Virtual Volume Snapshotting for Per-VM Storage Isolation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional storage systems lack scalability and efficiency in supporting large-scale virtualized environments, where resource demands from multiple virtual machines (VMs) on shared storage units lead to inconsistent service levels and inability to provide per-VM guarantees for storage policies like snapshots, replication, and deduplication.
Innovation Solution
The storage system implements virtual volumes that are provisioned on a per-workload basis, allowing for SLA guarantees and data services to be provided per virtual disk, using standard protocols like SCSI and NFS through logical endpoints, enabling isolated workloads and efficient management of snapshots.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If multiple virtual machines share storage units in conventional storage systems, then storage resource utilization is improved, but service level consistency and per-VM guarantee capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments storage resources into virtual volumes that can be independently allocated to individual virtual machines. Each virtual volume acts as a separate storage unit with its own snapshot capabilities and service level guarantees, allowing per-VM isolation while maintaining high overall utilization through shared underlying storage infrastructure.
2Quantity of substance
If storage systems support large-scale virtualized environments with multiple VMs, then storage capacity is improved, but scalability and management efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces virtual volumes as an intermediary layer between the storage infrastructure and virtual machines. This intermediary enables automated snapshot management, simplified provisioning, and standardized interfaces that scale efficiently with the number of VMs, reducing management complexity while supporting large-scale deployments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic snapshot profiles that can be automatically adjusted based on workload characteristics, storage capacity availability, and service level requirements. This dynamic approach allows the system to scale efficiently by adapting snapshot retention policies and resource allocation without manual intervention.
3Reliability
If snapshots are implemented in conventional storage systems, then data protection is improved, but per-VM snapshot management and efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-configures snapshot profiles with defined retention policies, storage locations, and trigger conditions before they are needed. When a snapshot is required for a virtual machine, the pre-configured profile is automatically applied, eliminating the need for manual snapshot creation and management decisions, thereby improving both data protection and management efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
The storage system exports logical storage volumes that are provisioned as storage objects within logical storage containers. These storage objects are accessed on demand by connected computer systems using standard protocols, such as SCSI and NFS, through logical endpoints for the protocol traffic that are configured in the storage system. A snapshot profile can be separately defined for each of these logical storage volumes, even for those that are within the same storage container. The snapshot profile for a logical storage volume defines whether or not snapshot is enabled for that logical storage volume, the frequency of the snapshot, and the number of snapshots to be retained.