Virtual RAID Storage Overcommitment Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional RAID systems face challenges in managing over commitment of virtual storage systems, leading to potential data unavailability due to physical storage space exhaustion, as they lack automated mechanisms to efficiently remove non-critical snapshot volumes and manage storage capacity effectively.
Innovation Solution
A virtual storage system with a mapping system that associates virtual and physical storage addresses, a controller that prioritizes and automatically removes non-guaranteed snapshot volumes based on predetermined criteria to maintain available physical storage space, ensuring data availability by diverging pointers and allocating new storage space as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If virtual storage systems over-commit physical storage space to increase capacity, then storage flexibility and capacity are improved, but data availability deteriorates when physical storage space is exhausted
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary classification of snapshot volumes into guaranteed and non-guaranteed categories before storage space exhaustion occurs. This advance categorization enables automated removal of non-critical snapshots when space is needed, preventing data unavailability while maintaining over-commitment flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a controller as an intermediary between the virtual storage system and physical storage resources. This controller implements the prioritization protocol and automated removal logic, mediating between the conflicting goals of over-commitment and data availability without requiring direct user intervention.
2Reliability
If automated removal mechanisms are implemented to prevent storage exhaustion, then data availability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments snapshot volumes into two distinct categories: guaranteed snapshots that must be preserved and non-guaranteed snapshots that can be removed. This segmentation simplifies the automated removal logic by creating clear decision boundaries, reducing the complexity of the control system while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of snapshot priority by assigning different priority levels (guaranteed vs. non-guaranteed) to different snapshots. This parameter change enables simple automated decision-making based on priority levels, avoiding complex algorithms while ensuring data availability.
3Device complexity
If manual management of snapshot volumes is used to maintain storage space, then system complexity is reduced, but productivity deteriorates due to lack of automation
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by automatically monitoring physical storage space and autonomously removing non-guaranteed snapshot volumes when space is exhausted. This eliminates the need for manual intervention while maintaining storage space availability, achieving both automation and simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller continuously monitors the physical storage space status and uses this feedback to automatically trigger removal of non-guaranteed snapshots when thresholds are reached. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables efficient automated storage management without complex manual procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
Virtual storage systems, virtual storage methods and methods of over committing a virtual RAID storage system are described. According to one aspect, a virtual storage system includes a virtual storage space, a physical storage space, a mapping system configured to associate a plurality of addresses of the virtual storage space with respective addresses of the physical storage space and a controller configured to automatically remove a portion of the mapping system according to a prioritization protocol which specifies removal of portions of the mapping system according to an order.