Pattern-Directed Replication Scheme for Heterogeneous Object-Based Storage

Data replication is a key technique to achieve data availability, reliability, and optimized performance in distributed storage systems and data centers. In recent years, with the emergence of new storage devices, heterogeneous object-based storage system, such as a storage system with the co-existence of hard disk drives and solid state drives, have become increasingly attractive as they combine merits of different storage devices to deliver better promise. However, existing data replication schemes do not place data based on heterogeneous device characteristics as well as considering distinct data access patterns. In this paper, we introduce a novel data replication scheme PRS to achieve efficient data replication for heterogeneous storage systems. Different from traditional schemes, the PRS groups objects according to data access patterns and distributes replicas to heterogeneous devices with their features. It uses a pseudo random algorithm to optimize replica layout by considering storage device performance and capacity. The experimental results confirm that PRS is a highly efficient replication scheme for heterogeneous storage systems.