Virtual Disk Image Manager for Storage Domain Adaptation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional storage management systems for virtual machines are limited by reliance on dedicated file systems that do not support advanced features like thin provisioning, clustered locking, and snapshots, restricting administrators' options for designing virtualization systems.

Innovation Solution

A virtual disk image manager that acts as an interface to various storage domains, providing plugins for different storage types to enable support for advanced features like thin provisioning, clustered locking, and snapshots, even if the underlying storage domain does not natively support them, by using higher-level software to perform these operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a dedicated file system is installed on storage devices to manage disk images, then storage management operations can be performed, but the system loses flexibility and cannot support advanced features like thin provisioning, clustered locking, and snapshots

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage management capabilityVSAvoidstorage domain selection flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

A virtual disk image manager is introduced as an intermediary layer between the hypervisor and storage domains. This manager provides plugins that enable advanced features like thin provisioning, clustered locking, and snapshots by translating high-level virtualization operations into storage-specific operations, regardless of whether the underlying storage domain natively supports these features.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The virtual disk image manager is designed to work with multiple types of storage domains (block devices, file systems, network storage) through a unified interface. The plugin architecture allows the same manager to provide consistent advanced features across different storage backends, making the system universally compatible while maintaining advanced functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If storage domains without native thin provisioning support are used, then more storage options become available, but thin provisioning operations cannot be performed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage domain compatibilityVSAvoidthin provisioning capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The virtual disk image manager acts as a mediator that translates thin provisioning requests from the hypervisor into operations that can be performed on any storage domain. The manager monitors disk image sizes and automatically expands them as needed, providing thin provisioning functionality even on storage domains that lack native support.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of relying on the mechanical/native thin provisioning capabilities of the storage domain, the system substitutes a software-based approach where the virtual disk image manager handles expansion logic through monitoring and automatic growth operations, effectively replacing hardware-level features with software intelligence.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Adaptability or versatility

If storage domains without native snapshot support are used, then storage flexibility increases, but snapshot operations cannot be created

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage backend optionsVSAvoidsnapshot functionality

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The virtual disk image manager provides snapshot functionality by creating point-in-time copies of virtual disk images through its plugin architecture. It translates snapshot requests into file system operations or copy-on-write implementations that work on any supported storage domain, regardless of native snapshot support.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements snapshots by creating copies of disk image data structures or using copy-on-write techniques at the virtual disk image level. This allows snapshot functionality to be provided through software copying mechanisms rather than relying on native storage domain snapshot capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

4Ease of manufacture

If a dedicated file system is used for storage management, then disk image operations can be performed, but administrator options for system design are minimized

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage operation capabilityVSAvoidsystem design flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The virtual disk image manager provides a universal interface that works across multiple storage domain types (local block devices, network file systems, cloud storage). Administrators can choose from various storage backends and the manager automatically adapts, providing the same set of operations and features regardless of the underlying storage implementation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system separates storage management functionality into distinct plugins for different storage domain types. This segmentation allows each plugin to handle storage-specific details while the core manager provides unified functionality, enabling administrators to mix and match different storage backends without compromising system design flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS9135049B2Performing thin-provisioning operations on virtual disk images using native features of the storage domain

Publication Date: 2015.09.15 RED HAT ISRAEL

AI summary

A virtual disk image manager running on a computing device determines that an operation is to be performed on a virtual disk image. The virtual disk image manager then determines whether an underlying storage domain on which the virtual disk image is stored supports the operation. In response to determining that the storage domain supports the operation, the virtual disk image manager uses native capabilities of the storage domain to perform the operation. In response to determining that the storage domain does not support the operation, the virtual disk image manager performs the operation without the use of the storage domains native capabilities.