Storage level load balancing

1. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory coupled to at least one of the processors;

a set of computer program instructions stored in the memory and executed by at least one of the processors in order to perform actions of:

detecting, by a storage system, that an extent located on a first one of a set of physical storage devices requires relocation, wherein the set of physical storage devices are on a same tier in a multi-tier storage configuration;

identifying, by the storage system, a set of backend connection properties of each of a set of backend connections between the storage system and the set of physical storage devices, the identifying further comprising:

determining a first backend interconnect protocol between the storage system and the first physical storage device; and

determining a second backend interconnect protocol between the storage system and a second one of the set of physical storage devices, wherein the second backend interconnect protocol is different from the first interconnect protocol; and

relocating the extent from the first physical storage device to the second physical storage device based, at least in part, on evaluating the first backend interconnect protocol against the second backend interconnect protocol.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the storage system manages the multi-tier storage configuration.

3. The information handling system of claim 2 wherein the processors perform additional actions comprising:

identifying a set of backend interconnect protocols comprising a set of protocol input/output (I/O) stack overheads for each of the set of backend connections, wherein the set of backend interconnect protocols comprise the first backend interconnect protocol and the second backend interconnect protocol;

including the set of backend interconnect protocols into the set of backend connection properties to select the second physical storage device.

4. The information handling system of claim 3 wherein the processors perform additional actions comprising:

computing an extent sensitivity of the extent based on a first one of the set of backend connection properties comprising a connection bandwidth and the first backend interconnect protocol corresponding to the first physical storage device; and

selecting the second physical storage device in response to determining that a second one of the backend connection properties corresponding to the second physical storage device supports the extent sensitivity.

5. The information handling system of claim 4 wherein the processors perform additional actions comprising:

determining an access frequency of the extent by an application; and

utilizing the access frequency in the computing of the extent sensitivity.

6. The information handling system of claim 3 wherein the processors perform additional actions comprising:

providing a set of discovery application program interfaces (APIs) that discover the set of backend connection properties; and

adjusting at least one tiering threshold of the multi-tier storage configuration based on the set of backend connection properties identified by the set of discovery APIs.

7. The information handling system of claim 2 wherein the processors perform additional actions comprising:

detecting a change in a connection bandwidth corresponding to at least one of the set of backend connections; and

adjusting at least one load balancing threshold in the same tier based on the change in the connection bandwidth.

8. A computer program product stored in a computer readable storage medium, comprising computer program code that, when executed by an information handling system, causes the information handling system to perform actions comprising:

detecting, by a storage system, that an extent located on a first one of a set of physical storage devices requires relocation, wherein the set of physical storage devices are on a same tier in a multi-tier storage configuration;

identifying, by the storage system, a set of backend connection properties of each of a set of backend connections between the storage system and the set of physical storage devices, the identifying further comprising:

determining a first backend interconnect protocol between the storage system and the first physical storage device; and

determining a second backend interconnect protocol between the storage system and a second one of the set of physical storage devices, wherein the second backend interconnect protocol is different from the first interconnect protocol; and

relocating the extent from the first physical storage device to the second physical storage device based, at least in part, on evaluating the first backend interconnect protocol against the second backend interconnect protocol.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the storage system manages the multi-tier storage configuration.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the information handling system performs further actions comprising:

identifying a set of backend interconnect protocols comprising a set of protocol input/output (I/O) stack overheads for each of the set of backend connections, wherein the set of backend interconnect protocols comprise the first backend interconnect protocol and the second backend interconnect protocol;

including the set of backend interconnect protocols into the set of backend connection properties to select the second physical storage device.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the information handling system performs further actions comprising:

computing an extent sensitivity of the extent based on a first one of the set of backend connection properties comprising a connection bandwidth and the first backend interconnect protocol corresponding to the first physical storage device; and

selecting the second physical storage device in response to determining that a second one of the backend connection properties corresponding to the second physical storage device supports the extent sensitivity.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the information handling system performs further actions comprising:

determining an access frequency of the extent by an application; and

utilizing the access frequency in the computing of the extent sensitivity.

13. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the information handling system performs further actions comprising:

providing a set of discovery application program interfaces (APIs) that discover the set of backend connection properties; and

adjusting at least one tiering threshold of the multi-tier storage configuration based on the set of backend connection properties identified by the set of discovery APIs.