Policy-driven volume expansion

1. A computer-executable method of managing meta volumes in a data storage system in response to a user-specified one or more characteristics, the computer-executable method comprising:

receiving information from the user related to the one or more user-specified desired characteristics of the data storage system, wherein the one or more user-specified characteristics relates to either input/output (I/O) speed or volume expansion;

analyzing the one or more user-specified characteristics;

based on the analyzing, creating a policy responsive to the one or more user-specified characteristics;

saving a first state of the data storage system;

allocating a meta volume based on the policy, wherein the meta volume is a combination of two or more data storage volumes;

wherein the meta volume is enabled to use the policy to expand in either a concatenated fashion; and

wherein the data storage system is enabled to rollback changes to the meta volume to the first state if one or more errors are encountered.

2. The computer-executable method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining whether the allocating was successful; and

upon a positive determination, providing the meta volume to the data storage system.

3. The computer-executable method of claim 2 , further comprising:

upon a negative determination, executing a rollback of the meta volume.

4. The computer-executable method of claim 1 , wherein the allocating comprises:

wherein the policy prioritizes I/O speed;

creating a striped meta volume from a first volume of the data storage system and a second volume of the data storage system, wherein the striped meta volume is enabled to be comprised of two or more data storage volumes; and

providing the striped meta volume to the data storage system.

5. The computer-executable method of claim 1 , wherein the allocating comprises:

wherein the policy prioritizes expandability;

creating a concatenated meta volume from a first volume of the data storage system and a second volume of the data storage system, wherein the concatenated meta volume is enabled to be comprised of two or more data storage volumes; and

providing the concatenated meta volume to the data storage system.

6. A system, comprising:

a data storage system in communication with a compute node and a data storage array; and

computer-executable program logic encoded in memory of one or more computers in communication with the data storage system to enable management of meta volumes in response to a user-specified one or more characteristics in the data storage system, wherein the computer-executable program logic is configured for the execution of:

receiving information from the user related to the one or more user-specified characteristics of the data storage system, wherein the one or more user-specified characteristics relates to either input/output (I/O) speed or volume expansion;

analyzing the one or more user specified characteristics;

based on the analyzing, creating a policy responsive to the one or more user-specified characteristics;

saving a first state of the data storage system;

allocating a meta volume based on the policy, wherein the meta volume is a combination of two or more data storage volumes;

wherein the meta volume is enabled to use the policy to expand in either a concatenated fashion or a striped fashion; and

wherein the data storage system is enabled to rollback changes to the meta volume to the first state if one or more errors are encountered.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the computer-executable program logic is further configured for the execution of:

determining whether the allocating was successful; and

upon a positive determination, providing the meta volume to the data storage system.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the computer-executable program logic is further configured for the execution of:

upon a negative determination, executing a rollback of the meta volume.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the allocating comprises:

wherein the policy prioritizes I/O speed;

creating a striped meta volume from a first volume of the data storage system and a second volume of the data storage system, wherein the striped meta volume is enabled to be comprised of two or more data storage volumes; and

providing the striped meta volume to the data storage system.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the allocating comprises:

wherein the policy prioritizes expandability;

creating a concatenated meta volume from a first volume of the data storage system and a second volume of the data storage system, wherein the concatenated meta volume is enabled to be comprised of two or more data storage volumes; and

providing the concatenated meta volume to the data storage system.

11. A computer program product for managing in response to a user-specified one or more characteristics meta volumes in a data storage system, the computer-executable method comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with computer-executable program code for using read signatures in replication, the code configured to enable the execution of:

receiving information from the user related to the one or more user-specified characteristics of the data storage system, wherein the one or more user-specified characteristics relates to either input/output (I/O) speed or volume expansion;

analyzing the user-specified one or more characteristics;

based on the analyzing, creating a policy responsive to the one or more user-specified characteristics;

saving a first state of the data storage system;

allocating a meta volume based on the policy, wherein the meta volume is a combination of two or more data storage volumes;

wherein the meta volume is enabled to use the policy to expand in either a concatenated fashion or a striped fashion; and

wherein the data storage system is enabled to rollback changes to the meta volume to the first state if one or more errors are encountered.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the code is further configured to enable the execution of:

determining whether the allocating was successful; and

upon a positive determination, providing the meta volume to the data storage system.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the code is further configured to enable the execution of:

upon a negative determination, executing a rollback of the meta volume.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the allocating comprises:

wherein the policy prioritizes I/O speed;

creating a striped meta volume from a first volume of the data storage system and a second volume of the data storage system, wherein the striped meta volume is enabled to be comprised of two or more data storage volumes; and

providing the striped meta volume to the data storage system.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the allocating comprises:

wherein the policy prioritizes expandability;

creating a concatenated meta volume from a first volume of the data storage system and a second volume of the data storage system, wherein the concatenated meta volume is enabled to be comprised of two or more data storage volumes; and

providing the concatenated meta volume to the data storage system.