Methods of measuring consistability of a distributed storage system

1. A method for measuring consistability of a distributed storage system, comprising:

determining a plurality of consistency levels that the distributed storage system can provide;

determining a plurality of failure classes for the distributed storage system;

estimating a probability of the distributed storage system to be in each of the plurality of failure classes;

mapping each failure class to at least one of the plurality of consistency levels;

summing the probability of each failure class for each of the plurality of consistency levels based on the mapping; and

determining a consistability measurement of the distributed storage system, the consistability measurement comprising an expected portion of time that the distributed storage system offers each of the plurality of consistency levels, the expected portion of time computed by summing the probability of each failure class for each of the plurality of consistency levels.

2. A method as in claim 1 , wherein determining a plurality of consistency levels further comprises selecting at least some consistency levels from a group comprising atomic consistency, k-atomic consistency, causal consistency, regular consistency, safe consistency, and eventual consistency.

3. A method as in claim 2 , further comprising selecting the plurality of consistency levels based upon a distributed system configuration.

4. A method as in claim 2 , further comprising selecting the plurality of consistency levels based upon a client's consistency level needs for the distributed storage system.

5. A method as in claim 1 , further comprising ordering the plurality of consistency levels based on a strength of each consistency level.

6. A method as in claim 1 , further comprising selecting a strongest consistency level in each failure class.

7. A method as in claim 1 , further comprising verifying consistency class semantics using a model-checker.

8. A method as in claim 1 , further comprising drafting a service level agreement (SLA) between a service provider of the distributed storage system and a client, wherein the service level agreement requires a predetermined consistability level.

9. A method as in claim 8 , further comprising configuring the distributed storage system to output a current consistency class that the system is achieving to enable the service level agreement to be verified.

10. A method for measuring consistability of a distributed storage system, comprising:

determining a plurality of consistency levels that the distributed storage system can provide;

determining a plurality of failure classes for the distributed storage system;

mapping each failure class to at least one of the plurality of consistency levels; and

determining a consistability measurement of the distributed storage system for each of the plurality of consistency levels based on the mapping.

11. A method as in claim 10 , further comprising estimating a probability of the distributed storage system to be in each of the plurality of failure classes.

12. A method as in claim 11 , further comprising:

summing the probability of each failure class for each of the plurality of consistency levels; and

determining an expected portion of time that the distributed storage system offers each consistency level to provide the consistability measurement of the distributed storage system, said consistability measurement comprising a set of at least one consistency level achievable by the distributed storage system for each of the failure classes.

13. A method as in claim 11 , wherein determining a plurality of consistency levels further comprises selecting at least some consistency levels from the group comprising atomic consistency, k-atomic consistency, causal consistency, regular consistency, safe consistency, and eventual consistency.

14. A method as in claim 13 , further comprising selecting the plurality of consistency levels based upon a client's consistency level needs for the distributed storage system.

15. A method as in claim 11 , further comprising drafting a service level agreement (SLA) between a service provider of the distributed storage system and a client, wherein the service level agreement requires a predetermined consistability level.

16. A method as in claim 15 , further comprising configuring the distributed storage system to output a current consistency level that the system is achieving to enable the service level agreement to be verified.

17. A method as in claim 10 , further comprising:

determining at least one consistency level that an additional distributed storage system can provide;

determining a plurality of failure classes for the additional distributed storage system; and

mapping each failure class to the at least one consistency level to provide an additional consistability measurement of the distributed storage system, said consistability measurement comprising a set of at least one consistency level achievable by the additional distributed storage system.

18. A method as in claim 17 , further comprising assigning a weight to each consistency level and each failure class and comparing the consistability of the distributed storage system with the additional distributed storage system by comparing a sum of products of the consistency level weight and the failure class weight between the two systems.

19. A method as in claim 18 , wherein assigning the failure class weight further comprises assigning a failure class weight that is proportional to an estimated probability of the distributed storage system being in the failure class.

20. An article of manufacture including a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for measuring consistability of a distributed storage system, comprising computer readable program code capable of performing the operations of:

determining a plurality of consistency levels that the distributed storage system can provide;

determining a plurality of failure classes for the distributed storage system;

measuring a probability of the distributed storage system to be in each of the plurality of failure classes;

mapping each failure class to at least one of the plurality of consistency levels;

summing the probability of each failure class for each of the plurality of consistency levels based on the mapping; and

determining a consistability measurement of the distributed storage system, the consistability measurement comprising an expected portion of time that the distributed storage system offers each of the plurality of consistency levels, the expected portion of time computed by summing the probability of each failure class for each of the plurality of consistency levels.