Systems and methods for tuning a storage system

• US 10,073,858 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2013
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Baranowsky, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burke, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Thong
• Application Number:
  US13/895,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20140344316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,944 Days
• Field of Search: 707827, 707705, 709203, 709224, 709223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3034 where the computing system component is a storage system, e.g. DASD based or network based digital input from or digital output to record carriers G06F3/06; digital recording or reproducing G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3414 Workload generation, e.g. scripts, playback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3433 for load management allocation of a server based on load conditions G06F9/505; load rebalancing G06F9/5083; redistributing the load in a network by a load balancer H04L67/1029
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3442 for planning or managing the needed capacity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1827 Management specifically adapted to NAS management of storage area networks [SAN] G06F3/067
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0653 Monitoring storage devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems and methods for tuning and sizing one or more storage appliances in a storage system with respect to an application load and for optimizing a storage system based on a configuration of a client network and/or a storage appliance in a storage network. In one implementation, data corresponding to an application load configured to be applied to a storage appliance in the storage system is obtained. The application load is characterized in the context of a configuration of the storage system. One or more recommendations for optimizing performance of the storage system based on the characterized application load are generated.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for tuning storage systems, the method comprising:

identifying application data associated with a storage system, the application data corresponding to a plurality of applications configured to process loads at the storage system, the storage system including;

a storage network including a storage appliance that stores a load,

a client network including a client device, the client device being configured to execute one or more applications of the plurality of applications, and

a supporting network infrastructure that facilitates communication between the client network and the storage network, the communication between the client network and the storage network enabling the client device to access the load stored on the storage appliance;

accessing a client baseline associated with the client network, the client baseline indicating an attribute of the client network prior to the load being accessed by the client device;

automatically identifying an application from amongst the plurality of applications, the identification of the application being based, at least in part, on a performance metric associated with the application, and the application being configured to execute a plurality of functions associated with accessing the load;

identifying, using at least one processor, a function from amongst the plurality of functions, the function being configured to be performed on the client device during execution of the application, and the function causing the load to be accessed by the client device during performance of the function;

detecting that the function is being performed at the client device during execution of the application;

determining that the performance of the function caused the performance metric to change;

in response to detecting that the performance metric has changed, comparing the client baseline to a configuration of the client network, the configuration of the client network being associated with the changed performance metric;

automatically determining, based on the comparison, one or more workflows for modifying the configuration of the client network to enhance the changed performance metric of the application, the modification of the configuration of the client network causing performance of the function to be limited, and the limiting of the function causing the performance metric to be enhanced; and

facilitating initiation of the determined one or more workflows using the modified configuration, the initiation of the one or more workflows causing the application to be executed with the function being limited.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the application data is obtained using a script set of one or more queries.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deploying at least one of the one or more workflows.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising validating one or more components of the storage system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising validating code utilized by one or more components in the storage system.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a characteristic of the one or more applications, the identification of the characteristic including at least one of;

determining whether a network name system service is available;

analyzing a type and usage of network interfaces for traffic exchanged between the storage network and the client network;

or a distribution of the traffic exchanged between the storage network and the client network through one or more network components.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing at least one of:

a relationship of an operating system executed on the client device of the client network to the storage appliance;

client diagnostics;

or client baselines.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the application data includes at least one of:

a mount option utilized for exchanging traffic between the storage network and the client network;

one or more applications running on an operating system executed on the client device of the client network;

a protocol controlling communication between the client network and the storage appliance;

or one or more virtual machines deployed within the storage system.

