Method and apparatus for power-managing storage devices in a storage pool

• US 20080104204A1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Johnson, Darrin P., Moore, William H., Holtz, Tabriz I.
• Granted Patent: US 7,840,657 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0643 Management of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/126 Arrangements for providing electrical connections, e.g. connectors, cables, switches

Abstract

A method for power-managing storage devices in a storage pool involves monitoring the storage pool to determine whether a storage management policy is satisfied, where the storage pool comprises a first storage device that is powered up and a second storage device that is powered down, powering up the second storage device after the storage management policy is satisfied, and making the second storage device available for use in the storage pool after the second storage device is powered up.

Claims

1. A method for power-managing storage devices in a storage pool, comprising:

monitoring the storage pool to determine whether a storage management policy is satisfied, wherein the storage pool comprises a first storage device that is powered up and a second storage device that is powered down;

powering up the second storage device after the storage management policy is satisfied; and

making the second storage device available for use in the storage pool after the second storage device is powered up.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initializing the storage pool with the second storage device powered up; and

powering down the second storage device after the storage pool is initialized,

wherein initializing the storage pool and powering down the second storage device are performed prior to making the second storage device available for use in the storage pool.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

striping data across the first storage device and the second storage device after the second storage device is available for use in the storage pool.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the storage pool, powering up the second storage device, and making the second storage device available for use in the storage pool are managed by a file system associated with the storage pool.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the storage pool, powering up the storage device, and making the second storage device available for use in the storage pool are managed by an electronic storage management agent.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second storage device comprises a disk drive, and wherein powering up the second storage device comprises changing the disk drive from a spun down state to a spun up state.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein satisfying the storage management policy comprises reaching a storage utilization threshold for the storage pool.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second storage device is a virtual device comprising a plurality of physical storage media.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second storage device comprises a storage medium selected from a group consisting of solid state storage, magnetic storage, and optical storage.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second storage device is selected from a plurality of powered-down storage devices in the storage pool based on the storage management policy.

11. A system comprising:

a storage pool comprising;

a first storage device that is powered up, and

a second storage device that is powered down; and

a storage device management mechanism configured to;

monitor the storage pool to determine whether a storage management policy is satisfied;

power up the second storage device after the storage management policy is satisfied; and

make the second storage device available for use in the storage pool after the second storage device is powered up.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the storage device management mechanism is further configured to:

initialize the storage pool with the second storage device powered up; and

power down the second storage device after the storage pool is initialized,

wherein initializing the storage pool and powering down the second storage device are performed prior to making the second storage device available for use in the storage pool.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein data is striped across the first storage device and the second storage device after the second storage device is available for use in the storage pool.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the storage device management mechanism is a file system associated with the storage pool.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the storage device management mechanism is an electronic storage management agent.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the second storage device comprises a disk drive, and wherein powering up the second storage device comprises changing the disk drive from a spun down state to a spun up state.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein satisfying the storage management policy comprises reaching a storage utilization threshold for the storage pool.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the second storage device is a virtual device comprising a plurality of physical storage media.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the second storage device comprises a storage medium selected from a group consisting of solid state storage, magnetic storage, and optical storage.

20. A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions for power-managing storage devices in a storage pool by:

initializing the storage pool, wherein the storage pool comprises a first storage device that is powered up and a second storage device that is powered up;

powering down the second storage device after the storage pool is initialized;

monitoring the initialized storage pool to determine whether a storage management policy is satisfied;

powering up the second storage device after the storage management policy is satisfied; and

making the second storage device available for use in the initialized storage pool after the second storage device is powered up.