Storage Tier-Aware Deduplication Master Copy Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional deduplication systems do not effectively consider storage tier characteristics when mapping data for deduplication, leading to reduced I/O performance and increased background operations by redirecting high-tier data to lower-tier storage, which can result in inefficient use of storage resources and performance degradation.
Innovation Solution
Evaluating the storage tier characteristics of data objects identified for deduplication and mapping them to preserve high-performance storage tiers by selecting a data object on the highest storage tier as the master copy, thereby updating lower-tier data blocks to point to the master copy and freeing storage space on lower tiers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional deduplication systems map data without considering storage tier characteristics, then storage space is reduced through deduplication, but I/O performance deteriorates due to redirecting high-tier data to lower-tier storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by treating different storage tiers (e.g., flash memory, SSD, HDD) as having distinct characteristics and applying different deduplication mapping strategies to each tier. High-performance tiers preserve master copies while lower-tier storage receives deduplicated references, optimizing both space utilization and performance for each storage layer's specific capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The storage system is segmented into multiple tiers with different performance characteristics, and the deduplication process is divided into tier-specific operations. Each storage tier is evaluated independently and handled according to its performance capabilities, allowing the system to maintain master copies on high-performance tiers while achieving space savings on lower-tier storage
2Quantity of substance
If deduplication redirects data to lower storage tiers, then storage capacity is optimized, but background operations increase causing performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary evaluation of storage tier characteristics before executing deduplication mapping operations. By assessing the performance attributes of each storage tier in advance, the system can pre-determine the optimal placement of master copies and references, avoiding the need for extensive background operations that would degrade system performance
3Speed
If high-performance storage tiers are used for master copies, then I/O performance is maintained, but storage costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses copying by creating references to master copies stored on high-performance tiers. Instead of storing multiple full copies of data, the system stores one master copy on expensive high-performance storage and multiple references on cheaper lower-tier storage, achieving both performance and cost efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces expensive high-performance storage with cheaper lower-tier storage for reference copies. By using cost-effective storage media for storing references and archived data, the system reduces storage costs while maintaining performance through selective placement of master copies on high-performance tiers
Data Source
AI summary
A method is used in managing data deduplication in storage systems based on storage space characteristics. Characteristics of first and second storage tiers are evaluated. A first data object resides on the first storage tier and a second data object resides on the second storage tier. The first and second data objects are selected for applying a deduplicating technique. A data storage system includes the first and second storage tiers configured such that performance characteristics associated with the first storage tier is different from the second storage tier. Based on the evaluation, the deduplicating technique is applied to the first and second data objects.