Apparatus and method for dynamic command queue depth adjustment for storage area network nodes

• US 6,922,414 B1
• Filed: 08/21/2000
• Issued: 07/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: QNAP Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Gunlock, Richard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sam, Phirin
• Assistant Examiner(s): TON, ANTHONY T
• Application Number:
  US09/642,575
• Time in Patent Office: 1,800 Days
• Field of Search: 370/412, 370/351, 370/357, 370/360, 370/381, 370/382, 370/400, 370/401, 370/429, 370/389, 370/414, 370/415, 370/416, 370/417, 370/418, 370/428, 370/383, 370/462, 370/466, 370/349, 370/353, 370/395.7, 707/100, 707/202, 709/100, 709/222, 709/250, 709/226, 709/230, 710/107, 710/29, 710/33, 710/74, 710/5, 710/36, 711/5, 711/141, 711/162, 711/114, 711/170, 711/166, 714/6, 395/287
• US Class Current: 370/412
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

An initiator node for a storage area network used with storage nodes having command queue capability maintains a current queue depth, and a maximum queue depth associated with each storage node. It initializing the maximum queue dependent on the type of the storage nodes it sees, and limits the number of commands queued to each storage node to the current queue depth associated with the storage node. It dynamically adjusts the current queue depth for each storage node based upon queue refusals generated by the storage nodes and the maximum queue depth associated with the storage nodes.

Claims

1. An initiator node for a storage area network, the node intended to be coupled over the storage area network to at least one storage node having command queue capability, the initiator node comprising:

at least one processor capable of executing instructions;

a memory system having stored a current queue depth, and a maximum queue depth associated with each storage node of the at least one storage node;

wherein the memory system stores

instructions for initializing the maximum queue depth for the at least one storage node to a value dependent on a type of the at least one storage node,

instructions for limiting the number of commands queued to a storage node of the at least one storage node to the current queue depth associated with the storage node, and

instructions for dynamically adjusting the current queue depth associated with the storage node based upon queue refusals generated by the storage node and the maximum queue depth associated with the storage node.

2. The initiator node of claim 1, wherein the instructions for dynamically adjusting the current queue depth include instructions for adjusting the current queue depth associated with a storage node downwardly when the current queue depth is greater than a minimum queue depth and the storage node refuses to queue a command issued by the initiator node, and for adjusting the current queue depth upwardly when the current queue depth is less than the maximum queue depth associated with the storage node and that storage node has not refused to queue any commands issued by the initiator node for a determined period of time.

3. The initiator node of claim 2 wherein the instructions for dynamically adjusting the current queue depth include instructions for monitoring logins, and for adjusting the current queue depth downwardly when a login by an additional initiator node is recognized.

4. In a storage area network node, a method of controlling a maximum number of commands queued to a storage node comprising the steps of:

maintaining a maximum queue depth associated with the storage node and initializing the maximum queue depth according to a type of the storage node;

maintaining a count of outstanding commands that have been submitted to the storage node;

maintaining a current queue depth associated with the storage node and initializing the current queue depth to a value not less than a minimum queue depth nor greater than the maximum queue depth;

holding commands for later submission to the storage node if the count of commands that have been submitted is greater or equal to the current queue depth;

adjusting the current queue depth associated with the storage node downwardly when the current queue depth is greater than the minimum queue depth and the storage node refuses to queue a command issued by the initiator node; and

adjusting the current queue depth upwardly when the current queue depth is less than the maximum queue depth associated with the storage node and the storage node has not refused to queue any commands issued by the initiator node for a first predetermined period of time.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of adjusting the current queue depth associated with the storage node downwardly is permitted to occur no more than a predetermined number of times in a second predetermined period of time.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined number of times is one.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first predetermined period of time is adjusted dynamically.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

maintaining a second maximum queue depth associated with a second storage node and initializing the second maximum queue depth according to a type of the second storage node;

maintaining a second count of outstanding commands, indicating commands that have been submitted to the second storage node and have not completed; and

maintaining a second current queue depth associated with the second storage node and initializing the second current queue depth to a value not less than a minimum queue depth nor greater than the second maximum queue depth.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of initializing the current queue depth initializes the current queue depth to a value dependent upon a number of initiator nodes known to be logged-in to the storage area network.

10. An apparatus having computer readable instructions, the apparatus comprising:

first maintenance means for maintaining a maximum queue depth associated with a storage node, the maximum queue depth initialized according to a type of the storage node;

second maintenance means for maintaining a current queue depth associated with the storage node, the current queue depth initialized to a value not less than a minimum queue depth nor greater than the maximum queue depth;

first adjustment means for adjusting the current queue depth associated with the storage node downwardly when the current queue depth is greater than the minimum queue depth and the storage node refuses to queue an issued command; and

second adjustment means for adjusting the current queue depth associated with the storage node upwardly when the current queue depth is less than the maximum queue depth associated with the storage node and the storage node has not refused to queue any issued commands for a first predetermined period of time.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first adjustment means adjusts the current queue depth associated with the storage node downwardly no more than a predetermined number of times in a second predetermined period of time.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the predetermined number of times is one.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first predetermined period of time is adjusted dynamically based on whether the current queue depth is being adjusted upwardly and/or whether the current queue depth has been adjusted downwardly during the first predetermined period of time.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

third maintenance means for maintaining a second maximum queue depth associated with a second storage node, the second maximum queue depth initialized according to a type of the second storage node; and

fourth maintenance means for maintaining a second current queue depth associated with the second storage node, the second current queue depth initialized to a value not less than a minimum queue depth nor greater than the second maximum queue depth.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the current queue depth is initialized to a value dependent upon a number of initiator nodes logged-in to a storage area network.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the current queue depth is updated upon login of a new initiator node to the storage area network.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

third maintenance means for maintaining a count of outstanding commands that have been submitted to the storage node; and

means for holding commands for later submission to the storage node if the count of commands that have been submitted is greater or equal to the current queue depth.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus comprises a storage area network node.

19. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus comprises a computer program product.