SELECTION OF DATA MOVER FOR DATA TRANSFER

• US 20080177958A1
• Filed: 01/22/2007
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fruchtman, Barry, Cannon, David Maxwell, Segapeli, Michael Harry, Kissel, Erick Christian, Hsiao, Yu-mei Una
• Granted Patent: US 7,844,756 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/161
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture wherein a set of communication paths between a plurality of data movers and a plurality of storage devices is maintained. A request to transfer data from a source storage device to a target storage device is received, wherein the source storage device and the target storage device are included in the plurality of storage devices. At least one data mover from the plurality of data movers is selected based on the set of communication paths, wherein the selected at least one data mover can transfer the data from the source storage device to the target storage device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

maintaining a set of communication paths between a plurality of data movers and a plurality of storage devices;

receiving a request to transfer data from a source storage device to a target storage device, wherein the source storage device and the target storage device are included in the plurality of storage devices; and

selecting at least one data mover from the plurality of data movers based on the set of communication paths, wherein the selected at least one data mover can transfer the data from the source storage device to the target storage device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of communication paths is a first set of communication paths, further comprising:

maintaining a second set of communication paths among the plurality of data movers, wherein the selecting of at least one data mover from the plurality of data movers is also based on the second set of communication paths in addition to being based on the first set of communication paths.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the selecting of the at least one data mover further comprises:

selecting the at least one data mover to be a first data mover with a communication path to both the source storage device and target storage device in preference to a second data mover and a third data mover that are directly connected, wherein the second data mover has a communication path to the source device and the third data mover has a communication path to the target device, and wherein the second data mover and the third data mover can include the first data mover.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the selecting of the at least one data mover further comprises:

selecting the at least one data mover to be the second data mover and the third data mover that are directly connected in preference to a fourth data mover and a fifth data mover, wherein the fourth data mover and the fifth data mover in combination with at least one other data mover can transfer data from the source storage device to the target storage device, wherein the fourth data mover, the fifth data mover and the at least one other data mover can include one or more of the first, second, and third data movers.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first set of communication paths and the second set of communication paths are maintained in a repository in a storage management server, wherein the storage management server selects the at least one data mover, the method further comprising:

transferring, by the selected at least one data mover, the data from the source storage device to the target storage device, wherein the selecting of the at least one data mover further comprises prioritizing for selection the at least one data mover over one or more other data movers, based on one or more criteria for selection among the plurality of data movers, wherein the one or more criteria for selection are also maintained in the repository in the storage management server.

6. A system for controlling a plurality of data movers and a plurality of storage devices, the system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor executes operations, the operations comprising;

(i) maintaining a set of communication paths between the plurality of data movers and the plurality of storage devices;

(ii) receiving a request to transfer data from a source storage device to a target storage device, wherein the source storage device and the target storage device are included in the plurality of storage devices; and

(iii) selecting at least one data mover from the plurality of data movers based on the set of communication paths, wherein the selected at least one data mover can transfer the data from the source storage device to the target storage device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the set of communication paths is a first set of communication paths, the operations further comprising:

maintaining a second set of communication paths among the plurality of data movers, wherein the selecting of at least one data mover from the plurality of data movers is also based on the second set of communication paths in addition to being based on the first set of communication paths.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the selecting of the at least one data mover further comprises:

selecting the at least one data mover to be a first data mover with a communication path to both the source storage device and target storage device in preference to a second data mover and a third data mover that are directly connected, wherein the second data mover has a communication path to the source device and the third data mover has a communication path to the target device, and wherein the second data mover and the third data mover can include the first data mover.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the selecting of the at least one data mover further comprises:

selecting the at least one data mover to be the second data mover and the third data mover that are directly connected in preference to a fourth data mover and a fifth data mover, wherein the fourth data mover and the fifth data mover in combination with at least one other data mover can transfer data from the source storage device to the target storage device, wherein the fourth data mover, the fifth data mover and the at least one other data mover can include one or more of the first, second, and third data movers.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the first set of communication paths and the second set of communication paths are maintained in a repository in a storage management server, wherein the storage management server selects the at least one data mover, the operations further comprising:

transferring, by the selected at least one data mover, the data from the source storage device to the target storage device, wherein the selecting of the at least one data mover further comprises prioritizing for selection the at least one data mover over one or more other data movers, based on one or more criteria for selection among the plurality of data movers, wherein the one or more criteria for selection are also maintained in the repository in the storage management server.

