Dynamic Virtual Storage Appliance Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional storage management systems in dynamic data centers struggle to efficiently handle fluctuating storage workloads, often resulting in either underutilization of resources or inadequate response to peak demands, due to their reliance on pre-allocated hardware resources.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a virtual storage appliance system that monitors and dynamically manages storage resources by instantiating, shutting down, or modifying virtual storage appliances on physical servers to meet service level objectives, utilizing resources such as processors, memory, and storage to adapt to changing storage needs without requiring excessive hardware capacity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If pre-allocated hardware resources are used for storage management, then system stability is maintained, but the system cannot respond quickly to changing storage demands

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresponsiveness to storage demandsVSAvoidresponse time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic storage management by allowing virtual storage appliances to be instantiated, modified, or shut down based on real-time storage workload conditions. This enables the storage system to adapt its capacity dynamically rather than relying on fixed pre-allocated hardware resources, directly resolving the contradiction between stability and responsiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces virtual storage appliances as an intermediary layer between physical storage hardware and applications. These virtual appliances can be rapidly deployed and configured to meet changing demands without requiring physical hardware changes, enabling quick response to storage needs while maintaining system stability through virtualization abstraction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If additional hardware resources are installed to meet peak storage demand, then storage capacity is sufficient, but resource utilization efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage capacity sufficiencyVSAvoidresource utilization efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables physical storage resources to serve multiple purposes and multiple applications through virtual storage appliances. A single physical storage system can dynamically allocate capacity to different virtual appliances serving different applications, ensuring sufficient capacity for peak demands while maintaining high utilization efficiency by avoiding dedicated excess hardware for each application.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The storage management system automatically monitors storage workload conditions and dynamically instantiates or modifies virtual storage appliances as needed, without requiring manual intervention or pre-provisioned excess capacity. This self-service capability ensures storage capacity sufficiency while optimizing resource utilization by allocating resources on-demand.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Device complexity

If manual storage system configuration is performed, then system complexity is reduced, but the system cannot automatically adapt to changing workloads

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanagement complexityVSAvoidautomatic adaptation capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements automated storage management through a feedback mechanism that continuously monitors storage workload conditions and automatically instantiates, modifies, or shuts down virtual storage appliances based on detected conditions. This feedback-driven automation enables the system to adapt to changing workloads automatically while keeping management complexity low through policy-based control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The storage management system performs self-service by automatically detecting storage workload conditions and taking appropriate actions to instantiate or modify virtual storage appliances without requiring manual configuration. This automation reduces management complexity while enabling the system to adapt dynamically to changing storage demands.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS8924658B1Dynamic storage management using virtual storage appliances

Publication Date: 2014.12.30 NETAPP INC

AI summary

The techniques introduced here provide for efficient management of storage resources in a modern, dynamic data center through the use of virtual storage appliances. Virtual storage appliances perform storage operations and execute in or as a virtual machine on a hypervisor. A storage management system monitors a storage system to determine whether the storage system is satisfying a service level objective for an application. The storage management system then manages (e.g., instantiates, shuts down, or reconfigures) a virtual storage appliance on a physical server. The virtual storage appliance uses resources of the physical server to meet the storage related needs of the application that the storage system cannot provide. This automatic and dynamic management of virtual storage appliances by the storage management system allows storage systems to quickly react to changing storage needs of applications without requiring expensive excess storage capacity.