Controlling Computer Storage Systems

• US 20080228687A1
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Magoutis, Konstantinos, Voruganti, Kaladhar, Devarakonda, Murthy V., Vogl, Norbert George
• Granted Patent: US 8,185,779 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/47
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/008 Reliability or availability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2069 Management of state, configuration or failover
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/1004 Adaptive RAID, i.e. RAID system adapts to changing circumstances, e.g. RAID1 becomes RAID5 as disks fill up

Abstract

Goal-based availability and change management are handled over groups of heterogeneous storage controllers. Probabilistic and deterministic methods are employed to determine the allocation and placement of storage volumes to storage controllers, as well as the degree of data redundancy necessary to achieve data availability goals The probabilistic methods can take into account past observations of controller availability, and operator beliefs, as well as the state of storage controller configuration, in coming up with a probabilistic estimate of future availability.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a computer storage system, comprising the steps of:

obtaining deterministic component availability information pertaining to said system;

obtaining probabilistic component availability information pertaining to said system; and

checking for violation of availability goals based on both said deterministic component availability information and said probabilistic component availability information

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the additional step of maintaining a current status, responsive to said checking indicating no violation of said availability goals.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the additional step of determining replication parameters, responsive to said checking indicating a violation of said availability goals

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said replication parameters comprise at least how to replicate and where to replicate.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said obtaining deterministic component availability information pertaining to said system comprises obtaining a request for change, further comprising the additional step of obtaining an estimated replication time.

6. The method of claim 5, hither comprising the additional step of taking said estimated replication time into account in evaluating said request for change

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said taking into account comprises:

determining whether sufficient time is available to replicate to accommodate said request for change; and

responsive to said determining step indicating that sufficient time is not available, rejecting said request for change.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said taking into account comprises:

determining whether sufficient time is available to replicate to accommodate said request for change; and

responsive to said determining step indicating that sufficient time is not available, searching for an alternative plan to accommodate said request for change

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said taking into account comprises:

determining whether sufficient time is available to replicate to accommodate said request for change; and

responsive to said determining step indicating that sufficient time is available, developing a change plan

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said change plan comprises:

preparation information indicative of replica locations, relationships, and timing

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said change plan further comprises:

execution information indicative of replication performance; and

failover detection information indicative of how to execute necessary failover actions no later than a time of an action associated with said request for change.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said change plan further comprises:

completion information indicative of replication relationship maintenance and discard, and

information indicative of how to execute necessary failback actions no earlier than a time of another action associated with said request for change.

13. A method for controlling a computer storage system, comprising the steps of:

obtaining a request for change;

obtaining an estimated replication time associated with a replication to accommodate said change; and

taking said estimated replication time into account in evaluating said request for change

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said taking into account comprises:

determining whether sufficient time is available to replicate to accommodate said request for change; and

responsive to said determining step indicating that sufficient time is not available, rejecting said request for change.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said taking into account comprises:

determining whether sufficient time is available to replicate to accommodate said request for change; and

responsive to said determining step indicating that sufficient time is not available, searching for an alternative plan to accommodate said request for change

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said taking into account comprises:

determining whether sufficient time is available to replicate to accommodate said request for change; and

responsive to said determining step indicating that sufficient time is available, developing a change plan.

17. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer useable program code for controlling a computer storage system, said computer program product including:

computer useable program code for obtaining deterministic component availability information pertaining to said system;

computer useable program code for obtaining probabilistic component availability information pertaining to said system; and

computer useable program code for checking for violation of availability goals based on both said deterministic component availability information and said probabilistic component availability information.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said computer useable program code for obtaining deterministic component availability information pertaining to said system comprises computer useable program code for obtaining a request for change, further comprising:

computer useable program code for obtaining an estimated replication time; and

computer useable program code for taking said estimated replication time into account in evaluating said request for change.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer useable program code for controlling a computer storage system, said computer program product including:

computer useable program code for obtaining a request for change;

computer useable program code for obtaining an estimated replication time associated with a replication to accommodate said change; and

computer useable program code for taking said estimated replication time into account in evaluating said request for change

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said computer useable program code for taking said estimated replication time into account comprises:

computer useable program code for determining whether sufficient time is available to replicate to accommodate said request for change; and

computer useable program code for rejecting said request for change, responsive to said computer useable program code for determining indicating that sufficient time is not available.