Storage Volume Snapshot via Block-Level Extraction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing snapshot techniques for storage devices are inefficient, requiring significant processing and data transfer, making them time-consuming and resource-intensive, especially for large volumes, which discourages frequent snapshot creation and restoration.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that set volumes to read-only mode, buffer write access attempts, and update snapshot indicators, allowing for incremental snapshots that only record changes, reducing the data needed to be copied and processed, enabling faster and more frequent snapshot creation and restoration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protected copy of a large disk volume is made to another storage device, then a snapshot is created, but the process takes a long time and requires transfer of large amounts of data and significant processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the changed blocks from the original volume to create a snapshot, rather than copying the entire volume. This is achieved by comparing block addresses between the original volume and parent snapshot, identifying and copying only the differences, which dramatically reduces data transfer time and processing requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the volume into individual blocks and tracks changes at the block level. By dividing the volume into manageable block units and only copying modified blocks, the system avoids the overhead of copying entire volumes while maintaining snapshot integrity and enabling efficient storage and restoration.
2Reliability
If a protected copy of a large disk volume is made to another storage device, then a snapshot is created, but significant processing resources are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the changed blocks from the original volume to create a snapshot, rather than copying the entire volume. This is achieved by comparing block addresses between the original volume and parent snapshot, identifying and copying only the differences, which dramatically reduces data transfer time and processing requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs partial copying by only duplicating the necessary changed blocks rather than the entire volume. This partial action approach reduces processing load and energy consumption while still achieving the complete snapshot functionality needed for data recovery and versioning.
3Reliability
If the disk volume is large, then data is stored securely, but making a copy requires transfer of a large amount of information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the changed blocks from the original volume to create a snapshot, rather than copying the entire volume. This is achieved by comparing block addresses between the original volume and parent snapshot, identifying and copying only the differences, which dramatically reduces data transfer time and processing requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the volume into individual blocks and tracks changes at the block level. By dividing the volume into manageable block units and only copying modified blocks, the system avoids the overhead of copying entire volumes while maintaining snapshot integrity and enabling efficient storage and restoration.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for making snapshots of storage devices are provided. A method for making a snapshot of a volume includes setting the volume to a read-only mode, receiving an access attempt for the volume, and if the access attempt is a write access attempt, buffering information associated with the write access attempt in a buffer, and updating a snapshot indicator based on the information associated with the write access attempt, where the snapshot indicator includes block information regarding a block in the volume that is a target of the write access attempt. The method also includes if the access attempt is a read access attempt, providing read information requested in the read access attempt, where the read information is based on the volume, or a combination of the snapshot indicator, the buffer, and a buffer indicator.