in cloud environments.

Innovation Solution

A driver or software code allocates a thin-provisioned data volume and logically concatenates it with a non-thin-provisioned boot volume, translating logical addresses to physical addresses using an indirection layer, allowing efficient use of resources without modifying the bootloader.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a standard boot volume is used without thin provisioning, then the bootloader can operate without modification, but storage resources are over-provisioned and wasted space occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebootloader compatibilityVSAvoidstorage waste

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The storage system is segmented into two distinct volumes: a boot volume for system booting and a data volume for data storage. This segmentation allows the boot volume to be small and non-thin-provisioned (maintaining bootloader compatibility) while the data volume can be large and thin-provisioned (reducing storage waste). The virtual file system presents a unified view to applications while internally routing operations to the appropriate volume.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A virtual file system acts as an intermediary layer between the bootloader and the storage volumes. It provides a unified namespace that maps to both the boot volume and data volume, allowing the bootloader to operate on the boot volume without modification while enabling thin provisioning on the data volume. The virtual file system translates file paths into appropriate volume operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of substance

If thin provisioning is applied to the boot volume, then storage efficiency improves, but the bootloader must be modified which increases complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage wasteVSAvoidbootloader modification

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Loss of substance

If separate boot volume and data volume are used, then storage efficiency improves, but system complexity increases due to additional volume management

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage wasteVSAvoidvolume management

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The virtual file system merges the boot volume and data volume into a unified namespace that appears as a single file system to applications. This combining approach allows efficient storage allocation (with thin provisioning on the data volume) while simplifying volume management from the user perspective. The virtual file system handles the complexity of multi-volume management internally.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Reliability

If over-provisioning is used to ensure sufficient storage space, then storage availability improves, but resource utilization efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage availabilityVSAvoidresource utilization

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The data volume uses dynamic thin provisioning, where storage capacity is allocated on-demand rather than being statically pre-allocated. This dynamic approach ensures storage availability when needed while improving resource utilization efficiency by not allocating unused capacity. The system automatically manages capacity allocation based on actual data storage requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20250224964A1Logically concatenating a thin-provisioned block storage volume with a standard boot volume

Publication Date: 2025.07.10 DATAFY LTD

AI summary

A method for use with a boot volume, which is not thin-provisioned, on at least one remote device includes, using a processor of a local device, allocating, for storage of data, a thin-provisioned block storage volume on the at least one remote device, and using the processor, logically concatenating the thin-provisioned block storage volume with the boot volume with respect to read and write operations by a file system running on the local device, by mapping any logical address provided by the file system and less than a size of the boot volume to an equivalent physical address in the boot volume, and mapping other logical addresses provided by the file system to provisioned physical addresses in the thin-provisioned block storage volume. Other embodiments are also described.