Adjusting storage capacity in a computing system

• US 10,430,079 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2015
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Inventors: Colgrove, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Dudek, Jr., Edward J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Verderamo, III, Ralph A
• Application Number:
  US14/847,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20160070482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0641 De-duplication techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

Adjusting storage capacity in a computing system that includes a computing device configured to send access requests to a storage device characterized by a first storage capacity, including: reducing data; determining, in dependence upon an amount of storage capacity saved by reducing the data, an updated storage capacity for the storage device; and exporting an updated storage capacity to the computing device.

Claims

1. A method of adjusting storage capacity in a computing system, the method comprising by a storage device:

reducing data;

determining an amount of storage capacity saved by reducing the data;

determining an updated total storage capacity for the storage device in dependence upon an anticipated deduplication reduction level; and

representing in the updated total storage capacity provided to a computing device, some portion of the amount of storage capacity saved by reducing the data, as additional storage capacity, wherein the portion of the amount of storage capacity saved is less than the amount of storage capacity saved.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein reducing the data further comprises compressing the data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein reducing the data further comprises deduplicating the data.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the updated total storage capacity for the storage device in dependence upon a predetermined amount of storage capacity held in reserve.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein representing in an updated storage capacity provided to a computing device, some portion of the amount of storage capacity saved by reducing the data, as additional storage capacity includes exporting the updated total storage capacity to the computing device periodically.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein representing in an updated storage capacity provided to a computing device, some portion of the amount of storage capacity saved by reducing the data, as additional storage capacity includes exporting the updated total storage capacity to the computing device upon storing the data.

7. A storage device configured for:

reducing data;

determining an amount of storage capacity saved by reducing the data;

determining an updated total storage capacity for the storage device in dependence upon an anticipated deduplication reduction level; and

representing in the updated total storage capacity provided to a computing device, some portion of the amount of storage capacity saved by reducing the data, as additional storage capacity, wherein the portion of the amount of storage capacity saved is less than the amount of storage capacity saved.

8. The storage device of claim 7 wherein reducing the data further comprises compressing the data.

9. The storage device of claim 7 wherein reducing the data further comprises deduplicating the data.

10. The storage device of claim 7 wherein the storage device is further configured for determining the updated total storage capacity for the storage device in dependence upon a predetermined amount of storage capacity held in reserve.

11. The storage device of claim 7 wherein representing in an updated storage capacity provided to a computing device, some portion of the amount of storage capacity saved by reducing the data, as additional storage capacity includes exporting the updated total storage capacity to the computing device periodically.

12. The storage device of claim 7 wherein representing in an updated storage capacity provided to a computing device, some portion of the amount of storage capacity saved by reducing the data, as additional storage capacity includes exporting the updated total storage capacity to the computing device upon storing the data.

13. A computer program product for adjusting storage capacity in a computing system that includes a storage device, the computer program product including a non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the storage device to carry out the steps of:

reducing data;

determining an amount of storage capacity saved by reducing the data;

determining an updated total storage capacity for the storage device in dependence upon an anticipated deduplication reduction level;

representing in the updated total storage capacity provided to a computing device, some portion of the amount of storage capacity saved by reducing the data, as additional storage capacity, wherein the portion of the amount of storage capacity saved is less than the amount of storage capacity saved.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein reducing the data further comprises compressing the data.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein reducing the data further comprises deduplicating the data.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprises computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the storage device to carry out the steps of:

determining the updated total storage capacity for the storage device in dependence upon a predetermined amount of storage capacity held in reserve.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein representing in an updated storage capacity provided to a computing device, some portion of the amount of storage capacity saved by reducing the data, as additional storage capacity includes exporting the updated total storage capacity to the computing device periodically.