ALLOCATION OF HETEROGENEOUS STORAGE DEVICES TO SPARES AND STORAGE ARRAYS

• US 20090063768A1
• Filed: 09/04/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kubo, Robert Akira, Ripberger, Richard Anthony, Kalos, Matthew Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,941,628 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

A plurality of storage devices of a plurality of types is provided. A plurality of criteria is associated for each of the plurality of storage devices, based on characteristics of the plurality of storage devices, wherein the plurality of criteria can be used to determine whether a selected storage device is a compatibility spare for a storage device in a storage device array, and whether the selected storage device is an availability spare for the storage device in the storage device array. A determination is made by a spare management application, based on at least the plurality of criteria and at least one optimality condition, of a first set of storage devices selected from the plurality of storage devices to be allocated to a plurality of storage device arrays, and of a second set of storage devices selected from the plurality of storage devices to be allocated as spares for the plurality of storage device arrays. An allocation is made of the first set of storage devices to the plurality of storage device arrays. An allocation made of the second set of storage devices as spares for the plurality of storage device array.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a plurality of storage devices of a plurality of types;

associating a plurality of criteria for each of the plurality of storage devices, based on characteristics of the plurality of storage devices, wherein the plurality of criteria can be used to determine whether a selected storage device is a compatibility spare for a storage device in a storage device array, and whether the selected storage device is an availability spare for the storage device in the storage device array; and

determining, by a spare management application, based on at least the plurality of criteria and at least one optimality condition, a first set of storage devices selected from the plurality of storage devices to be allocated to a plurality of storage device arrays, and a second set of storage devices selected from the plurality of storage devices to be allocated as spares for the plurality of storage device arrays;

allocating the first set of storage devices to the plurality of storage device arrays; and

allocating the second set of storage devices as spares for the plurality of storage device array.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein use of the optimality condition by the spare management application allows the spares to be fewer in number in comparison to no optimality condition being used by the spare management application, and wherein the optimality condition is based at least on importance provided to selected criteria of the plurality of criteria.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of criteria corresponding to a first storage device comprise:

(i) a storage capacity of the first storage device, wherein any spare for the first storage device has storage capacity equal to or greater than the storage capacity of the first storage device;

(ii) a rotational speed of the first storage device; and

(iii) a storage class of the first storage device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a selected compatibility spare for a first storage device has characteristics that are equal to or better than the characteristics included in all of the plurality of criteria of the first storage device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a selected availability spare for a first storage device has characteristics that are equal to or better than mandatory characteristics included in at least some of plurality of criteria of the first storage device, wherein the mandatory characteristics include a storage capacity for a corresponding device.

6. A system, comprising:

a plurality of storage devices of a plurality of types;

memory;

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

(i) associating a plurality of criteria for each of the plurality of storage devices, based on characteristics of the plurality of storage devices, wherein the plurality of criteria can be used to determine whether a selected storage device is a compatibility spare for a storage device in a storage device array, and whether the selected storage device is an availability spare for the storage device in the storage device array; and

(ii) determining, by a spare management application, based on at least the plurality of criteria and at least one optimality condition, a first set of storage devices selected from the plurality of storage devices to be allocated to a plurality of storage device arrays, and a second set of storage devices selected from the plurality of storage devices to be allocated as spares for the plurality of storage device arrays;

(iii) allocating the first set of storage devices to the plurality of storage device arrays; and

(iv) allocating the second set of storage devices as spares for the plurality of storage device array.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein use of the optimality condition by the spare management application allows the spares to be fewer in number in comparison to no optimality condition being used by the spare management application, and wherein the optimality condition is based at least on importance provided to selected criteria of the plurality of criteria.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of criteria corresponding to a first storage device comprise:

(i) a storage capacity of the first storage device, wherein any spare for the first storage device has storage capacity equal to or greater than the storage capacity of the first storage device;

(ii) a rotational speed of the first storage device; and

(iii) a storage class of the first storage device.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein a selected compatibility spare for a first storage device has characteristics that are equal to or better than the characteristics included in all of the plurality of criteria of the first storage device.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein a selected availability spare for a first storage device has characteristics that are equal to or better than mandatory characteristics included in at least some of plurality of criteria of the first storage device, wherein the mandatory characteristics include a storage capacity for a corresponding device.

11. An article of manufacture, wherein the article of manufacture is capable of causing operations on a computer, the operations comprising:

providing a plurality of storage devices of a plurality of types;

associating a plurality of criteria for each of the plurality of storage devices, based on characteristics of the plurality of storage devices, wherein the plurality of criteria can be used to determine whether a selected storage device is a compatibility spare for a storage device in a storage device array, and whether the selected storage device is an availability spare for the storage device in the storage device array; and

determining, by a spare management application, based on at least the plurality of criteria and at least one optimality condition, a first set of storage devices selected from the plurality of storage devices to be allocated to a plurality of storage device arrays, and a second set of storage devices selected from the plurality of storage devices to be allocated as spares for the plurality of storage device arrays;

allocating the first set of storage devices to the plurality of storage device arrays; and

allocating the second set of storage devices as spares for the plurality of storage device array.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein use of the optimality condition by the spare management application allows the spares to be fewer in number in comparison to no optimality condition being used by the spare management application, and wherein the optimality condition is based at least on importance provided to selected criteria of the plurality of criteria.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the plurality of criteria corresponding to a first storage device comprise:

(i) a storage capacity of the first storage device, wherein any spare for the first storage device has storage capacity equal to or greater than the storage capacity of the first storage device;

(ii) a rotational speed of the first storage device; and

(iii) a storage class of the first storage device.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein a selected compatibility spare for a first storage device has characteristics that are equal to or better than the characteristics included in all of the plurality of criteria of the first storage device.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein a selected availability spare for a first storage device has characteristics that are equal to or better than mandatory characteristics included in at least some of plurality of criteria of the first storage device, wherein the mandatory characteristics include a storage capacity for a corresponding device.

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

providing a plurality of storage devices of a plurality of types;

associating a plurality of criteria for each of the plurality of storage devices, based on characteristics of the plurality of storage devices, wherein the plurality of criteria can be used to determine whether a selected storage device is a compatibility spare for a storage device in a storage device array, and whether the selected storage device is an availability spare for the storage device in the storage device array; and

determining, by a spare management application, based on at least the plurality of criteria and at least one optimality condition, a first set of storage devices selected from the plurality of storage devices to be allocated to a plurality of storage device arrays, and a second set of storage devices selected from the plurality of storage devices to be allocated as spares for the plurality of storage device arrays;

allocating the first set of storage devices to the plurality of storage device arrays; and

allocating the second set of storage devices as spares for the plurality of storage device array.

17. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 16, wherein use of the optimality condition by the spare management application allows the spares to be fewer in number in comparison to no optimality condition being used by the spare management application, and wherein the optimality condition is based at least on importance provided to selected criteria of the plurality of criteria.

18. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 16, wherein the plurality of criteria corresponding to a first storage device comprise:

(i) a storage capacity of the first storage device, wherein any spare for the first storage device has storage capacity equal to or greater than the storage capacity of the first storage device;

(ii) a rotational speed of the first storage device; and

(iii) a storage class of the first storage device.

19. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 16, wherein a selected compatibility spare for a first storage device has characteristics that are equal to or better than the characteristics included in all of the plurality of criteria of the first storage device.

20. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 16, wherein a selected availability spare for a first storage device has characteristics that are equal to or better than mandatory characteristics included in at least some of plurality of criteria of the first storage device, wherein the mandatory characteristics include a storage capacity for a corresponding device.