Write-Ahead Log Set Processing for Bulk Replay and Deletion

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Solution Overview

Problem

The process of replaying or deleting write-ahead logs (WALs) in a storage device based on key-value storage is complex due to the need to determine and process each WAL individually based on its execution result, leading to inefficiencies.

Innovation Solution

Organize WALs into WAL set key-value pairs with statuses (working, sealed, completed, and deleted states) to enable bulk processing, allowing replay or deletion at the set level, simplifying the operations by determining and processing WALs based on their set status.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If WALs are processed individually based on execution results, then the processing is accurate and reliable, but the process complexity increases and efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing accuracyVSAvoidprocess complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple individual WAL processing operations into a single batch processing operation. By grouping WALs that share the same execution result status, the system performs replay or deletion operations on entire groups simultaneously rather than processing each WAL individually, thereby reducing process complexity while maintaining processing accuracy through status-based grouping

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If WALs are processed individually based on execution results, then the processing is reliable, but the processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing accuracyVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple sequential WAL processing operations into parallel batch operations. By identifying WALs with identical execution results and processing them together in batches, the system significantly reduces total processing time while ensuring reliable processing through status-based grouping and controlled batch execution

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If WALs are organized in a tree map structure with individual execution results, then the data organization is structured and queryable, but the replay and deletion operations become complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata queryabilityVSAvoidoperation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a grouping layer above the existing tree map structure that consolidates WALs with identical execution results into batches. This additional organizational layer enables efficient batch operations by allowing the system to identify and process groups of WALs simultaneously, reducing operation complexity while preserving the underlying structured data organization and queryability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3712783B1Method and apparatus for processing write ahead log
Publication Date: 2026.03.18 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3712783B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3712783B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3712783B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

This application provides a method and an apparatus for processing a write-ahead log. In embodiments of this application, a plurality of write-ahead logs WALs are recorded in a WAL set key-value pair, and the WALs recorded in the WAL set key-value pair are processed at a granularity of the WAL set key-value pair based on a WAL set key-value pair status recorded in a status key-value pair, thereby avoiding a prior-art problem that WALs can only be processed one by one, and helping simplify a process of replaying or deleting a WAL recorded in a storage device.