Virtual Storage Snapshot Region Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for creating snapshots of virtual storage devices are inefficient, as they often require copying and storing entire data sets, leading to increased computational resources and lag times, especially when only a subset of data has changed since the previous snapshot.
Innovation Solution
The method involves generating snapshots by mapping unique identifiers to regions of the virtual storage device that have been written to since the previous snapshot, allowing for efficient creation and retrieval by tracking only the relevant data locations, rather than the entire storage device, and enabling snapshots to build upon each other by storing only the changes made since the previous snapshot.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If entire data sets are copied and stored for each snapshot, then complete data integrity is maintained, but computational resources and lag times increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the changed regions from the virtual storage device since the previous snapshot, rather than copying the entire data set. This is achieved by identifying regions that have been written to and storing only those specific regions in the new snapshot, significantly reducing the amount of data that needs to be processed and stored while maintaining complete data integrity for restoration purposes.
2Reliability
If entire data sets are copied and stored for each snapshot, then complete data integrity is maintained, but storage space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and stores only the changed regions from the virtual storage device since the previous snapshot. By identifying which specific regions have been written to and storing only those regions rather than the entire data set, the system significantly reduces the storage space required for each snapshot while maintaining the ability to restore complete data integrity when needed.
3Ease of operation
If snapshots store information for all regions, then complete restoration capability is maintained, but snapshot size and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and stores only the changed regions from the virtual storage device since the previous snapshot. By identifying which specific regions have been written to and storing only those regions rather than the entire data set, the system significantly reduces the storage space required for each snapshot while maintaining the ability to restore complete data integrity when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the virtual storage device into individual regions and tracks changes at the region level rather than treating the entire storage device as a single unit. This segmentation allows the system to identify and store only the specific regions that have changed since the previous snapshot, reducing processing time and storage requirements while maintaining complete restoration capability through the mapping of unique identifiers to region information.
Data Source
AI summary
In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include receiving, at a computer system, a request to create a snapshot of a virtual storage device, wherein the virtual storage device virtually stores data at virtual addresses, the data being physically stored at a plurality of physical storage locations that are managed by an underlying storage system associated with virtual storage device. The methods can further include identifying, by the computer system, one or more regions of the virtual storage device that have been written to since a previous snapshot of the virtual storage device was created. The methods can additionally include generating a unique identifier for the requested snapshot; and creating the requested snapshot using the identified one more regions and the unique identifier.