Transaction Marker-Based Storage Recollection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional storage systems face inefficiencies due to incomplete storage transactions that may remain in an unpredictable state, leading to wasted storage space, as they fail to distinguish between open and abandoned transactions effectively, especially in shared storage environments prone to failures like power or network outages.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of transaction markers and locking data structures allows for the differentiation between open and abandoned storage transactions, enabling a recollection procedure to identify and clean up abandoned transactions, thereby optimizing storage management and reducing waste.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of substance

If traditional storage systems perform recollection procedures without distinguishing between open and abandoned transactions, then storage space is cleaned, but storage coherence deteriorates and useful storage space is incorrectly released

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage space wastageVSAvoidstorage coherence

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the recollection process by introducing transaction markers that divide storage transactions into distinct states (open vs. abandoned). Each transaction is tagged with a marker indicating its state, allowing the recollection procedure to selectively process only abandoned transactions while preserving open ones, thus preventing incorrect space release and maintaining storage coherence.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces transaction markers as intermediary elements between the storage transaction system and the recollection procedure. These markers act as mediators that carry state information, enabling the recollection process to differentiate between open and abandoned transactions without directly interfering with ongoing operations, thereby maintaining system reliability while reducing storage waste.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If storage systems use simple recollection mechanisms without transaction differentiation, then recollection procedures are fast and simple, but storage space utilization deteriorates due to inability to identify abandoned transactions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverecollection procedure efficiencyVSAvoidstorage space utilization

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by marking transactions with state indicators (open or abandoned) before the recollection procedure begins. This pre-tagging allows the recollection process to efficiently identify and process only abandoned transactions without requiring complex analysis during recollection, maintaining high productivity while improving storage space utilization through accurate identification of reclaimable space.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If transaction markers and locking data structures are implemented to differentiate transactions, then storage coherence is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage coherenceVSAvoidrecollection mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by implementing transaction markers and locking data structures only where needed - specifically at the transaction level within the storage system. Rather than complicating the entire storage infrastructure, the differentiation mechanism is localized to transaction metadata, allowing complex functionality to be achieved with minimal impact on overall system simplicity and maintainability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11226748B2Differentiating open and abandoned transactions in a shared storage environment

Publication Date: 2022.01.18 RED HAT ISRAEL

AI summary

Systems and methods for enhancing storage recollection in a shared storage system by enabling the recollection procedure to differentiate between open and abandoned transaction. An example method comprises: detecting, by a processing device, a transaction marker of a storage system, the transaction marker being stored on shared storage and indicating a modification of the shared storage is incomplete; determining, in view of a locking data structure on the shared storage, whether the transaction marker is associated with an abandoned modification; in response to the transaction marker being associated with an abandoned modification, releasing a portion of the shared storage associated with the abandoned modification; and destroying the transaction marker.