Offloading data storage to a decentralized storage network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10296258-B1
Application number	US-201815916599-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 9, 2018
Priority date	Mar 9, 2018
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

Offloading data storage to a decentralized storage network, including: identifying a plurality of decentralized storage networks that the storage system can utilize for storing data; selecting, in dependence upon characteristics of each decentralized storage network and requirements associated with storing the data, one or more decentralized storage networks for storing the data; and initiating storage of the data on the selected one of more decentralized storage networks.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of offloading data storage to a decentralized storage network, the method comprising:
identifying a plurality of decentralized storage networks that a storage system can utilize for storing data, wherein each of the plurality of decentralized storage networks comprises a collection of network connected computers operating as cooperative participants without employing dedicated servers for the storage of data;
selecting, in dependence upon characteristics of each decentralized storage network and requirements associated with storing the data, one or more decentralized storage networks for storing the data;
initiating storage of the data on the selected one of more decentralized storage networks;
detecting a change to the characteristics of one of the selected decentralized storage networks by periodically polling each of the plurality of decentralized storage networks and obtaining updated characteristics of each of the plurality of decentralized storage networks;
selecting, in dependence upon the updated characteristics of the plurality of decentralized storage networks and requirements associated with storing the data, an updated set of decentralized storage networks for storing the data;
initiating migration of the data from one or more decentralized storage networks to the updated set of decentralized storage networks for storing the data; and
sharing, with one or more other storage systems, information describing the storage system and the one or more decentralized storage networks storing the data.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising reducing, prior to initiating storage of the data on the selected one of more decentralized storage networks, a size of the data using one or more data reduction techniques.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein initiating storage of the data on the selected one of more decentralized storage networks further comprises including, in a blockchain, a contract describing a relationship agreement between the storage system and a particular decentralized storage network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein initiating storage of the data on the selected one of more decentralized storage networks further comprises including, in a blockchain, the data.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a request to take a snapshot of a dataset stored within the storage system;
creating the snapshot of the dataset stored within the storage system; and
wherein initiating storage of the data on the selected one of more decentralized storage networks further comprises initiating storage of snapshot on the selected one of more decentralized storage networks.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising mirroring, between a plurality of decentralized storage networks, the data.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
detecting that a dataset stored within the storage system should be replicated to a second storage system;
receiving a request to modify the dataset;
modifying the dataset stored within the storage system; and
wherein initiating storage of the data on the selected one of more decentralized storage networks further comprises initiating storage of the modified dataset on the selected one of more decentralized storage networks.

8. An apparatus for offloading data storage to a decentralized storage network, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:
identifying a plurality of decentralized storage networks that a storage system can utilize for storing data, wherein each of the plurality of decentralized storage networks comprises a collection of network connected computers operating as cooperative participants without employing dedicated servers for the storage of data;
selecting, in dependence upon characteristics of each decentralized storage network and requirements associated with storing the data, one or more decentralized storage networks for storing the data;
initiating storage of the data on the selected one of more decentralized storage networks;
detecting a change to the characteristics of one of the selected decentralized storage networks by periodically polling each of the plurality of decentralized storage networks and obtaining updated characteristics of each of the plurality of decentralized storage networks,
selecting, in dependence upon the updated characteristics of the plurality of decentralized storage network and requirements associated with storing the data, an updated set of decentralized storage networks for storing the data;
initiating migration of the data from one or more decentralized storage networks to the updated set of decentralized storage networks for storing the data; and
sharing, with one or more other storage systems, information describing the storage system and the one or more decentralized storage networks storing the data.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the step of reducing, prior to initiating storage of the data on the selected one of more decentralized storage networks, a size of the data using one or more data reduction techniques.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein initiating storage of the data on the selected one of more decentralized storage networks further comprises including, in a blockchain, a contract describing a relationship agreement between the storage system and a particular decentralized storage network.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein initiating storage of the data on the selected one of more decentralized storage networks further comprises including, in a blockchain, the data.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:
receiving a request to take a snapshot of a dataset stored within the storage system;
creating the snapshot of the dataset stored within the storage system; and
wherein initiating storage of the data on the selected one of more decentralized storage networks further comprises initiating storage of snapshot on the selected one of more decentralized storage networks.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:
detecting that a dataset stored within the storage system should be replicated to a second storage system;
receiving a request to modify the dataset;
modifying the dataset stored within the storage system; and
wherein initiating storage of the data on the selected one of more decentralized storage networks further comprises initiating storage of the modified dataset on the selected one of more decentralized storage networks.

14. A storage system configured for offloading data storage to a decentralized storage network, the storage system including a computer processor and a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the storage system to carry out the steps of:
identifying a plurality of decentralized storage networks that the storage system can utilize for storing data, wherein each of the plurality of decentralized storage networks comprises a collection of network connected computers

Assignees

• Pure Storage Inc

Inventors

• Richardson Michael

Classifications

• G06F3/0647 Primary

  Migration mechanisms · CPC title

• G06F3/0604

  Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management · CPC title

• G06F3/0653

  Monitoring storage devices or systems · CPC title

• G06F11/1076

  Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems · CPC title

• G06F3/067

  Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS] · CPC title