Load balancing method for exchanging data between multiple hosts and storage entities, in ip based storage area network

• US 20050010682A1
• Filed: 09/06/2002
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OCZ Israel Limited (Kioxia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SANRAD INC. (ZCO Liquidating Corporation)
• Inventors: Amir, Shai, Yaroh, Klein
• Granted Patent: US 7,464,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention achieves load balancing of activities on storage entities, operating in a storage area network (SAN) by assignment of address to each storage entity. The storage traffic is monitored and statistics are accumulated over an interval and then used to obtain the traffic pattern of each host-storage entity link. A statistical analysis is used to determine the optimal routing map from hosts to storage entity. Other heuristics including genetic algorithms many also be used. This mapping is set on the network by assigning the entities'"'"' addresses to the storage gateways, thus does not impose any process on the hosts or the disks.

Claims

1. A method for balancing traffic on a plurality of host storage entities with selectively optimized routing in an storage area network, including a network of at least one host and at least on storage gateway, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting a unique gateway for connecting between a host entity to a storage entity;

routing via a host-gateway-storage entity;

assigning an IP address to at least one of several storage entities such that said host recognizes a storage entity by IP address;

accumulating at least one of several of a statistical readings of data traffic in said network from each host-gateway-storage entity route over a time interval by a statistical server;

processing said statistical reading;

calculating an optimal routing map of each of said host gateway-storage-entity said optimal routing map including a function of an optimization function where each of at least one of several mapping solutions results from a cost function combined from a traffic variance balance and a reading of minimal changes for an apriori mapping;

determining at least one of several of a mapping setting in said network by assigning said IP address of each host-gateway-storage entity to a storage gateway with each of one of several gateways listening for new IP addresses set to each gateway; and

implementing an optimized routing mapping.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the assigning step assigns a unique IP address.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the processing step is performed by a statistical server.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of accumulating of statistics in the method of claim 1 is done a-priory by at least a network manager.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the IP addresses assignment is implemented with a Storage Name Server configuration therein further said assignments is determined by the step of:

a host querying the server periodically for the IP address of the storage entity and granting the IP address according to the routing map.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the routing map is implemented by the storage gateways with redirections of the storage transaction commands.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the network is constructed from at least one of several hosts, several proxies and several IP storage endpoints including at least one of a storage entity with IP interface or a storage gateway.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said optimal routing further includes an optimization determined by a fitness function having at least one of a genetic algorithm;

a stochastic simulation;

a simulated annealing;

a tabular search;

an economic optimization, wherein the economic optimization further includes at least one of a cost minimization;

a substitution based on a selection of a cluster of at least one of several of a host;

at least one of several of a gateway; and

at least one of several of a storage entity.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the host storage entity includes at least one of a host storage entity having at least one of several of physical disks, virtual disks, cluster of physical disks, cluster of virtual disks or cluster of virtual and physical disks.

10. A system for balancing traffic on a plurality of host storage entities with selectively optimized routing comprising physical disks, virtual disks, clusters of physical disks, clusters of virtual disks as well as combinations of virtual and physical disks in an IP based storage area network;

at least one of several gateways;

at least one of several storage databases;

an IP network;

at least one of several statistical servers;

at least one of several FC switches;

at least one of several FC hubs;

at least one of several proxies; and

an interconnection optimally routed to;

at least one of several storage databases;

said storage databases further comprising IP enabled storage databases.

11. A system for balancing traffic on a plurality of host storage entities with selectively optimized routing comprising physical disks, virtual disks, clusters of physical disks, clusters of virtual disks as well as combinations of virtual and physical disks in an IP based storage area network;

further consisting of

at least one of several hosts linking to an;

an EP network;

a statistical service;

at least one of several gateways interconnecting to

at least one of a FC switch;

an interconnection optimally routed to

at least one served of several storage databases;

said storage databases further comprising IP enabled storage databases.

an IP network;

at least one of several statistical servers;

at least one of several FC switches;

at least one of several FC hubs;

at least one of several proxies; and

an interconnection optimally routed to at least one of several storage databases;

said storage databases further comprising IP enabled storage databases.