METHOD FOR SCHEDULING OF STORAGE DEVICES

• US 20090055520A1
• Filed: 01/02/2008
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Beniyama, Nobuo, Okamoto, Takuya, Tabata, Shunya
• Granted Patent: US 7,849,285 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3221 of disk drive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3268 Power saving in hard disk drive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0625 Power saving in storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0634 by changing the state or mode of one or more devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

MAID (Massive Array of Idle Disks) technology can not stop an array group in a time zone in which if any access is made to the array group desired to be stopped. For realization of power saving, the power may be stopped in a time zone when there is no access, but frequent power-on or power-off has a possibility of shortening the life of a physical disk. In addition, if plural physical disks are collectively activated in a particular period, the power consumption of a storage system as a whole in that period is increased sharply, so that there is a possibility that the stable operation of the storage system is adversely affected. For realizing power saving, plural tasks using the storage system is by scheduled and the task execution and the power-on and power-off of a power controlled unit is controlled based on the schedule selected by a user.

Claims

1. A storage system, comprising:

a storage system which has a memory device and creates a storage memory area from the memory device,

a server device which is connected to the storage system through a network and can access the storage memory area, and

a management device which is connected to the storage system and the server device through networks and manages the storage environment, wherein;

the storage system has a power control means for performing power control for each power controlled unit being formed of the storage memory area, said power controlled unit is a unit of power control of a power supply required for operating the memory device,

the server device has an application for executing a task using the storage memory area, and

the management device has;

a means for storing storage configuration information which sets the correspondence relation between the storage memory area and the power controlled unit to which the storage memory area belongs,

a means for storing task management information which sets the correspondence relation between the task and the storage memory area which is used by the task when it is executed,

a means for collecting conditions for the execution of the task,

a means for collecting conditions for the power control, and

a means for executing the task and executing the power control according to schedule plans which are developed to satisfy conditions for the execution of the task and conditions for the power control on the basis of the storage configuration information and the task management information.

2. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein:

the conditions for the execution of the task are conditions which set an executable time zone of the task,

the conditions for the power control are conditions which set a value of allowable peak power of the storage system and the number of power-offs of the power controlled unit, and

when the schedule plans are developed, a total value of power consumption of the power controlled unit in a prescribed period and a value of peak power in a prescribed period produced by activating the power controlled unit are calculated as evaluation values for evaluation of the schedule plans.

3. The storage system according to claim 2, wherein the management device has:

a display means for showing the schedule plans together with the evaluation values, and

an input means which can be used by a user to select a desired one from the shown schedule plans.

4. The storage system according to claim 3, wherein the schedule plans are rearranged and shown on the display means in ascending order of the total value of the power consumption according to the evaluation values.

5. The storage system according to claim 3, wherein the management device executes the task and the power control according to the schedule plan selected by inputting through the input means.

6. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein the management device has:

a means for storing task actual execution time information which sets the correspondence relation between the task and actual execution time required for execution of the task, and

a means for receiving the timing of power control for execution of the power control of the each power controlled unit from the storage system, and

when the timing of power control is received, an actual execution time of a task using a storage memory area belonging to the power controlled unit, which becomes a subject of the received timing of power control, is obtained from the task actual execution time information.

7. The storage system according to claim 6, wherein the management device:

changes the schedule plan according to the actual execution time to execute another task in accordance with the executed task, and

executes the task and the power control according to the changed schedule plan.

8. A storage system comprising:

a storage system which has a memory device and creates a storage memory area from the memory device,

a server device which is connected to the storage system through a network and can access the storage memory area, and

a management device which is connected to the storage system and the server device through networks and manages the storage environment, wherein;

the storage system has a power control means for performing power control for each power controlled unit being formed of the storage memory area, said power controlled unit is a unit of power control of a power supply required for operating the memory device,

the server device has an application for executing a task using the storage memory area, and

the management device has;

a means for storing storage configuration information which sets the correspondence relation between the storage memory area and the power controlled unit to which the storage memory area belongs,

a means for storing task management information which sets the correspondence relation between the task and a storage memory area which is used by the task when it is executed,

a means for storing task execution timing information which sets the correspondence relation between the task and the timing of starting the task execution, and

a means for executing the task and the power control on the basis of the task execution timing information; and

specifies one task of which execution is started on the basis of the task execution timing information, specifies another task which has the same power controlled unit as that activated when the former task is executed based on the storage configuration information and the task management information, and performs the execution of the former task and the latter task and the execution of the power control of the common power controlled unit.

9. A management device which is connected for management of a storage environment through a network to:

a storage system, which has a memory device and a power control means which creates a storage memory area from the memory device, has a power control means for performing power control for each power controlled unit being formed of the storage memory area, said power controlled unit is a unit of power control of a power supply required for operating the memory device, and

a server device, which is connected to the storage system through a network and can access the storage memory area, and has an application for executing a task using the storage memory area, comprising;

a means for storing storage configuration information which sets the correspondence relation between the storage memory area and the power controlled unit to which the storage memory area belongs,

a means for storing task management information which sets the correspondence relation between the task and the storage memory area which is used by the task when it is executed,

a means for collecting conditions for the execution of the task,

a means for collecting conditions for the power control, and

a means for executing the task and the power control according to a schedule plan which is developed to satisfy the conditions for the execution of the task and the conditions for the power control on the basis of the storage configuration information and the task management information.

10. A scheduling method for execution of a task and power control of a management device, which is connected through a network to a storage system, which has a memory device and a power control means which creates a storage memory area from the memory device, has a power control means for performing power control for each power controlled unit being formed of the storage memory area, said power controlled unit is a unit of power control of a power supply required for operating the memory device, and a server device, which is connected to the storage system through a network and can access the storage memory area, and has an application for executing a task using the storage memory area, and

manages a storage environment by storing storage configuration information which sets the correspondence relation between the storage memory area and the power controlled unit to which the storage memory area belongs, and task management information which sets the correspondence relation between the task and the storage memory area which is used by the task when it is executed,

the scheduling method comprising:

collecting conditions for the execution of the task,

collecting conditions for the power control,

developing, based on the storage configuration information and the task management information, a schedule plan satisfying the conditions for the task execution and the conditions for the power control so as to show the correspondence relation between a task to be executed and a power controlled unit used for the power control executed when the task is executed via the storage memory area, and

executing the task and the power control according to the schedule plan.

11. A program which causes a computer of a management device which is connected for management of a storage environment through a network to a storage system, which has a memory device and a power control means which creates a storage memory area from the memory device, has a power control means for performing power control for each power controlled unit being formed of the storage memory area, said power controlled unit is a unit of power control of a power supply required for operating the memory device, and a server device, which is connected to the storage system through a network and can access the storage memory area, and has an application for executing a task using the storage memory area, to perform scheduling for the execution of a task and the power control, causing the computer to function as:

a means for storing storage configuration information which sets the correspondence relation between the storage memory area and the power controlled unit to which the storage memory area belongs,

a means for storing task management information which sets the correspondence relation between the task and the storage memory area which is used by the task when it is executed,

a means for collecting conditions for the execution of the task,

a means for collecting conditions for the power control, and

a means for executing the task and the power control according to a schedule plan which is developed to satisfy the conditions for the execution of the task and the conditions for the power control on the basis of the storage configuration information and the task management information.

12. A recording medium which records the program according to claim 11.