Storage pool space allocation across multiple locations

• US 20060129779A1
• Filed: 12/10/2004
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dawson, Colin Scott, Fruchtman, Barry, Cannon, David Maxwell, Nichols, Charles Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,363,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage 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: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays

Abstract

Techniques are provided for allocating storage space to a storage pool. A request for storage space for the storage pool is received. A list of locations associated with the storage pool is obtained, wherein the locations are capable of spanning multiple file systems or multiple directories within a single file system. One or more allocation techniques are applied to select one or more locations at which storage space is to be allocated. The storage space is allocated at the selected one or more locations.

Claims

1. A method for allocating storage space to a storage pool, comprising:

receiving a request for storage space for the storage pool;

obtaining a list of locations associated with the storage pool, wherein the locations are capable of spanning multiple file systems or multiple directories within a single file system;

applying one or more allocation techniques to select one or more locations at which storage space is to be allocated; and

allocating the storage space at the selected one or more locations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein pre-existing storage space is allocated.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein additional storage space is allocated.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocated storage space comprises a combination of pre-existing storage space and additional storage space.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving associations between locations in a storage subsystem and the storage pool, wherein the associations indicate which devices in the storage subsystem are to be part of the storage pool.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving server mappings that map server addressing information to the locations in the storage pool; and

receiving storage agent mappings that map storage agent addressing information to the locations in the storage pool.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a storage management server and one or more storage agents to access data at a location in the storage pool simultaneously via different addressing information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocation technique matches retrieval performance requirements of the data being stored to physical characteristics of an individual location in the storage pool.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a data request for the storage pool; and

forwarding storage agent addressing information for the location of the data within the storage pool to a storage agent.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to store data comprising an object in the storage pool;

disassembling the object into object portions; and

storing the object portions across multiple file systems contained within the storage pool.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the object has a size larger than a limit on an individual file system.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

reassembling the object portions to form the object on restore or retrieval operations.

13. An article of manufacture including program logic for allocating storage space to a storage pool, wherein the program logic causes operations to be performed, the operations comprising:

receiving a request for storage space for the storage pool;

obtaining a list of locations associated with the storage pool, wherein the locations are capable of spanning multiple file systems or multiple directories within a single file system;

applying one or more allocation techniques to select one or more locations at which storage space is to be allocated; and

allocating the storage space at the selected one or more locations.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein pre-existing storage space is allocated.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein additional storage space is allocated.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the allocated storage space comprises a combination of pre-existing storage space and additional storage space.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving associations between locations in a storage subsystem and the storage pool, wherein the associations indicate which devices in the storage subsystem are to be part of the storage pool.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving server mappings that map server addressing information to the locations in the storage pool; and

receiving storage agent mappings that map storage agent addressing information to the locations in the storage pool.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

enabling a storage management server and one or more storage agents to access data at a location in the storage pool simultaneously via different addressing information.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the allocation technique matches retrieval performance requirements of the data being stored to physical characteristics of an individual location in the storage pool.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a data request for the storage pool; and

forwarding storage agent addressing information for the location of the data within the storage pool to a storage agent.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a request to store data comprising an object in the storage pool;

disassembling the object into object portions; and

storing the object portions across multiple file systems contained within the storage pool.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22, wherein the object has a size larger than a limit on an individual file system.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 22, wherein the operations further comprise:

reassembling the object portions to form the object on restore or retrieval operations.

25. A system for allocating storage space to a storage pool, comprising:

circuitry capable of causing operations to be performed, the operations comprising;

receiving a request for storage space for the storage pool;

obtaining a list of locations associated with the storage pool, wherein the locations are capable of spanning multiple file systems or multiple directories within a single file system;

applying one or more allocation techniques to select one or more locations at which storage space is to be allocated; and

allocating the storage space at the selected one or more locations.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein pre-existing storage space is allocated.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein additional storage space is allocated.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the allocated storage space comprises a combination of pre-existing storage space and additional storage space.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving associations between locations in a storage subsystem and the storage pool, wherein the associations indicate which devices in the storage subsystem are to be part of the storage pool.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving server mappings that map server addressing information to the locations in the storage pool; and

receiving storage agent mappings that map storage agent addressing information to the locations in the storage pool.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein the operations further comprise:

enabling a storage management server and one or more storage agents to access data at a location in the storage pool simultaneously via different addressing information.

32. The system of claim 25, wherein the allocation technique matches retrieval performance requirements of the data being stored to physical characteristics of an individual location in the storage pool.

33. The system of claim 25, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a data request for the storage pool; and

forwarding storage agent addressing information for the location of the data within the storage pool to a storage agent.

34. The system of claim 25, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a request to store data comprising an object in the storage pool;

disassembling the object into object portions; and

storing the object portions across multiple file systems contained within the storage pool.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the object has a size larger than a limit on an individual file system.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the operations further comprise:

reassembling the object portions to form the object on restore or retrieval operations.