Zip Header Guided Data Writing for Consecutive Storage Rewrites

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional data rewriting processes in storage systems face inefficiencies when rewritten data has a higher compression ratio than original data, leading to non-consecutive data storage and gaps, and the inability to reconstruct backup metadata due to overwriting zip headers in unavailable storage zones.

Innovation Solution

A method that determines unavailable storage zones, acquires a reference zip header with metadata indicating zone length, and generates consecutive write requests to write target data efficiently, while retaining zip header information for backup metadata reconstruction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If data is compressed at a higher compression ratio before writing to storage area, then storage space efficiency is improved, but data becomes non-consecutive within the storage area creating gaps

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage space efficiencyVSAvoiddata consecutiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the storage area into multiple storage zones, each capable of independently storing zip headers and compressed data. This segmentation allows the system to manage non-consecutive data by organizing it into discrete zones, resolving the contradiction between compression efficiency and data consecutiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-allocating storage zones and pre-writing zip headers with metadata indicating zone lengths before data is actually written. This preliminary structuring enables the system to handle higher compression ratios while maintaining organizational integrity, as the storage framework is prepared in advance to accommodate non-consecutive data placement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If zip headers in unavailable storage zones are overwritten during data rewriting, then storage area utilization is improved, but the ability to reconstruct backup metadata is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage area utilizationVSAvoidbackup metadata

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the zip header information from unavailable storage zones and preserves it separately or in a protected manner. By taking out the critical metadata information before overwriting, the system can reconstruct backup metadata even after data rewriting operations, resolving the contradiction between storage utilization and information preservation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a discard and recover mechanism where zip headers from unavailable zones are temporarily set aside during rewriting operations, then recovered and used for backup metadata reconstruction. This allows the system to overwrite data for storage utilization while recovering the essential header information needed for metadata reconstruction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Adaptability or versatility

If conventional rewriting processes are used for data with higher compression ratios, then data can be rewritten, but write performance deteriorates due to non-consecutive storage and gaps

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata rewriting capabilityVSAvoidwrite performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces dynamic allocation and management of storage zones, where the system can adaptively assign data to appropriate zones based on compression ratios and availability. This dynamic approach enables efficient rewriting of data with varying compression ratios while maintaining consecutive write patterns within zones, improving write performance compared to static conventional methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces storage zones as intermediary structures between the data rewriting process and the physical storage medium. These zones act as mediators that buffer and organize data flow, enabling consecutive write operations even when overall storage utilization involves gaps, thus improving write performance while maintaining rewriting capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11500590B2Method, device and computer program product for data writing

Publication Date: 2022.11.15 EMC IP HLDG CO LLC

AI summary

Techniques for data writing involve: determining an unavailable storage zone in multiple storage zones of a storage area, wherein each storage zone is used to store a zip header and compressed data corresponding to the zip header; acquiring a reference zip header for the unavailable storage zone, wherein the reference zip header includes metadata indicating a zone length of the unavailable storage zone; and generating consecutive write requests for the storage area based at least on target data to be written to the storage area and the reference zip header, so as to write the target data to available storage zones in the multiple storage zones. Accordingly, rewriting of data can be implemented by constructing large consecutive write requests, thus improving the write performance of the storage device.