Systems and methods for managing storage space in hybrid data storage systems
The present invention relates to systems and methods for managing storage space in hybrid data storage systems. Specifically, the systems and methods of the present invention intelligently allocate data to solid state drives or other relatively high performance drives, and other data storage, such as, for example, hard drives or other like drives, based on data source, data type, data function or other like parameters. The intelligent allocation between at least one solid state drive, or other relatively high performance drive, and at least one other drive type allows for greater system performance through efficient use storage space. Specifically, the present invention adaptively uses the fastest necessary connected storage options in a hybrid data storage set to maintain maximum performance while most efficiently using minimum rewrites of data. Moreover, the allocation of data to storage in a hybrid data storage system may be controlled automatically or may be specifically set by a user thereof.
1. A system for managing storage space in a hybrid data storage apparatus comprising:
a computing device comprising a hybrid data storage system comprising a first storage drive and a second storage drive, the first storage drive having a data transfer rate slower than the second storage drive;
a data management controller to control the storage of data from a source to one of the first storage drive and the second storage drive based on speed limitations of the data transfer of the data; and
a first data object from a first data source for transferring to the first or the second storage drive,
wherein the data management controller determines the maximum rate of transfer of the first data object to the first storage drive or the second storage drive and further transfers the first data object to the first storage drive if the maximum rate of transfer of the first data object from the first data source is slower than the data transfer rate of the first storage drive and further transfers the first data object to the second storage drive if the maximum rate of transfer of the first data object from the first data source is faster than the data transfer rate of the first storage drive.
2. A method for managing storage space in a hybrid data storage apparatus comprising the steps of:
providing a computing device comprising a hybrid data storage system comprising a first storage drive and a second storage drive, the first storage drive having a data transfer rate slower than the second storage drive;
providing a data management controller;
providing a first data object at a first data source;
determining a maximum data transfer rate of the first data object from the first data source to the first storage drive or the second storage drive;
transferring the first data object to the first storage drive if the maximum data transfer rate of the first data object from the first data source is slower than the data transfer rate of the first storage drive, and transferring the first data object to the second storage drive if the maximum data transfer rate of the first data object from the first data source is faster than the data transfer rate of the first storage drive.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the data transfer rate of the first data object from the first data source has speed limitations, wherein the speed limitations of the data transfer of the first data object from the first data source is caused by a parameter selected from the group consisting of file type, data transfer block size, application for using the data, and combinations thereof.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the data management controller compares the data transfer rate of the data from the source to the data transfer rates of at least the first storage drive.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the data transfer rate of the first storage drive is a first write speed of the first storage drive and the data transfer rate of the second storage drive is a second write speed of the second storage drive.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the data management controller determines the application on the computing device for using the first data object and determines the load rate of the first data object to the application from at least the first storage drive.
7. The system of claim 6 wherein the data management controller transfers the first data object to the first storage drive if the load rate of the first data object to the application is slower than the data transfer rate from the first storage drive.
8. The system of claim 6 wherein the data management controller transfers the first data object to the second storage drive if the load rate of the first data object to the application is faster than the data transfer rate from the first storage drive.
9. The method of claim 2 wherein the data transfer rate of the first data object from the first data source has speed limitations, wherein the speed limitations of the data transfer of the first data object from the first data source is caused by a parameter selected from the group consisting of file type, data transfer block size, application for using the data, and combinations thereof.
10. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of:
comparing, via the data management controller, the maximum data transfer rate of the first data object from the first data source to the data transfer rate of at least the first storage drive.
11. The method of claim 2 wherein the data transfer rate of the first storage drive is a first write speed of the first storage drive and the data transfer rate of the second storage drive is a second write speed of the second storage drive.
12. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of:
determining, via the data management controller, an application on the computing device for using the first data object; and
determining, via the data management controller, the load rate of the first data object to the application from at least the first storage drive.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:
transferring, via the data management controller, the first data object to the first storage drive if the load rate of the first data object to the application is slower than the data transfer rate from the first storage drive.
14. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:
transferring, via the data management controller, the first data object to the second storage drive if the load rate of the first data object to the application is faster than the data transfer rate from the first storage drive.