Tiered Volume File System Storage Allocation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional computing systems lack the ability to efficiently manage data storage hierarchies, as the file system has no visibility into the storage hierarchy and cannot make informed decisions about where to place data blocks based on their demand levels, leading to suboptimal storage allocation.

Innovation Solution

A system where a file system operates on a volume with multiple tiers, each with distinct trait sets, allowing the file system to map logical addresses to appropriate underlying storage systems, enabling intelligent placement of file system namespaces based on storage traits such as redundancy, performance, and encryption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the file system operates on a single volume with uniform traits, then the storage system is simple to manage, but the file system cannot make informed decisions about data placement based on demand levels

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefile system awareness of storage hierarchyVSAvoidstorage hierarchy structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The volume is segmented into multiple tiers (hot, warm, cold) with distinct traits, allowing the file system to see and operate on these segments. Each tier has different performance and cost characteristics, enabling intelligent data placement decisions while maintaining a unified volume interface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A volume manager acts as an intermediary between the file system and the heterogeneous storage tiers. It presents a unified volume interface to the file system while managing the complex tiered structure underneath, allowing the file system to be aware of tiers without directly managing the complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If data blocks are placed based on demand levels in a storage hierarchy, then storage efficiency improves, but the file system lacks visibility to make placement decisions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage allocation efficiencyVSAvoidfile system visibility of storage hierarchy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides feedback to the file system about the tier characteristics and data placement decisions. The file system can see the tier structure and make informed placement decisions, while the volume manager monitors and adjusts placements based on actual demand, creating a feedback loop that improves storage efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The volume is pre-configured with multiple tiers having distinct traits before the file system operates on it. This preliminary structuring allows the file system to immediately make informed placement decisions without needing to discover the hierarchy dynamically, improving both efficiency and visibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If a volume is configured with multiple tiers having distinct traits, then intelligent data placement is enabled, but the volume configuration becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage trait differentiationVSAvoidvolume provisioning structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The volume manager provides multiple functions through a single interface: it manages tiered storage, handles data placement, provides visibility to the file system, and maintains the unified volume interface. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate complex systems while enabling intelligent data placement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameters of storage blocks by assigning them to different tiers with distinct traits (performance, cost, accessibility). This parameter differentiation enables intelligent placement while the volume manager abstracts the complexity of managing these varying parameters from the file system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Productivity

If the file system can see and operate on tiered volumes, then data placement decisions improve, but the interface between file system and storage becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata placement intelligenceVSAvoidfile system - storage interface

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The volume manager serves as an intermediary that translates between the simple unified volume interface the file system expects and the complex tiered structure underneath. It provides the file system with visibility of tiers through metadata while handling the complexity of tier management, thus improving data placement intelligence without significantly complicating the file system interface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9524300B2Heterogenic volume generation and use system

Publication Date: 2016.12.20 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

A system in which a file system may operate on a volume in which the logical address extent of the volume is divided into multiple tiers, each tier providing storage having a distinct trait set by mapping the logical addresses of the volume to appropriate underlying storage systems. A volume system exposes the volume to the file system in a manner that the file system itself has awareness of the tiers, and is aware of the trait sets of each tier. The file system may thus store file system namespaces (such as directories and files) into the tiers as appropriate for the file system namespace. A provisioning system may also be provided and be configured to provision the volume to include such tiers, and if desired, to extend the tiers.