STORAGE AREA NETWORK WORKLOAD BALANCING

• US 20160308774A1
• Filed: 04/17/2015
• Published: 10/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jones, Andrew L., Astigarraga, Tara
• Granted Patent: US 9,979,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/25 with rate being modified by the source upon detecting a change of network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 based on client or server locations
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Storage area network (SAN) load balancing process is disclosed. The load balancing process can include monitoring an input/output workload within the SAN. The input/output workload of a first source to first destination is monitored by an analyzing unit. The analyzing unit gathers a source identifier (S_ID) and a destination identifier (D_ID) to determine the location of a first source and a first destination. An input/output workload of the first source and the first destination can be tracked by the analyzing unit. The analyzing unit can be used to determine if the first input/output workload is above an upper threshold. A first condition can be logged based on the determination of the first input/output workload being above the upper threshold. The determination of the first condition is communicated to a first user.

Claims

1. A method for load balancing an input/output workload within a storage area network environment, the method comprising:

determining the first input/output workload between a first source and a first destination of a storage area network;

determining a location of the first source with a source identifier;

determining a location of the first destination with a destination identifier;

tracking the input/output workload between the first source and the first destination with an analyzing unit;

determining that the first input/output workload is above an upper threshold;

logging the first input/output workload as a first condition into a storage table in response to the determination of the first input/output workload being above the upper threshold; and

communicating the determination of the first condition to a first user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the determination of the first condition to the storage table; and

determining a status of the first input/output workload of the first source to the first destination.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the status of the input/output workload further comprises:

monitoring a first duration of time where the first input/output workload is above the upper threshold;

determining a first frequency that the first input/output workload is above the upper threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicating includes transmitting a mobile phone message to the first user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicating includes displaying the determination on a graphical user interface to the first user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the second input/output workload between a second source and a second destination of a storage area network;

determining a location of the second source with a source identifier;

determining a location of the second destination with a destination identifier;

tracking the second input/output workload between the second source and the second destination with an analyzing unit;

determining that the second input/output workload is below a lower threshold;

logging the second input/output workload as a second condition into a storage table in response to the determination of the second input/output workload being below the lower threshold; and

communicating the determination of the second condition to a first user.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

monitoring the determination of the second condition to the storage table; and

determining a status of the second input/output workload of the second source to the second destination.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the status of the input/output workload further comprises:

monitoring a second duration of time where the second input/output workload from the second source to the second destination is below the lower threshold;

monitoring a second frequency of how often the second input/output workload from the second source to the second destination is below the lower threshold; and

determining a third condition of an underactive second input/output workload based on the frequency of the second condition.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the frequency is relative to a percentage of time the second input/output workload is below the lower threshold.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the frequency is relative to how often the second input/output workload is below the lower threshold within a set period of time.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining the first condition, distributing a portion the input/output workload of the first source to the first destination to an input/output workload of a second source to a second destination.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

in response to determining the second condition, distributing a portion the input/output workload of the second source to the second destination to an input/output workload of a first source to a first destination.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of the location of the first source results in the location of a source within a single source chassis.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the source is a blade of a blade server of the single source chassis.

15. A system for managing a storage area network, comprising:

a storage area network comprising;

one or more servers,

one or more storage units, and

one or more switches that communicatively couple the one or more servers to the one or more storage units to control an input/output workload transpiring between the one or more servers and one or more storage units;

a memory;

a processor device communicatively coupled to the memory; and

an analyzing unit communicatively coupled to the memory, the processor device, and the storage area network, wherein the analyzing unit is configured to;

determine a first input/output workload between a first source and a first destination of the storage area network,

determine a location of the first source with a source identifier,

determine a location of the first destination with a destination identifier,

track the input/output workload between the first source and the first destination with an analyzing unit,

determine that the first input/output workload is above an upper threshold,

log the first input/output workload as a first condition into a storage table in response to the determination of the first input/output workload being above the upper threshold, and

communicate the determination of the first condition to a first user.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first source is a server of the storage area network.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first destination is a storage unit of the storage area network.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the analyzing unit is further configured to:

determine the second input/output workload between a second source and a second destination of the storage area network;

determine a location of the second source with a source identifier;

determine a location of the second destination with a destination identifier;

track the second input/output workload between the second source and the second destination with an analyzing unit;

determine that the second input/output workload is below a lower threshold; and

log the first input/output workload as the of a second condition into a storage table in response to the determination of the second input/output workload being below the lower threshold, and

communicate the determination of the second condition to a first user.

19. A computer program product for managing a storage area network comprising a computer storage device having program instructions that are executable on a computing device and cause the computing device to:

determine a first input/output workload between a first source and a first destination of a storage area network;

determine a location of the first source with a source identifier;

determine a location of the first destination with a destination identifier;

track the input/output workload between the first source and the first destination with an analyzing unit;

determine that the first input/output workload is above an upper threshold;

log the first input/output workload as a first condition into a storage table in response to the determination of the first input/output workload being above the upper threshold; and

communicate the determination of the first condition to a first user.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the program instructions cause the computing device to be further configured to:

determine a second input/output workload between a second source and a second destination of a storage area network;

determine a location of the second source with a source identifier;

determine a location of the second destination with a destination identifier;

track the second input/output workload between the second source and the second destination with an analyzing unit;

determine that the second input/output workload is below a lower threshold;

log the second input/output workload as a second condition into a storage table in response to a determination of the second input/output workload being below the lower threshold; and

communicate the determination of the second condition to the first user.