Selecting a primary storage device

• US 10,359,936 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2017
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Best, Steven F., Girouard, Janice M., Reiland, Robert E., Shiran, Yehuda
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Nicholas R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Chong G
• Application Number:
  US15/801,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20180052602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 709235
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0634 by changing the state or mode of one or more devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput

Abstract

A method for determining a primary storage device and a secondary storage device for copies of data comprises determining metrics data for at least two storage devices located on different servers in a computing environment. The method further comprises adjusting the metrics data using a predefined weighting factor for read data blocks rates and a predefined weighting factor for written data blocks rates, where the predefined weighting factor for the written data blocks rates is higher than the predefined weighting factor for the read data blocks rates. The method further comprises selecting a storage device of the at least two storage devices as a primary storage device based, at least in part, on the adjusted metrics data for each of the at least two storage devices.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining, by one or more processors, a first set of metrics data for a first storage device hosted by a first server computer and a second storage device hosted by a second server computer located in a computing environment, wherein the first storage device and the second storage device each includes a copy of stored data, and wherein the first set of metrics data includes at least;

(i) a read data blocks rate for each respective storage device that is a rate at which data is read from the respective storage device by the storage device'"'"'s respective server, and (ii) a written data blocks rate for each respective storage device that is a rate at which data is written to the respective storage device by the storage device'"'"'s respective server;

determining, by one or more processors, a second set of metrics data for the first server computer and the second server computer that includes a data packet transmission rate by the first server computer for first storage device and by the second server computer for the second storage device;

adjusting, by one or more processors, the first set and the second set of metrics data using a predefined weighting factor for the read data blocks rates, a predefined weighting factor for the written data blocks rates, and a predefined weighing factor for the data packet transmission rate;

determining, by one or more processors, a first and a second I/O throughput value based on the adjusted first set and the second set of metrics data for the first storage device and the second storage device, wherein the first I/O throughput is a sum of a first adjusted read data block rate, a first adjusted written data block rate, and a first adjusted data packet transmission rate for the first storage device, and wherein the second I/O throughput is a sum of a second adjusted read data block rate, a second adjusted written data block rate, and a second adjusted data packet transmission rate for the second storage device; and

selecting, by one or more processors, the first storage device with a lowest determined I/O throughput as a primary storage device for accessing the copy of the stored data, wherein the lowest determined I/O throughput is the first I/O throughput.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, by one or more processors, the second storage device with a second lowest determined I/O throughput as a secondary storage device for accessing the copy of the stored data, wherein the second lowest determined I/O throughput is the second I/O throughput.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first and the second metrics data further includes command execution times of commands associated with an Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) layer.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first and the second metrics data further includes command execution times of commands associated with a statistical analysis system (SAS) device driver.

5. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media, the program instructions comprising:

program instructions to determine a first set of metrics data for a first storage device hosted by a first server computer and a second storage device hosted by a second server computer located in a computing environment, wherein the first storage device and the second storage device each includes a copy of stored data, and wherein the first set of metrics data includes at least;

(i) a read data blocks rate for each respective storage device that is a rate at which data is read from the respective storage device by the storage device'"'"'s respective server, and (ii) a written data blocks rate for each respective storage device that is a rate at which data is written to the respective storage device by the storage device'"'"'s respective server;

program instructions to determine a second set of metrics data for the first server computer and the second server computer that includes a data packet transmission rate by the first server computer for first storage device and by the second server computer for the second storage device;

program instructions to adjust the first set and the second set of metrics data using a predefined weighting factor for the read data blocks rates, a predefined weighting factor for the written data blocks rates, and a predefined weighing factor for the data packet transmission rate;

program instructions to determine a first and a second I/O throughput value based on the adjusted first set and the second set of metrics data for the first storage device and the second storage device, wherein the first I/O throughput is a sum of a first adjusted read data block rate, a first adjusted written data block rate, and a first adjusted data packet transmission rate for the first storage device, and wherein the second I/O throughput is a sum of a second adjusted read data block rate, a second adjusted written data block rate, and a second adjusted data packet transmission rate for the second storage device; and

program instructions to select the first storage device with a lowest determined I/O throughput as a primary storage device for accessing the copy of the stored data, wherein the lowest determined I/O throughput is the first I/O throughput.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the program instructions further comprise:

program instructions to select the second storage device with a second lowest determined I/O throughput as a secondary storage device for accessing the copy of the stored data, wherein the second lowest determined I/O throughput is the second I/O throughput.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the first and the second metrics data further includes command execution times of commands associated with an Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) layer.

8. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the first and the second metrics data further includes command execution times of commands associated with a statistical analysis system (SAS) device driver.

9. A computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer-readable storage media; and

program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to determine a first set of metrics data for a first storage device hosted by a first server computer and a second storage device hosted by a second server computer located in a computing environment, wherein the first storage device and the second storage device each includes a copy of stored data, and wherein the first set of metrics data includes at least;

(i) a read data blocks rate for each respective storage device that is a rate at which data is read from the respective storage device by the storage device'"'"'s respective server, and (ii) a written data blocks rate for each respective storage device that is a rate at which data is written to the respective storage device by the storage device'"'"'s respective server;

program instructions to determine a second set of metrics data for the first server computer and the second server computer that includes a data packet transmission rate by the first server computer for first storage device and by the second server computer for the second storage device;

program instructions to adjust the first set and the second set of metrics data using a predefined weighting factor for the read data blocks rates, and a predefined weighting factor for the written data blocks rates, and a predefined weighing factor for the data packet transmission rate;

program instructions to determine a first and a second I/O throughput value based on the adjusted first set and the second set of metrics data for the first storage device and the second storage device, wherein the first I/O throughput is a sum of a first adjusted read data block rate, a first adjusted written data block rate, and a first adjusted data packet transmission rate for the first storage device, and wherein the second I/O throughput is a sum of a second adjusted read data block rate, a second adjusted written data block rate, and a second adjusted data packet transmission rate for the second storage device; and

program instructions to select the first storage device with a lowest determined I/O throughput as a primary storage device for accessing the copy of the stored data, wherein the lowest determined I/O throughput is the first I/O throughput.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the program instructions further comprise:

program instructions to select the second storage device with a second lowest determined I/O throughput as a secondary storage device for accessing the copy of the stored data, wherein the second lowest determined I/O throughput is the second I/O throughput.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the first and the second metrics data further includes command execution times of commands associated with an Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) layer.

12. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the first and the second metrics data further includes command execution times of commands associated with a statistical analysis system (SAS) device driver.