System and method for analyzing input/output activity on local attached storage

• US 7,275,097 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2003
• Issued: 09/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Precise Software Solutions, Inc. (Idera, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Precise Software Solutions Ltd. (Idera, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kyler, Daniel B., McLaughlin, Colleen, Peake, William Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US10/369,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20040024921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 710/18, 710/28, 710/46, 710/15, 710/58, 707/103.R, 707/2, 707/200, 719/316
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3485 for I/O devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for analyzing file I/O activity on local attached storage devices within a computer network is provided. In an embodiment, a software agent executes on one or more servers within the network, and monitors the I/O activity on the network'"'"'s local attached storage (e.g., SAN, NAS, and IDE and SCSI disks). A management interface is also provided for monitoring I/O activity-related data and for receiving reports on such I/O activity. In an embodiment, collected I/O-related data and any predefined I/O metrics are stored in a central repository (e.g., a relational database). The system, method and computer program product provide accurate metrics to assists system administrators in deciding, justifying and validating resource purchases for and allocations within the network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a critical threshold of a file I/O metric associated with a managed object;

establishing a baseline level of I/O performance associated with the file I/O metric, wherein said critical threshold is defined relative to the baseline level;

collecting a plurality of values of the file I/O metric, wherein each value of the plurality of values is collected over a specified time interval;

determining, using at least the plurality of values of the file I/O metric, a time period after which the file I/O metric is expected to reach the critical threshold; and

providing a report indicating the determined time period.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file open operations, wherein the method further comprises:

classifying the file open operations into a plurality of categories, including a first category of file open operations that resulted in a file creation and a second category of file open operations that resulted in an overwrite of an existing file.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the plurality of categories includes a third category of file open operations that resulted in an existing file being superseded.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file truncate operations.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file extend operations.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file compression operations.

7. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory includes program instructions executable by the processor to implement an I/O analyzer configured to;

identify a critical threshold of a file I/O metric associated with a managed object;

establish a baseline level of I/O performance associated with the file I/O metric, wherein said critical threshold is defined relative to the baseline level;

collect a plurality of values of the file I/O metric, wherein each value of the plurality of values is collected over a specified time interval;

determine, using at least the plurality of values of the file I/O metric, a time period after which the file I/O metric is expected to reach the critical threshold; and

providing a report indicating the determined time period.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file open operations, wherein the I/O analyzer is further configured to:

classify the file open operations into a plurality of categories, including a first category of file open operations that resulted in a file creation and a second category of file open operations that resulted in an overwrite of an existing file.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the plurality of categories includes a third category of file open operations that resulted in an existing file being superseded.

10. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file truncate operations.

11. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file extend operations.

12. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file compression operations.

13. A computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions, wherein the instructions are computer-executable to implement an I/O analyzer configured to:

identify a critical threshold of a file I/O metric associated with a managed object;

establish a baseline level of I/O performance associated with the file I/O metric, wherein said critical threshold is defined relative to the baseline level;

collect a plurality of values of the file I/O metric, wherein each value of the plurality of values is collected over a specified time interval; and

determine, using at least the plurality of values of the file I/O metric, a time period after which the file I/O metric is expected to reach the critical threshold; and

provide a report indicating the determined time period.

14. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file open operations, wherein the I/O analyzer is further configured to:

classify the file open operations into a plurality of categories, including a first category of file open operations that resulted in a file creation and a second category of file open operations that resulted in an overwrite of an existing file.

15. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the plurality of categories includes a third category of file open operations that resulted in an existing file being superseded.

16. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file truncate operations.

17. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file extend operations.

18. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file compression operations.