SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PERFORMANCE MONITORING

• US 20140180664A1
• Filed: 12/16/2013
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Kochunni, Jaidev Oppath, Kottomtharayil, Rajiv, Vijayan, Manoj Kumar
• Granted Patent: US 10,379,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2056 by mirroring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2097 maintaining the standby controller/processing unit updated initialisation or re-synchronisation thereof G06F11/1658 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3442 for planning or managing the needed capacity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3452 Performance evaluation by statistical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3457 Performance evaluation by simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3461 Trace driven simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3485 for I/O devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/815 Virtual middleware or OS functionality using virtual machines to implement generic software techniques for error detection or fault masking G06F11/1484
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

Data storage systems monitor the performance of data storage operations on a granular level and compile the information for presenting to a user. The system measures the time of execution for individual granular stages of the storage operation and in response to the monitoring results, automatically adjust parameters to optimize performance. Further, the system performs a performance test by simulating the data storage operation, but may not actually write the data to the secondary storage medium.

Claims

1. A method to monitor performance of steps of a data storage operation in a data management system, the method comprising:

receiving with computer hardware an instruction to simulate a data storage operation on a data set, the data storage operation comprising a plurality of steps;

automatically simulating with the computer hardware one step of the plurality of steps using at least a portion of the data set to provide a simulated step of the data storage operation;

automatically measuring with the computer hardware an execution time of the simulated step; and

automatically adjusting with the computer hardware one or more parameters associated with the one step of the data storage operation based at least in part on the execution time of the simulated step.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising iteratively adjusting with the computer hardware settings associated with the one step of the plurality of steps to provide a plurality of different settings, and iteratively performing and measuring the execution times with the computer hardware of the one step with the plurality of different settings to provide a plurality of iterations.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising comparing with the computer hardware the execution times of the plurality of iterations.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising identifying with the computer hardware the different setting of the plurality of different settings that optimizes the data storage operation to provide a default setting.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the default setting minimizes an overall execution time of the data storage operation.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising saving with the computer hardware the default setting for later performance of a non-simulated data storage operation.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying with the computer hardware the execution time on a graphical user interface (GUI).

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the data storage operation comprises one or more of a backup operation, a full backup operation, a differential backup operation, an incremental backup operation, a mirror backup operation, a restore operation, an archive operation, a hierarchical storage management operation, a snapshot operation, and a replication operation.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the data set comprises one or more of files, volumes, databases, and sub-clients.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the data storage operation comprises a data backup operation and the plurality of steps comprise scanning the at least a portion of the data set, setting up a pipeline, sending the at least a portion of the data set through the pipeline to form backup data, and writing the backup data.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein writing the backup data comprises one of copying the backup data to a buffer data structure, performing no operation instructions (NOPs), and copying the backup data to a secondary storage device.

12. A system to monitor performance of steps of a data storage operation in a data management system, the system comprising:

an information manager comprising computer hardware and configured to receive an instruction to simulate a data storage operation on a data set, the data storage operation comprising a plurality of steps;

the information manager further configured to automatically simulate one step of the plurality of steps using at least a portion of the data set to provide a simulated step of the data storage operation;

the information manager further configured to automatically measure an execution time of the simulated step; and

the information manager further configured to automatically adjust one or more parameters associated with the one step of the data storage operation based at least in part on the execution time of the simulated step.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the information manager is further configured to iteratively adjust settings associated with the one step of the plurality of steps to provide a plurality of different settings, and iteratively performing and measuring the execution times with the computer hardware of the at least one step with the plurality of different settings to provide a plurality of iterations.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the information manager is further configured to compare the execution times of the plurality of iterations.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the information manager is further configured to identify the different setting of the plurality of different settings that optimizes the data storage operation to provide a default setting.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the default setting minimizes an overall execution time of the data storage operation.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the information manager is further configured to save the default setting for later performance of a non-simulated data storage operation.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein writing the backup data comprises one of copying the backup data to a buffer data structure, performing no operation instructions (NOPs), and copying the backup data to a secondary storage device.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the information manager is further configured to automatically adjust the one or more parameters to minimize an overall execution time of the backup operation.

18. A system to monitor performance of stages of a data storage operation in a data management system, the system comprising:

an information manager comprising computer hardware and configured to receive an instruction to simulate a backup operation on a data set to provide a simulated backup operation;

a data agent comprising computer hardware and configured to automatically scan at least a portion of the data set to form scanned data for the simulated backup operation, the information manager further configured to automatically measure an execution time of the scan to create a scan time;

a media agent comprising computer hardware and configured to automatically setup a pipeline for the simulated backup operation, the information manager further configured to automatically measure an execution time of the setup of the pipeline to create a setup time;

the data agent further configured to automatically send the scanned data through the pipeline to provide backup data for the simulated backup operation, the information manager further configured to automatically measure an execution time of the send to create a send time;

the media agent further configured to automatically write the backup data for the simulated backup operation, the information storage manager further configured to automatically measure an execution time of the write to provide a write time; and

the information manager further configured to automatically adjust one or more parameters associated with at least one of the scan, setup, send, and write based at least in part on at least one of the scan time, the setup time, the send time, and the write time.