Unified Container Volume Service for Cross-Runtime Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current container frameworks lack a unified storage solution, resulting in multiple per-runtime volume listings and storage systems, making it difficult to implement shared data access across multiple container runtimes.
Innovation Solution
The unified container volume service (UCVS) system provides a shared database for storing and accessing multiple container volumes, maintaining a complete container volume listing, and using a REST API to handle requests for volume creation, deletion, and access, supporting multiple container frameworks and storage systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple per-runtime volume listings are maintained for each container runtime, then each runtime can manage its own storage independently, but it becomes difficult to implement shared data access across multiple container runtimes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple per-runtime volume listings into a single unified volume listing that is shared across all container runtimes. This unified listing consolidates volume information from different runtimes (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) into one centralized structure, enabling any runtime to access volumes created by others while reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified volume listing serves as a universal storage interface that works with multiple container runtime frameworks simultaneously. It provides a common volume management mechanism that is adaptable to different runtime environments, allowing the same volume infrastructure to be used across diverse container technologies without requiring separate management systems for each.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate storage systems are used for each container runtime, then each runtime has dedicated storage management, but storage cannot be shared across different container frameworks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate storage systems into a unified volume listing that serves all container runtimes. Instead of maintaining independent storage inventories for each runtime, the system consolidates volume information into a single shared structure, reducing the quantity of storage management components while enabling cross-runtime volume sharing.
3Ease of operation
If a unified volume listing is implemented across multiple container runtimes, then shared storage access is enabled, but volume information must be transformed between different container runtime schemas
Solution Approach 1:
The unified volume listing acts as an intermediary layer between different container runtime schemas. It translates and normalizes volume information from various runtime formats (Docker, Kubernetes, etc.) into a common internal representation, enabling seamless volume access across runtimes while managing schema transformations through a standardized interface rather than requiring direct compatibility between different runtime formats.
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment of the invention may include a method, computer program product and system for data storage management. The embodiment may include receiving a request from a second container runtime for access to a first container runtime volume by the second container runtime. The embodiment may include determining whether the first container runtime volume exists within a shared unified volume listing. Based on determining that the first container runtime volume exists within the shared unified volume listing, the embodiment may include transforming volume information of the first container runtime volume from a unified volume listing schema to a second container runtime volume listing schema. The embodiment may include returning the volume information of the first container runtime volume to the second container runtime.