Virtual Machine Data Replication via Changed Data Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data replication technologies in storage systems, such as VNX Unity, are not optimized for virtual machine-based applications and lack awareness of data types, leading to inefficient data replication processes that do not differentiate between virtual machine data and general data, resulting in suboptimal performance and resource utilization.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method that tracks changed data related information for virtual machines, allowing the storage system to identify data types and ranges of changes, enabling targeted and efficient data replication by linking storage arrays with application servers and utilizing changed data awareness to optimize data migration and replication processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If native data replication functions are used for virtual machine storage VMotion, then data replication can be performed between storage units, but the storage system cannot be aware of data types leading to inefficient replication processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a data awareness module as an intermediary component between the virtual machine server and the storage system. This module receives data replication requests, obtains changed data related information from the virtual machine server, and sends this information to the storage system to enable intelligent data type-aware replication decisions.
2Productivity
If changed data tracking is implemented to identify data types and ranges, then replication efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data replication process into distinct functional components: a data awareness module that handles metadata management, a changed data tracking mechanism that identifies modified blocks, and a storage system that executes replication. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in specific tasks, improving overall efficiency while managing complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by first obtaining changed data related information from the virtual machine server before actually executing the replication process. This preliminary step identifies which data blocks need to be replicated, allowing the storage system to skip unnecessary data transfer and focus only on changed portions, thereby improving replication efficiency.
3Reliability
If full data replication is performed without changed data awareness, then data consistency is ensured, but bandwidth usage increases and performance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary changed data blocks from the complete virtual machine disk image for replication. By using changed data tracking and data type awareness, the system identifies and transfers only the modified portions rather than the entire disk image, significantly reducing bandwidth consumption while maintaining data consistency through proper change tracking.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques support and perform data replication of a virtual machine. Changed data tracking is performed on a storage unit associated with the virtual machine in a storage system, to obtain changed data related information related to the virtual machine, wherein the changed data related information indicates a range and a type of data change related to the virtual machine; from the changed data related information, changed data related information related to the virtual machine within a specified range is obtained in response to receiving an obtainment request of the storage system for changed data related information within the specified range; and the changed data related information within the specified range is sent to the storage system. Accordingly, changed data related information can be provided to a storage system, such that the storage system can implement an optimized data replication operation based on the changed data related information.