11. An article of manufacture including code, wherein the code when executed by a computer causes operations, the operations comprising:

maintaining a set of communication paths between a plurality of data movers and a plurality of storage devices;

receiving a request to transfer data from a source storage device to a target storage device, wherein the source storage device and the target storage device are included in the plurality of storage devices; and

selecting at least one data mover from the plurality of data movers based on the set of communication paths, wherein the selected at least one data mover can transfer the data from the source storage device to the target storage device.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the set of communication paths is a first set of communication paths, the operations further comprising:

maintaining a second set of communication paths among the plurality of data movers, wherein the selecting of at least one data mover from the plurality of data movers is also based on the second set of communication paths in addition to being based on the first set of communication paths.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the selecting of the at least one data mover further comprises:

selecting the at least one data mover to be a first data mover with a communication path to both the source storage device and target storage device in preference to a second data mover and a third data mover that are directly connected, wherein the second data mover has a communication path to the source device and the third data mover has a communication path to the target device, and wherein the second data mover and the third data mover can include the first data mover.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the selecting of the at least one data mover further comprises:

selecting the at least one data mover to be the second data mover and the third data mover that are directly connected in preference to a fourth data mover and a fifth data mover, wherein the fourth data mover and the fifth data mover in combination with at least one other data mover can transfer data from the source storage device to the target storage device, wherein the fourth data mover, the fifth data mover and the at least one other data mover can include one or more of the first, second, and third data movers.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the first set of communication paths and the second set of communication paths are maintained in a repository in a storage management server, wherein the storage management server selects the at least one data mover, the operations further comprising:

transferring, by the selected at least one data mover, the data from the source storage device to the target storage device, wherein the selecting of the at least one data mover further comprises prioritizing for selection the at least one data mover over one or more other data movers, based on one or more criteria for selection among the plurality of data movers, wherein the one or more criteria for selection are also maintained in the repository in the storage management server.

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

maintaining a set of communication paths between a plurality of data movers and a plurality of storage devices;

receiving a request to transfer data from a source storage device to a target storage device, wherein the source storage device and the target storage device are included in the plurality of storage devices; and

selecting at least one data mover from the plurality of data movers based on the set of communication paths, wherein the selected at least one data mover can transfer the data from the source storage device to the target storage device.

17. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 16, wherein the set of communication paths is a first set of communication paths, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing:

maintaining a second set of communication paths among the plurality of data movers, wherein the selecting of at least one data mover from the plurality of data movers is also based on the second set of communication paths in addition to being based on the first set of communication paths.

18. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 17, wherein the selecting of the at least one data mover further comprises:

selecting the at least one data mover to be a first data mover with a communication path to both the source storage device and target storage device in preference to a second data mover and a third data mover that are directly connected, wherein the second data mover has a communication path to the source device and the third data mover has a communication path to the target device, and wherein the second data mover and the third data mover can include the first data mover.

19. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 18, wherein the selecting of the at least one data mover further comprises:

selecting the at least one data mover to be the second data mover and the third data mover that are directly connected in preference to a fourth data mover and a fifth data mover, wherein the fourth data mover and the fifth data mover in combination with at least one other data mover can transfer data from the source storage device to the target storage device, wherein the fourth data mover, the fifth data mover and the at least one other data mover can include one or more of the first, second, and third data movers.

20. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 17, wherein the first set of communication paths and the second set of communication paths are maintained in a repository in a storage management server, wherein the storage management server selects the at least one data mover, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing:

transferring, by the selected at least one data mover, the data from the source storage device to the target storage device, wherein the selecting of the at least one data mover further comprises prioritizing for selection the at least one data mover over one or more other data movers, based on one or more criteria for selection among the plurality of data movers, wherein the one or more criteria for selection are also maintained in the repository in the storage management server.