Virtual Disk Snapshot Storage Using B+ Trees
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Solution Overview
Problem
In virtualized computing environments, frequent snapshotting of virtual machines for backup purposes leads to high storage costs and performance degradation due to the need to traverse multiple snapshot levels for data retrieval, which is exacerbated in large-scale cloud computing environments where the number of virtual machines and snapshots is significantly higher than in conventional data centers.
Innovation Solution
Storing user data, metadata, and log data for multiple snapshots within the same storage objects, allowing for efficient management and selection of storage back-ends, and using B+ trees to optimize data storage and retrieval processes, thereby reducing the need to traverse multiple snapshot levels during read and write operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If frequent snapshots are taken for backup purposes, then reliability of VM data is improved, but storage costs and read performance deteriorate due to increased storage requirements and multiple snapshot level traversal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges snapshot data with the base virtual disk image into a single storage structure. Instead of maintaining separate snapshot files that require traversal, the snapshot data is integrated into the base image structure, allowing direct access without traversing multiple snapshot levels. This reduces storage complexity while maintaining the ability to preserve VM data at specific points in time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the snapshot traversal requirement from the read path by reorganizing how snapshot data is stored and accessed. By separating the snapshot metadata management from the actual data storage structure, the system eliminates the need to traverse multiple snapshot levels during read operations, directly addressing the performance deterioration issue.
2Reliability
If frequent snapshots are taken for backup purposes, then reliability of VM data is improved, but read performance deteriorates due to need to traverse each snapshot level to find read data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary organization of snapshot data during the snapshot creation process. By pre-structuring the storage layout and metadata indexes when snapshots are taken, the system enables direct data location during read operations without requiring traversal through multiple snapshot levels at access time. This preliminary structuring maintains reliability while improving read performance.
3Quantity of substance
If snapshots are backed up incrementally with deduplication, then storage requirements are reduced, but device complexity increases for managing large numbers of VMs and snapshots in cloud environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal snapshot management structure that handles both incremental backup and deduplication through a single integrated system. The storage structure is designed to accommodate multiple VMs and their snapshots uniformly, with a common metadata management layer that simplifies handling large numbers of snapshots across cloud environments. This multi-functional approach reduces management complexity while maintaining reduced storage requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
User data of different snapshots for the same virtual disk are stored in the same storage object. Similarly, metadata of different snapshots for the same virtual disk are stored in the same storage object, and log data of different snapshots for the same virtual disk are stored in the same storage object. As a result, the number of different storage objects that are managed for snapshots do not increase proportionally with the number of snapshots taken. In addition, any one of the multitude of persistent storage back-ends can be selected as the storage back-end for the storage objects according to user preference, system requirement, snapshot policy, or any other criteria. Another advantage is that the storage location of the read data can be obtained with a single read of the metadata storage object, instead of traversing metadata files of multiple snapshots.