Apparatus, system, and method for predicting storage device failure

• US 20070174720A1
• Filed: 01/23/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kubo, Robert, Mannenbach, David, Nielsen, Karl
• Granted Patent: US 7,496,796 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/42
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/008 Reliability or availability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3485 for I/O devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/88 Monitoring involving counting

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for predicting storage device failure. A technology descriptor module associates a technology descriptor with a storage device. A failure threshold module sets a predictive failure threshold for the storage device in response to the technology descriptor. In one embodiment, a workload management detection module detects workload management of the storage device. A threshold modification module may modify the predictive failure threshold in response to detecting the workload management of the storage device. A performance detection module detects a storage device error that exceeds the modified predictive failure threshold as a storage device predictive failure.

Claims

1. An apparatus to predict storage device failure, the apparatus comprising:

a technology descriptor module configured to associate a technology descriptor with a storage device;

a failure threshold module configured to set a predictive failure threshold for the storage device in response to the technology descriptor; and

a performance detection module configured to detect a storage device error that exceeds the predictive failure threshold as a storage device predictive failure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a workload management detection module configured to detect workload management of the storage device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a threshold modification module configured to modify the predictive failure threshold in response to detecting the workload management of the storage device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein workload management detection module detects the workload management of the storage device using a characteristic selected from a storage device activity characteristic and a storage device environmental characteristic.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a remediation module configured to remedy the storage device predictive failure in response to detecting the storage device predictive failure.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the remediation module is further configured to access data from a mirror storage device to remedy the storage device predictive failure.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a notification module configured to communicate a notification of the storage device predictive failure.

8. A signal bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform an operation to predict storage device failure, the operation comprising:

associating a technology descriptor with a storage device, wherein the technology descriptor specifies nominal operating characteristics for the storage device;

setting a predictive failure threshold for the storage device in response to the technology descriptor;

detecting workload management of the storage device; and

detecting a storage device error that exceeds the predictive failure threshold as a storage device predictive failure.

9. The signal bearing medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions further comprise an operation to modify the predictive failure threshold in response to detecting the workload management of the storage device.

10. The signal bearing medium of claim 8, wherein the workload management of the storage device is detected by querying the storage device.

11. The signal bearing medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions further comprise an operation to detect the workload management of the storage device using a characteristic selected from a storage device activity characteristic and a storage device environmental characteristic.

12. The signal bearing medium of claim 8, wherein the predictive failure threshold is configured as a specified number of errors within a specified time interval, and wherein each error is a failure to complete a storage operation within a specified response time.

13. The signal bearing medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions further comprise an operation to remedy the storage device predictive failure in response to detecting the storage device predictive failure.

14. The signal bearing medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further comprise an operation to migrate data from the storage device to remedy the storage device predictive failure.

15. The signal bearing medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further comprise an operation to access data from a mirror storage device to remedy the storage device predictive failure.

16. The signal bearing medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions further comprise an operation to communicate a notification of the storage device predictive failure.

17. A system to predict storage device failure, the system comprising:

a storage device configured to store data;

a storage controller configured to manage the storage device and comprising

a technology descriptor module configured to associate a technology descriptor with a storage device, wherein the technology descriptor specifies nominal operating characteristics for the storage device;

a failure threshold module configured to set a predictive failure threshold for the storage device in response to the technology descriptor;

a workload management detection module configured to detect workload management of the storage device;

a threshold modification module configured to modify the predictive failure threshold in response to detecting the workload management of the storage device; and

a performance detection module configured to detect a storage device error that exceeds the modified predictive failure threshold as a storage device predictive failure.

18. The system of claim 17, where the storage controller further comprises a remediation module configured to remedy the storage device predictive failure in response to detecting the storage device predictive failure.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the predictive failure threshold is configured as a specified number of errors within a specified time interval, and wherein each error is a failure to complete a storage operation within a specified response time.

20. A method for deploying computer infrastructure, comprising integrating computer-readable code into a computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing the following:

associating a technology descriptor with a storage device, wherein the technology descriptor specifies nominal operating characteristics for the storage device;

setting a predictive failure threshold for the storage device in response to the technology descriptor, wherein the predictive failure threshold is configured as a specified number of failures within a specified time interval, and wherein each failure is a failure to complete a storage operation within a specified response time;

detecting workload management of the storage device;

modifying the predictive failure threshold in response to detecting the workload management of the storage device; and

detecting a storage device error that exceeds the modified predictive failure threshold as a storage device predictive failure.