Tiered Storage Restore Metadata Placement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional backup and restore operations in tiered data storage systems fail to correctly identify and maintain the storage tier for files during restore operations, leading to sub-optimal storage utilization and potential application outages due to the lack of handling extended Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) metadata.
Innovation Solution
A novel technique that involves backing up and restoring metadata prior to file data, using new file system calls to manage metadata backup and restore operations, ensuring that the file is placed in the correct storage tier by applying policy placement rules based on ILM and standard file metadata.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional backup/restore operations are used in tiered storage systems, then backup simplicity is maintained, but file placement accuracy in storage tiers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by restoring metadata before restoring file data. The metadata is extracted from the backup file, used to determine the correct storage tier through policy placement rules, and restored to the file system first. This preliminary restoration of metadata enables accurate file placement decisions to be made before the actual file data is restored, resolving the contradiction between operational simplicity and placement accuracy.
2Productivity
If metadata is restored after file data in conventional operations, then restore process simplicity is maintained, but storage tier optimization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by extracting and restoring metadata before restoring file data. The metadata restoration process determines the appropriate storage tier using policy placement rules, ensuring that when file data is subsequently restored, it is placed in the correct tier. This sequence improves reliability of tier placement while maintaining restore process efficiency through automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses policy placement rules as an intermediary between the restored metadata and the storage tier selection process. The metadata contains file attributes that are processed by policy placement rules, which act as a mediator to determine the correct storage tier. This intermediary mechanism ensures reliable tier placement without complicating the restore process, as the policy rules automatically make the placement decisions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional file system interfaces are used for backup, then interface compatibility is maintained, but ILM metadata accessibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a metadata extraction mechanism that acts as an intermediary between the conventional file system interface and the ILM metadata. While the backup operation uses standard file system interfaces for compatibility, the metadata extraction process retrieves extended ILM metadata that is not normally accessible through conventional interfaces. This intermediary mechanism preserves interface compatibility while preventing loss of ILM metadata information.
Data Source
AI summary
A technique for implementing policy-aware backup and restore capability in a tiered storage system. If a data set's contents are backed up from the tiered storage system to a backup storage system, metadata for the data set may also be backed up. Prior to the data set being restored from the backup storage system to the tiered storage system, the backed up metadata is restored and processed to determine a tier among the tiered storage pools to which the data set will be restored.