DATA COMPRESSION FOR GRID-ORIENTED STORAGE SYSTEMS

• US 20170052711A1
• Filed: 05/21/2015
• Published: 02/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: SHAPIRO, Ron S., SHLOMOV, Lior, GARMIZA, Ehood, NISSAN-MESSING, Orit, YAARI, Assaf
• Granted Patent: US 10,223,000 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0611 in relation to response time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0638 Organizing or formatting or addressing of data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Methods, computing systems and computer program products implement embodiments of the present invention that include configuring multiple storage system resources to manage a storage entity distributed among the storage system resources. Upon receiving, by a first given storage system resource from a host computer, an I/O request for data in the storage entity, a second given storage system resource responsible for managing the storage entity data referenced in the I/O request is identified, and the I/O request is forwarded to the second given storage system resource. Upon receiving the forwarded I/O request, the second given storage system resource performs a data compression operation while processing the I/O request, and conveys a result of the I/O operation to the first given storage system resource. Upon receiving the result from the second given storage system resource, the first given storage system resource forwards the result to the host computer.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

configuring multiple storage system resources to manage a storage entity distributed among the storage system resources;

receiving, by a first given storage system resource, an input/output (I/O) request for data in the storage entity;

identifying a second given storage system resource responsible for managing the storage entity data referenced in the I/O request;

forwarding the I/O request to the second given storage system resource; and

performing, by the second given storage system resource, a data compression operation while processing the I/O request.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein configuring the multiple storage system resources to manage the storage entity comprises configuring the multiple storage system resources as a grid-oriented storage system.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the storage entity is selected from a group consisting of a volume, a file, a chunk, a block and an object.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the I/O request comprises a write request to store the data to the storage entity, and wherein performing the compression operation while processing the write request comprises compressing the data, and storing the compressed data to the storage entity.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein receiving the I/O request comprises receiving the write request from a host computer, and comprising conveying, by the second given storage system resource upon completing processing the write request, a completion indication to the first given storage system resource, and forwarding, by the first given storage system resource, the completion indication to the host computer.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the I/O request comprises a read request to retrieve the data from the storage entity, and wherein performing the compression operation while processing the read request comprises retrieving compressed data from the storage entity, and decompressing the retrieved compressed data.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein receiving the I/O request comprises receiving the read request from a host computer, and comprising conveying, by the second given storage system resource upon completing processing the read request, the decompressed data to the first given storage system resource, and forwarding, by the first given storage system resource, the decompressed data to the host computer.

8. A grid-oriented storage system, comprising:

a network;

multiple storage system resources coupled to the network and configured to manage a storage entity distributed among the storage system resources, wherein a first given storage system resource is configured;

to receive an input/output (I/O) request for data in the storage entity,

to identify a second given storage system resource responsible for managing the storage entity data referenced in the I/O request, and

to forward the I/O request to the second given storage system resource, and

wherein the second given storage system resource is configured to perform a data compression operation while processing the I/O request.

9. The grid-oriented storage system according to claim 8, wherein the storage entity is selected from a group consisting of a volume, a file, a chunk, a block and an object.

10. The grid-oriented storage system according to claim 8, wherein the I/O request comprises a write request to store the data to the storage entity, and wherein the second given storage system resource is configured to perform the compression operation while processing the write request by compressing the data, and storing the compressed data to the storage entity.

11. The grid-oriented storage system according to claim 10, wherein the first given storage system resource is configured to receive the I/O request by receiving the write request from a host computer, and wherein upon completing processing the write request, the second given storage system resource is configured to convey a completion indication to the first given storage system resource, and wherein the first given storage system resource is configured to forward the completion indication to the host computer.

12. The grid-oriented storage system according to claim 8, wherein the I/O request comprises a read request to retrieve the data from the storage entity, and wherein the second given storage system resource is configured perform the compression operation while processing the read request by retrieving compressed data from the storage entity, and decompressing the retrieved compressed data.

13. The grid-oriented storage system according to claim 12, wherein the first given storage system resource is configured receive the I/O request by receiving the read request from a host computer, and wherein upon completing processing the read request, the second given storage system resource is configured to convey the decompressed data to the first given storage system resource, and wherein the first given storage system resource is configured to forward the decompressed data to the host computer.

14. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to arrange multiple storage system resources to manage a storage entity distributed among the storage system resources;

computer readable program code executing on a first given storage system resource and configured;

to receive an input/output (I/O) request for data in the storage entity,

to identify a second given storage system resource responsible for managing the storage entity data referenced in the I/O request, and

to forward the I/O request to the second given storage system resource; and

computer readable program code executing on the second given storage system resource and configured to perform a data compression operation while processing the I/O request.

15. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the computer readable program code is configured to arrange the multiple storage system resources to manage the storage entity by arranging the multiple storage system resources as a grid-oriented storage system.

16. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the storage entity is selected from a group consisting of a volume, a file, a chunk, a block and an object.

17. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the I/O request comprises a write request to store the data to the storage entity, and wherein the computer readable program code is configured to perform the compression operation while processing the write request by compressing the data, and storing the compressed data to the storage entity.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the computer readable program code is configured to receive the I/O request by receiving the write request from a host computer, and comprising computer readable program code executing on the second given storage entity and configured to convey, upon completing processing the write request, a completion indication to the first given storage system resource, and computer readable program code executing on the first given storage entity and configured to forward the completion indication to the host computer.

19. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the I/O request comprises a read request to retrieve the data from the storage entity, and wherein the computer readable program code is configured to perform the compression operation while processing the read request by retrieving compressed data from the storage entity, and decompressing the retrieved compressed data.

20. The computer program product according to claim 19, wherein the computer readable program code is configured to receiving the I/O request by receiving the read request from a host computer, and comprising computer readable program code executing on the second given storage entity and configured to convey, upon completing processing the read request, the decompressed data to the first given storage system resource, and computer readable program code executing on the first given storage entity and configured to forward the decompressed data to the host computer.