IP Library Granted Patent US 8,793,372
Granted Patent B2
US 8,793,372 · App. 13/765,619 · Granted Jul 29, 2014

Allocation and balancing of storage resources

Inventors: Rohith K. Ashok (Apex, NC); Roy F. Brabson (Raleigh, NC); Wei L. Chan (Cary, NC)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,793,372
App. No.
13/765,619
Granted
Jul 29, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and technique for allocation and balancing of storage resources includes: determining, for each of a plurality of storage controllers, an input/output (I/O) latency value based on an I/O latency associated with each storage volume controlled by a respective storage controller; determining network bandwidth utilization and network latency values corresponding to each storage controller; responsive to receiving a request to allocate a new storage volume, selecting a storage controller having a desired I/O latency value; determining whether the network bandwidth utilization and network latency values for the selected storage controller are below respective network bandwidth utilization and network latency value thresholds; and responsive to determining that the network bandwidth utilization and network latency values for the selected storage controller are below the respective thresholds, allocating the new storage volume to the selected storage controller.

Claims (16)

1. A method, comprising:

determining, for each of a plurality of storage controllers, an input/output (I/O) latency value based on an I/O latency associated with each storage volume controlled by a respective storage controller, wherein determining the I/O latency value for each storage controller comprises calculating an average I/O latency value, and wherein calculating the average I/O latency for each storage controller comprises:

calculating a weighted average I/O latency value for each storage volume controlled by a respective storage controller, and wherein calculating the weighted average I/O latency value for each storage volume comprises calculating a weighted average I/O latency value based on weighting write I/O operations greater than read I/O operations;

summing the weighted I/O latency values of the storage volumes controlled by the respective storage controller; and

dividing the summed I/O latency values by a quantity of the storage volumes controlled by the respective storage controller;

determining a network bandwidth utilization value and a network latency value corresponding to each storage controller;

responsive to receiving a request to allocate a new storage volume, selecting a storage controller having a desired I/O latency value;

determining whether the network bandwidth utilization value and the network latency value for the selected storage controller are below a respective network bandwidth utilization threshold and a network latency value threshold;

responsive to determining that the network bandwidth utilization value and the network latency value for the selected storage controller are below the respective network bandwidth utilization threshold and network latency value threshold, allocating the new storage volume to the selected storage controller; and

analyzing the I/O latency value, the network bandwidth utilization value and the network latency value for the storage controllers;

determining whether moving one or more storage volumes will lower at least one of the I/O latency value, the network bandwidth utilization value and the network latency value for at least one storage controller; and

responsive to determining that moving one or more storage volumes will lower at least one of the I/O latency value, the network bandwidth utilization value and the network latency value for at least one storage controller, migrating at least one storage volume from one storage controller to another storage controller.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising verifying that the I/O latency value for the selected storage controller is below a threshold I/O latency value.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

monitoring at least one of the I/O latency value, the network bandwidth utilization value and the network latency value for the storage controllers; and

responsive to at least one of the I/O latency value, the network bandwidth utilization value and the network latency value for at least one storage controller exceeding a respective threshold, rebalancing storage volume distribution among the storage controllers.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 12, 2013
From: ASHOK, ROHITH K.; BRABSON, ROY F.; CHAN, WEI L.
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 029800/0376 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 13365793 · Feb 3, 2012
Related Publication 20130204960A1 · Aug 8, 2013