File Profiling to Minimize Fragmentation

• US 20080263059A1
• Filed: 04/23/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Coca, Dinesh C., Garcia, Melissa J., Engle, James B., Holdaway, Kevan D., Olguin, Ivan R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,769,725 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/023 Free address space management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1016 Performance improvement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0643 Management of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0676 Magnetic disk device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]

Abstract

A storage device implements a file profiling mechanism to minimize fragmentation. A plurality of files is organized according to a high or low read/write access frequency. A plurality of unchanging file types are placed in a first grouping. A plurality of oscillating file types are placed in a second grouping adjacent to the first grouping. A plurality of the high frequency read/write access files which are growing file types are placed in a third grouping adjacent to the second grouping. A remainder of the growing file types not placed in the third grouping is defragmented. The remainder of the growing file types is then placed in a fourth grouping adjacent to the third grouping.

Claims

1. A method of file profiling to minimize fragmentation in a storage device, comprising:

organizing a plurality of files according to a high or low read/write access frequency;

placing a plurality of unchanging file types in a first grouping;

placing a plurality of oscillating file types in a second grouping adjacent to the first grouping;

placing a plurality of high frequency read/write access files which are growing file types in a third grouping adjacent to the second grouping;

defragmenting a remainder of the growing file types not placed in the third grouping; and

placing the remainder of the growing file types in a fourth grouping adjacent to the third grouping.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first grouping is organized with a higher priority rank of storage location than the second grouping.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the third grouping is organized with a lower priority rank of storage location than the second grouping.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of unchanging file types is allocated space corresponding to a constant file size.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, upon a write operation, the storage device updates a storage system metadata location to record information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the information further includes growth count, reduction count, maximum file size, maximum growth size, minimum file size, maximum reduction size, and growth pattern data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the storage device analyzes the maximum growth size data to determine a growth rate over time.

8. A method of file profiling to minimize fragmentation in a storage device, comprising:

uniformly dividing the total file size of the storage device by a plurality of file type groupings; and

assigning each of a plurality of directories to each of the plurality of file types, wherein an unchanging file type grouping is given a higher priority rank of storage location than an oscillating file type grouping.

9. The method of claim 8, further including assigning operating system (OS) files to the unchanging file type grouping.

10. The method of claim 8, further including assigning user documents to a growing file type grouping.

11. The method of claim 8, further including assigning system logs and file recycling to the oscillating file type grouping.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein, upon a write operation, the storage device updates a storage system metadata location to record information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the information further includes growth count, reduction count, maximum file size, maximum growth size, minimum file size, maximum reduction size, and growth pattern data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the storage device analyzes the maximum growth size data to determine a growth rate over time.

15. An article of manufacture including code for file profiling to minimize fragmentation in a storage device, wherein the code is capable of causing operations to be performed comprising:

organizing a plurality of files according to a high or low read/write access frequency;

placing a plurality of unchanging file types in a first grouping;

placing a plurality of oscillating file types in a second grouping adjacent to the first grouping;

placing a plurality of the high frequency read/write access files which are growing file types in a third grouping adjacent to the second grouping;

defragmenting a remainder of the growing file types not placed in the third grouping; and

placing the remainder of the growing file types in a fourth grouping adjacent to the third grouping.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the first grouping is organized with a higher priority rank of storage location than the second grouping.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the third grouping is organized with a lower priority rank of storage location than the second grouping.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of unchanging file types is allocated space corresponding to a constant file size.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein, upon a write operation, the storage device updates a storage system metadata location to record information.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the information further includes growth count, reduction count, maximum file size, maximum growth size, minimum file size, maximum reduction size, and growth pattern data.