Virtual Volume Pairing via Page Area Association
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Solution Overview
Problem
In storage systems, existing methods for pairing virtual volumes result in high data transfer traffic, unnecessary capacity costs, and operational redundancy, as users must either transfer large amounts of data or reconfigure secondary virtual volumes, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A storage system that includes a page area association mechanism to dynamically manage storage areas, allowing for the pairing of primary and secondary virtual volumes while enabling the release of associations between page areas in the secondary virtual volume and real volume, thereby initializing the secondary virtual volume and optimizing capacity usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all data of the same size as the available capacity in the secondary virtual volume is copied from the primary virtual volume to the secondary virtual volume, then the content of the virtual volumes becomes the same, but the amount of traffic is large and data transfer takes long time
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by tracking and recording the status of secondary virtual volumes in advance. When pairing occurs, the system uses this pre-collected information to determine which page areas actually contain data that needs copying, rather than copying all data indiscriminately. This preliminary tracking enables selective data transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts only the necessary data for copying by identifying page areas in the secondary virtual volume that actually contain valid data versus those that are empty or already initialized. The system separates and copies only the relevant data portions, eliminating unnecessary data transfer traffic.
2Loss of energy
If the secondary virtual volume is paired with a primary virtual volume after initializing the area that has been used in the secondary virtual volume, then the traffic is small, but a primary virtual volume has to be acquainted with the status of a relevant secondary virtual volume and data copy has to be stored in a storage area corresponding to a data storing area
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by automatically tracking and managing the status of secondary virtual volumes without requiring manual intervention. The tracking information is automatically collected and used during pairing operations, eliminating the need for users to manually reconfigure or initialize volumes before pairing.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking mechanism serves multiple functions: it records data location information for efficient copying, identifies available capacity for optimization, and provides status information for automated pairing decisions. This multi-functional approach simplifies the overall pairing process while reducing traffic.
3Quantity of substance
If a user pays an amount in proportion to the purchased capacity of both volumes set in a pair, then the user has to pay for not only the capacity necessary for data copy but also the capacity of a storage area that has already been used in a secondary virtual volume, but if the user purchases only the capacity used for data copy, then the user has to initialize and thus reconfigure, by himself, a secondary virtual volume that has already been used
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously tracking and monitoring the actual usage status of secondary virtual volumes. This feedback information is used to automatically determine the optimal pairing configuration, allowing the system to identify volumes that can be paired without initialization and to calculate the actual data copy requirements accurately.
Solution Approach 2:
The pairing system is made dynamic by allowing flexible configuration based on real-time tracking information. The system can adaptively determine pairing parameters such as copy capacity and target volumes based on current system state, eliminating the need for static pre-initialization and enabling optimal capacity utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
The storage system includes page area association information that associates a page area that partitions a storage area in a real volume into predetermined storage areas with a page area that partitions a storage area in a virtual volume into predetermined storage areas; a pair setting unit for pairing a primary virtual volume that stores data from a host computer and a secondary virtual volume to store a copy of the data stored in the primary virtual volume; and a page release unit for releasing association between a page area in the secondary virtual volume and a page area in the secondary real volume associated in advance with the page area in the secondary virtual volume.