TIERED STORAGE INTERFACE

• US 20120066337A1
• Filed: 09/09/2010
• Published: 03/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Riverbed Technology, LLC (Riverbed Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Riverbed Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Wu, David Tze-Si, Keswani, Vivasvat, Parab, Nitin
• Granted Patent: US 8,719,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/214
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0649 Lifecycle management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

The cloud storage services are extended with a cloud storage service access protocol that enables users to specify a desired storage tier for each data stream. In response to receiving storage tier specifiers via the protocol, the cloud storage service performs storage operations to identify target storage devices having attributes matching those associated with the requested storage tier. The cloud storage service stores a data stream from the storage client in the identified target storage device associated with the desired storage tier. Storage tiers can be defined based on criteria including capacity costs; access latency; availability; activation state; bandwidth and/or transfer rates; and data replication. The cloud storage service protocol allows data streams to be transferred between storage tiers, storage devices to be activated or deactivated, and data streams to be prefetched and cached. The cloud storage services may charge storage clients based on storage tier use and associated operations.

Claims

1. A method of storing a data stream at a cloud storage service network location, the method comprising:

selecting a cloud storage service network location, wherein the cloud storage service network location is connected with a first network location associated with a storage client via a wide-area network;

sending a first message from the first network location to a cloud storage service interface at the cloud storage service network location, wherein the first message includes a selection of a first one of a plurality of data storage tiers;

sending a data stream from the first network location to the cloud storage service network location, wherein cloud storage service interface is adapted to store the data stream in a data storage device associated with the selected one of the data storage tiers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is adapted to initialize the cloud storage service interface to receive the data stream.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is adapted to indicate that the selected one of the data storage tiers is a default data storage tier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message is communicated to the cloud storage service interface using a web services protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data storage tiers are based on availability of data storage devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data storage tiers are based on costs per unit of storage capacity of data storage devices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data storage tiers are based on access speeds to data stored by data storage devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data storage tiers are based on activation states of data storage devices.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data storage tiers are based on replication of data stored by data storage devices.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising:

sending a second message from the first network location to the cloud storage service interface at the cloud storage service network location, wherein the second message directs the cloud storage service interface to move the data stream to a second one of a plurality of data storage tiers.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising:

sending a second message from the first network location to the cloud storage service interface at the cloud storage service network location, wherein the second message directs the cloud storage service interface to activate at least one storage device storing the data stream in preparation for access to at least a portion of the data stream.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising:

sending a second message from the first network location to the cloud storage service interface at the cloud storage service network location, wherein the second message directs the cloud storage service interface to cache at least a portion of the data stream at the first network location in preparation for access.

13. A method of storing a data stream at a cloud storage service network location, the method comprising:

receiving a first message from a first network location via a wide-area network, wherein the first message includes a selection of a first one of a plurality of data storage tiers;

identifying at least a first one of a plurality of data storage devices having attributes matching the first one of the plurality of data storage tiers;

receiving a data stream from the first network location via the wide-area network; and

storing the data stream in the identified first one of the data storage devices.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first message is adapted to initialize the data stream.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first message indicates that the selected one of the data storage tiers is a default data storage tier.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first message is received via a web services protocol.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of data storage tiers are based on availability of data storage devices.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of data storage tiers are based on costs per unit of storage capacity of data storage devices.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of data storage tiers are based on access speeds to data stored by data storage devices.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of data storage tiers are based on activation states of data storage devices.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of data storage tiers are based on replication of data stored by data storage devices.

22. The method of claim 13, comprising:

receiving a second message from the first network location via the wide-area network, wherein the second message directs the data stream to be moved to a second one of a plurality of data storage tiers;

in response to the second message, identifying at least a second one of the plurality of data storage devices having attributes matching the second one of the plurality of data storage tiers; and

storing the data stream in the identified second one of the data storage devices.

23. The method of claim 13, comprising:

receiving a second message from the first network location via the wide-area network, wherein the second message directs the data stream to be prepared for access;

in response to the second message, identifying at least the first one of the plurality of data storage devices storing the data stream; and

activating the first one of the plurality of data storage devices.

24. The method of claim 13, comprising:

receiving a second message from the first network location via the wide-area network, wherein the second message directs at least a portion of the data stream to be cached at the first network location in preparation for access; and

in response to the second message, transferring the portion of the data stream to a data cache at the first network location via the wide-area network.