9. One or more non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions for performing a computer process on a computing system, the computer process comprising:

identifying application data associated with a storage system, the application data corresponding to a plurality of applications configured to process loads at the storage system, the storage system including;

a storage network accessible by a client network, the storage network including a storage appliance that stores a load,

the client network including a client device, the client device being configured to execute one or more applications of the plurality of applications, and

a supporting network infrastructure that facilitates communication between the client network and the storage network, the communication between the client network and the storage network enabling the client device to access the load stored on the storage appliance;

accessing a client baseline associated with the client network, the client baseline indicating an attribute of the client network prior to the load being accessed by the client device;

automatically identifying an application from amongst the plurality of applications, the identification of the application being based, at least in part, on a performance metric associated with the application, and the application being configured to execute a plurality of functions associated with accessing the load;

identifying, using at least one processor, a function from amongst the plurality of functions, the function being configured to be performed on the client device during execution of the application, and the function causing the load to be accessed by the client device during performance of the function;

detecting that the function is being performed at the client device during execution of the application;

determining that the performance of the function caused the performance metric to change;

in response to detecting that the performance metric has changed, comparing the client baseline to a configuration of the client network, the configuration of the client network being associated with the changed performance metric;

automatically determining, based on the comparison, one or more workflows for modifying the configuration of the client network to enhance the changed performance metric of the application, the modification of the configuration of the client network causing performance of the function to be limited, and the limiting of the function causing the performance metric to be enhanced; and

facilitating initiation of the determined one or more workflows using the modified configuration, the initiation of the one or more workflows causing the application to be executed with the function being limited.

10. The one or more non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the application data is obtained using a script set of one or more queries.

11. The one or more non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage media of claim 10, wherein the script set utilizes a comprehensive dynamic tracing framework.

12. The one or more non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage media of claim 9, further comprising validating one or more components of the storage system.

13. The one or more non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage media of claim 9, further comprising validating code utilized by one or more components in the storage system.

14. A storage system comprising:

a storage network including a storage appliance that stores a load;

a client network including at least one client device, the at least one client device being configured to execute one or more applications of a plurality of applications;

a supporting network infrastructure that facilitates communication between the client network and the storage network, the communication between the client network and the storage network enabling the client device to access the load stored on the storage appliance;

an administrator system in communication with the storage system and configured to;

identify application data associated with the storage system, the application data corresponding to a plurality of applications configured to process loads at the storage system,

access a client baseline associated with the client network, the client baseline indicating an attribute of the client network prior to the load being accessed by the client device;

automatically identify an application from amongst the plurality of applications, the identification of the application being based, at least in part, on a performance metric associated with the application, and the application being configured to execute a plurality of functions associated with accessing the load;

identify, using at least one processor, a function from amongst the plurality of functions, the function being configured to be performed on the client device, and the function causing the load to be accessed by the client device during performance of the function;

detect that the function is being performed at the client device during execution of the application;

determine that the performance of the function caused the performance metric to change;

in response to detecting that the performance metric has changed, comparing the client baseline to a configuration of the client network, the configuration of the client network being associated with the changed performance metric;

automatically determine, based on the comparison, one or more workflows for modifying the configuration of the client network to enhance the changed performance metric of the application, the modification of the configuration of the client network causing performance of the function to be limited, and the limiting of the function causing the performance metric to be enhanced; and

facilitate initiation of the determined one or more workflows using the modified configuration, the initiation of the one or more workflows causing the application to be executed with the function being limited.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the administrator system is further configured to deploy at least one of the one or more workflows.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the administrator system collects the application data using a script set of one or more queries.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the script set utilizes a comprehensive tracing framework.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the administrator system is further configured to:

identify a characteristic of the one or more applications, the identification of the characteristic including at least one of;

determining whether a network name system service is available;

analyzing a type and usage of network interfaces for traffic exchanged between the storage network and the client network;

or a distribution of the traffic exchanged between the storage network and the client network through one or more network components.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising analyzing at least one of:

a relationship of an operating system executed on the at least one client device of the client network to the storage appliance;

client diagnostics;

or client baselines.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the application data includes at least one of:

a mount option utilized for exchanging traffic between the storage network and the client network;

one or more applications running on an operating system executed on at least one client device of the client network;

a protocol controlling communication between the client network and the storage appliance;

or one or more virtual machines deployed within the storage system.