Method and system for countering capacity shortages on storage systems

1. A method for countering capacity shortages on storage arrays, comprising:

generating a first forecast time-series projecting a first future consumption of capacity on a storage array spanning a first forecast duration;

identifying a first forecast time-series maximum of the first forecast time-series;

making a first determination that the first forecast time-series maximum exceeds a first used capacity threshold;

performing, based on the first determination, a first set of countermeasures affecting a capacity on the storage array;

generating a second forecast time-series projecting a second future consumption of capacity on the storage array spanning a second forecast duration;

identifying a second forecast time-series maximum of the second forecast time-series;

making a second determination that the second forecast time-series maximum does not exceed the first used capacity threshold;

making a third determination, based on the second determination, that the second forecast time-series maximum exceeds a second used capacity threshold; and

performing, based on the third determination, a second set of countermeasures affecting the capacity on the storage array.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the first forecast time-series, comprises:

parsing a system log to obtain a historical time-series recording a past consumption of capacity on the storage array spanning a specified time duration;

partitioning the first forecast duration into a plurality of forecast duration intervals;

for each forecast duration interval of the plurality of forecast duration intervals:

estimating, for the forecast duration interval, a future consumption of capacity on the storage array using the historical time-series and a forecasting algorithm; and

forming the first forecast time-series using the future consumption of capacity on the storage array for the plurality of forecast duration intervals in chronological order.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the forecasting algorithm is a probabilistic weighted fuzzy time-series (PWFTS) algorithm.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set of countermeasures comprises expiring a set of directory snapshots residing on the storage array.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein expiring the set of directory snapshots, comprises:

identifying a first directory snapshot set comprising all directory snapshots residing on the storage array;

identifying a second directory snapshot set comprising directory snapshots on which an in-progress operation is being performed;

identifying the set of directory snapshots comprising a set difference of the first directory snapshot set and the second directory snapshot set; and

marking each directory snapshot of the set of directory snapshots for deletion.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first set of countermeasures further comprises performing a data migration of cold data residing on the storage array.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein performing the data migration of cold data, comprises:

identifying the cold data from data stored on the storage array based on a data size and a data age; and

performing a data transfer of the cold data from the storage array to a cloud storage system.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first set of countermeasures further comprises overriding a garbage collection schedule implemented on the storage array.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second set of countermeasures comprises issuing an alert notification to an admin client.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second set of countermeasures further comprises issuing a procurement order to a sales client.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium (CRM) comprising computer readable program code, which when executed by a computer processor, enables the computer processor to:

generate a first forecast time-series projecting a first future consumption of capacity on a storage array spanning a first forecast duration;

identify a first forecast time-series maximum of the first forecast time-series;

make a first determination that the first forecast time-series maximum exceeds a first used capacity threshold;

perform, based on the first determination, a first set of countermeasures affecting a capacity on the storage array;

generate a second forecast time-series projecting a second future consumption of capacity on the storage array spanning a second forecast duration;

identify a second forecast time-series maximum of the second forecast time-series;

make a second determination that the second forecast time-series maximum does not exceed the first used capacity threshold;

make a third determination, based on the second determination, that the second forecast time-series maximum exceeds a second used capacity threshold; and

perform, based on the third determination, a second set of countermeasures affecting the capacity on the storage array.

12. The non-transitory CRM of claim 11 , further comprising computer readable program code, which when executed by the computer processor, enables the computer processor to generate the first forecast time-series, by:

parsing a system log to obtain a historical time-series recording a past consumption of capacity on the storage array spanning a specified time duration;

partitioning the first forecast duration into a plurality of forecast duration intervals;

for each forecast duration interval of the plurality of forecast duration intervals:

estimating, for the forecast duration interval, a future consumption of capacity on the storage array using the historical time-series and a forecasting algorithm; and

forming the first forecast time-series using the future consumption of capacity on the storage array for the plurality of forecast duration intervals in chronological order.

13. The non-transitory CRM of claim 11 , wherein the first set of countermeasures comprises expiring a set of directory snapshots residing on the storage array.

14. The non-transitory CRM of claim 13 , wherein the first set of countermeasures further comprises performing a data migration of cold data residing on the storage array.

15. The non-transitory CRM of claim 14 , wherein the first set of countermeasures further comprises overriding a garbage collection schedule implemented on the storage array.

16. The non-transitory CRM of claim 11 , wherein the second set of countermeasures comprises issuing an alert notification to an admin client.

17. The non-transitory CRM of claim 16 , wherein the second set of countermeasures further comprises issuing a procurement order to a sales client.

18. A system, comprising:

a storage array; and

a computer processor operatively connected to the storage array, and configured to:

generate a forecast time-series projecting a future consumption of capacity on the storage array spanning a forecast duration;

identify a forecast time-series maximum of the forecast time-series;

make a determination that the forecast time-series maximum exceeds a first used capacity threshold;

perform, based on the determination, a set of countermeasures affecting a capacity on the storage array;

generate a second forecast time-series projecting a second future consumption of capacity on the storage array spanning a second forecast duration;

identify a second forecast time-series maximum of the second forecast time-series;

make a second determination that the second forecast time-series maximum does not exceed the first used capacity threshold;

make a third determination, based on the second determination, that the second forecast time-series maximum exceeds a second used capacity threshold; and

perform, based on the third determination, a second set of countermeasures affecting the capacity on the storage array.