Managing command request time-outs in QOS priority queues

1. A method to manage command request time-outs in quality of service priority queues, comprising:

receiving, in a quality of service module, a first command request from a host initiator port;

associating a time-out threshold (CT) with the first command request, wherein the time-out threshold is associated with at least one of a specific host, requester, or user session;

determining, in the quality of service module, whether an available priority queue with a priority queue length (PQL) can release the first command request at a release rate (R) for execution by a scheduling module within the time-out threshold such that

PQL

R

<

CT

;

 and

in response to a determination that the available priority queue can release the first command request for execution within the time-out threshold, assigning the first command request to the available priority queue, otherwise returning a busy signal to the host initiator port.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving, in a quality of service module, a first command request from a host initiator port comprises receiving a time-out threshold with the first command request.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the time-out threshold is stored in a computer readable storage medium coupled to the quality of service module;

the first command request includes information associated with the timeout threshold; and

wherein associating a time-out threshold with the first command request comprises retrieving the time-out threshold from the computer readable storage medium coupled to the quality of service module.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining, in the quality of service module, whether an available priority queue can execute the first command request within the time-out threshold comprises:

determining whether one or more priority queues are available; and

in response to a determination that one or more priority queues are available, implementing an evaluation process to evaluate available priority queues.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

in response to a determination that no priority queues are available, returning a busy signal to the host initiator port.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising issuing the command from the available priority queue to a storage device data flow process.

7. A storage controller, comprising:

a processor;

computer readable storage medium coupled to the processor;

logic instructions in the computer readable storage medium which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to:

receive, in a quality of service module, a first command request from a host initiator port;

associate a time-out threshold (CT) with the first command request;

determine, in the quality of service module, whether an available priority queue with a priority queue length (PQL) can release the first command request at a release rate (R) for execution by a scheduling module within the time-out threshold such that;

PQL

R

<

CT

;

 and

in response to a determination that the available priority queue can release the first command request for execution within the time-out threshold, assign the first command request to the available priority queue, otherwise return a busy signal to the host initiator port.

8. The storage controller of claim 7 , further comprising logic instructions stored in the computer readable storage medium which, when executed, configure the processor to receiving a time-out threshold with the first command request.

9. The storage controller of claim 7 , wherein:

the time-out threshold is stored in a computer readable storage medium coupled to the quality of service module;

the first command request includes information associated with the timeout threshold; and further comprising logic instructions stored in the computer readable storage medium which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to retrieve the time-out threshold from the computer readable storage medium coupled to the quality of service module.

10. The storage controller of claim 9 , further comprising logic instructions stored in the computer readable storage medium which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to determine whether one or more priority queues are available; and

to implement an evaluation process to evaluate available priority queues in response to a determination that one or more priority queues are available.

11. The storage controller of claim 8 , further comprising logic instructions stored in the computer readable storage medium which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to return a busy signal to the host initiator port in response to a determination that no priority queues are available.

12. The storage controller of claim 7 , further comprising logic instructions stored in the computer readable storage medium which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to issue the command from the available priority queue to a storage device data flow process.

13. A computer program product comprising logic instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which, when executed by a computer processor in a storage controller, configure the processor to:

receive, in a quality of service module, a first command request from a host initiator port;

associate a time-out threshold (CT) with the first command request, wherein the time-out threshold is associated with at least one of a specific host, requester, or user session;

determine, in the quality of service module, whether an available priority queue with a priority queue length (PQL) can release the first command request at a release rate (R) for execution by a scheduling module within the time-out threshold such that;

PQL

R

<

CT

;

 and

in response to a determination that the available priority queue can release the first command request for execution within the time-out threshold, assign the first command request to the available priority queue, otherwise return a busy signal to the host initiator port.