Virtual Storage Capacity Adjustment via Hot-Plugging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cloud-based virtual storage systems face challenges in efficiently increasing or decreasing storage capacity without disrupting services, as existing methods require downtime and involve double billing for temporary additional storage capacity.
Innovation Solution
A method using a control program on the physical storage system to couple additional virtual storage and provide control data, allowing for 'hot plugging' of new virtual drives and removing old ones without downtime, enabling flexible and automated capacity adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the storage capacity of a virtual storage system is increased by adding a new virtual drive, then the storage capacity is improved, but the service must be stopped and the old drive removed to avoid double billing, causing loss of time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic storage capacity adjustment by allowing virtual drives to be added and removed while the virtual storage system remains operational. The control program dynamically manages the virtual drive array, enabling capacity changes without service interruption through live configuration updates and automatic drive replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures continuous service operation during capacity changes by implementing hot-plug capability. The virtual storage system continues to serve requests while new drives are added and old drives are removed in the background, eliminating downtime and maintaining uninterrupted data access throughout the capacity adjustment process.
2Quantity of substance
If the storage capacity of a virtual storage system is increased by adding a new virtual drive, then the storage capacity is improved, but the user must pay for the old drive until it is removed, causing loss of energy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by automatically removing the old virtual drive from the active array immediately upon adding the new drive. The control program proactively manages drive replacement, ensuring the old drive is detached and deactivated before the capacity change is complete, preventing double billing and optimizing storage resource allocation.
3Quantity of substance
If the virtual machine is stopped to extend the virtual-disk-image, then the storage capacity can be increased, but the application must be stopped causing loss of time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables dynamic storage expansion without application interruption by operating at the virtualization layer rather than requiring VM restart. The control program manages the virtual drive array and file system growth independently of the running application, allowing capacity changes while the virtual machine and its applications remain operational.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the control program as an intermediary between the storage subsystem and the virtual machine. This mediator manages the complex tasks of drive addition, file system expansion, and data migration automatically, eliminating the need to stop the application while ensuring smooth capacity transitions.
4Quantity of substance
If the file system is grown into new space, then the storage capacity is improved, but the process cannot be performed in parallel causing loss of time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the storage expansion process into independent parallel operations. Multiple virtual drives can be added simultaneously to the array while the control program manages the file system growth separately. This segmentation allows storage capacity increase and file system expansion to occur in parallel rather than sequentially, reducing total operation time.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of controlling the capacity of a virtual storage system provided on a physical storage system, the method including: providing a control program on the physical storage system; coupling additional virtual storage to the virtual storage system on the physical storage system; providing control data on the additional virtual storage; with the control program, reading the control data and configuring the virtual storage system accordingly. A corresponding virtual storage system is also provided.