CONTROLLING FILLING LEVELS OF STORAGE POOLS

• US 20100088392A1
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kuhl, Fabian, Mueller, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 8,909,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/113 Details of archiving lifecycle management in storage systems G06F3/0649; backup systems G06F11/1446
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1744 using compression, e.g. sparse files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/185 Hierarchical storage management [HSM] systems, e.g. file migration or policies thereof details of archiving G06F16/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0688 Non-volatile semiconductor memory arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Method, system, and computer program product embodiments of controlling filling levels of a plurality of storage pools are provided. A plurality of files is selected from each storage pool of the plurality of storage pools. Each file is then copied to a server and a list is updated. The list comprises an entry for each file of the plurality of files. Each entry comprises a status information. The status information indicates that the corresponding file has been copied to the server. Each entry further comprises an identifier indicating the storage pool on which the corresponding file is stored. If it is detected that the filling level of a storage pool reaches a predefined first threshold value, then a first set of files is determined by use of the list. Each file of the first set of files is replaced by a stub file. The status information is updated.

Claims

1. A method of controlling filling levels of a plurality of storage pools using a processor device, each storage pool of said plurality of storage pools having assigned an identifier, said method comprising:

selecting a plurality of files from said plurality of storage pools;

copying each file of said plurality of files to a server;

updating a list, said list comprising an entry for each file of said plurality of files, each entry comprising a status information, said status information indicating that the corresponding file has been copied to said server, each entry further comprising the identifier of the storage pool on which the corresponding file is stored;

if a filling level of one storage pool reaches a predefined first threshold value, then determining a first set of files by use of said list, said first set of files comprising files for which the status information in the corresponding entries indicate that the files have been copied to said server and for which the identifiers in the entries correspond to the identifier of said one storage pool;

replacing each file of said first set of files on said one storage pool by a stub file; and

updating said status information comprised in the entries for the files of said first set of files, said updated status information indicating that the files have been replaced by stub files.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a storage space consumed by the files selected from each storage pool is larger than a preset second threshold value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein storage space consumed by the first set of files is larger than a preset third threshold value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said files are selected by use of a given set of rules.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first threshold value corresponds to an out of space condition for said one storage pool.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of storage pools is linked with a policy engine, wherein said policy engine determines said plurality of files from said plurality of storage pools, wherein said policy engine provides an object-ID of each file of the plurality of files via a command line interface to a storage management system, wherein said command line interface is a component of said storage management system, wherein said storage management system updates said list and copies each file of said plurality of files to a server, wherein said storage management system further monitors the plurality of storage pools and if the filling level of said one storage pool reaches the first threshold value, the storage management system replaces the files of said first set of files by stub files and updates said list.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said method is embodied in a computer program product comprising computer executable instructions for performing said method.

8. A computer program product for controlling filling levels of a plurality of storage pools said computer program product comprising computer executable instructions, said instructions being adapted to perform the steps of:

selecting a plurality of files from said plurality of storage pools by use of a given set of rules; and

providing an object-ID of each file of said plurality of files via an interface to an additional computer program product.

9. A computer program product for controlling filling levels of a plurality of storage pools using a processor device, said computer program product comprising computer executable instructions, said instructions being adapted to perform the steps of:

receiving an object-ID of each file of a plurality of files, said plurality of files being stored on said plurality of storage pools, wherein an identifier has been assigned to each storage pool of said plurality of storage pools;

copying each file of said plurality of files to a server;

updating a list, said list comprising an entry for each file of said plurality of files, each entry comprising a status information, said status information indicating that the corresponding file has been copied to said server, each entry further comprising the identifier of the storage pool on which the corresponding file is stored;

monitoring a filling level of each storage pool;

if the filling level of one storage pool is detected to reach a predefined first threshold value, then determining a first set of files by use of said list, said first set of files comprising files for which the status information in the corresponding entries indicate that the files have been copied to said server and for which the corresponding identifier in the entries corresponds to the identifier of said one storage pool;

replacing each file of said first set of files on said one storage pool by a stub file; and

updating the status information comprised in the entries for the files of said first set of files, said updated status information indicating that the files have been replaced by stub files.

10. A data processing system for controlling filling levels of a plurality of storage pools, each of said storage pool having assigned an identifier, said data processing system comprising:

a processor device operable in the data processing system, wherein the processor device is adapted for;

selecting a plurality of files from said plurality of storage pools;

copying each file of said plurality of files to a server;

updating a list, said list comprising an entry for each file of said plurality of files, each entry comprising a status information, said status information indicating that the corresponding file has been copied to said server, each entry further comprising the identifier of the storage pool on which the corresponding file is stored;

monitoring a filling level of each storage pool of said plurality of storage pools;

determining a first set of files by use of said list in response to the detection of one storage pool reaching a predefined first threshold value, said first set of files comprising files for which the status information in the corresponding entries indicate that the files have been copied to said server and for which the corresponding identifiers in the entries correspond to the identifier of said one storage pool;

replacing each file of said first set of files on said one storage pool by a stub file; and

updating the status information comprised in the entries for the files of said first set of files, said updated status information indicating that the files have been replaced by stub files.

11. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein the processor device is further adapted for selecting said files from one storage pool so that a storage space consumed by the files is larger than a preset second threshold value.

12. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein the processor device is further adapted for determining the first set of files so that the storage space consumed by the first set of files is larger than a preset third threshold value.

14. The data processing system of claim 10, further comprising a policy engine operable on the processor device and a storage management system, wherein the policy engine is linked with the storage management system, wherein said plurality of storage pools is linked with the policy engine, wherein said policy engine is adapted to said plurality of files from said plurality of storage pools, wherein said policy engine is able to provide information about each file of the plurality of files to said storage management system, wherein said storage management system is adapted to update said list and to copy each file of said plurality of files to the server, wherein said storage management system is further able to monitor the plurality of storage pools, and if the filling level of a storage pool reaches said first threshold value, the storage management system is able to replace the files of said first set of files by stub files and to update said list.

13. The data processing system of 10, wherein the processor device is further adapted for storing at least one set of rules, and selecting said plurality of files according to said at least one set of rules.