Background processing of data in a storage system

• US 7,380,060 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2007
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: COPAN Systems, Inc. (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Santilli, Christopher T., Guha, Aloke
• Primary Examiner(s): ELMORE, STEPHEN C
• Application Number:
  US11/716,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20070260815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 711/114, 711/4, 711/111, 711/154, 713/324
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3268 Power saving in hard disk drive
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1008 in individual solid state devices G06F11/1004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1425 by reconfiguration of node membership
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1662 the resynchronized component or unit being a persistent storage device re-synchronization of failed mirror storage G06F11/2082; rebuild or reconstruction of parity RAID storage G06F11/1008
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0623 in relation to content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0625 Power saving in storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0634 by changing the state or mode of one or more devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0646 Horizontal data movement in storage systems, i.e. moving data in between storage devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method for processing data on a particular storage device in a plurality of storage devices is disclosed. A system and a computer program product for processing data on a particular storage device in a plurality of storage devices are also disclosed. All the storage devices from among the plurality of storage devices are not powered-on at the same time. A storage device, which is powered-off is selected for background processing. Further, a data-enhancing operation is selected. The selected storage device is powered on and the selected data-enhancing operation is processed on the storage device.

Claims

1. A method for processing data on a particular storage device in a plurality of storage devices, the method comprising:

determining a power budget of a maximum number of storage devices in the plurality of storage devices that can be powered on at one time, wherein not all of the plurality of storage devices are powered on at one time;

determining if power consumption is above the power budget;

selecting a data enhancing operation for data on the particular storage device if the power consumption is not above the power budget; and

performing the data enhancing operation on the particular storage device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the particular storage device is powered off when the processing power is not above the power budget; and

powering on the particular storage device if the particular storage device is powered off to perform the data enhancing operation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the power budget is based on a maximum number of storage devices that can be powered on at one time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining if processing power is above the power budget comprises comparing a number of powered on storage devices to the maximum number of storage devices that can be powered on at one time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if power consumption is above the power budget comprises:

determining a current total power consumption of powered on storage devices; and

predicting an anticipated power consumption of the particular storage device; and

using the current total power consumption and the anticipated power consumption to determine if the power consumption is above the power budget.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data enhancing operation is not performed if the power consumption is above the power budget.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein if the processing power is not above the power budget, real-time operations are not using all of the processing power allotted to the power budget.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the data enhancing operation is performed as a background operation such that real-time operations are not affected by the performing of the background operation.

2. A system for processing data on a particular storage device in a plurality of storage devices, the system comprising:

means for determining a power budget of a maximum number of storage devices in the plurality of storage devices that can be powered on at one time, wherein not all of the pluraity of storage devices are powered on at one time;

means for determining if power consurnpfon is above the power budget;

means for selecting a data enhancing operation for data on the particular storage device if the power consumption is not above the power budget; and

;

means for performing the data enhancing operation on the particular storage device.

12. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

means for determining if the particular storage device is powered off when the processing power is not above the power budget; and

means for powering on the particular storage device if the particular storage device is powered off to perform the data enhancing operation.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein the power budget is based on a maximum number of storage devices that can be powered on at one time.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for determining if processing power is above the power budget comprises means for comparing a number of powered on storage devices to the maximum number of storage devices that can be powered on at one time.

15. The system of claim 2, wherein the means for determining if power consumption is above the power budget comprise:

means for determining a current total power consumption of powered on storage devices; and

means for predicting an anticipated power consumption of the particular storage device; and

means for using the current total power consumption and the anticipated power consumption to determine if the power consumption is above the power budget.

16. The system of claim 2, wherein the data enhancing operation is not performed if the power consumption is above the power budget.

17. The system of claim 2, wherein if the processing power is not above the power budget, real-time operations are not using all of the processing power allotted to the power budget.

18. The system of claim 2, wherein the data enhancing operation is performed as a background operation such that real-time operations are not affected by the performing of the background operation.

3. A computer-readable medium including instructions executable by a processor processing data on a particular storage device in a plurality of storage devices, the computer-readable medium comprising:

one or more instructions for determining a power budget of a maximum number of storage devices in the plurality of storage devices that can be powered on at one time, wherein not all of the plurality of storage devices are powered on at one time;

one or more instructions for determining if power consumption is above the power budget;

one or more instructions for selecting a data enhancing operation for data on the particular storage device if the power consumption is not above the power budget; and

;

one or more instructions for performing the data enhancing operation on the particular storage device.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, further comprising:

one or more instructions for determining if the particular storage device is powered off when the processing power is not above the power budget; and

one or more instructions for powering on the particular storage device if the particular storage device is powered off to perform the data enhancing operation.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the power budget is based on a maximum number of storage devices that can be powered on at one time.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the one or more instructions for determining if processing power is above the power budget comprise one or more instructions for comparing a number of powered on storage devices to the maximum number of storage devices that can be powered on at one time.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the one or more instructions for determining if power consumption is above the power budget comprises:

one or more instructions for determining a current total power consumption of powered on storage devices; and

one or more instructions for predicting an anticipated power consumption of the particular storage device; and

one or more instructions for using the current total power consumption and the anticipated power consumption to determine if the power consumption is above the power budget.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the data enhancing operation is not performed if the power consumption is above the power budget.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein if the processing power is not above the power budget, real-time operations are not using all of the processing power allotted to the power budget.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the data enhancing operation is performed as a background operation such that real-time operations are not affected by the performing of the background operation.

4. An apparatus for processing data on a particular storage device in a plurality of storage devices, the apparatus comprising:

a processor for executing instructions; and

a machine-readable medium including;

one or more instructions for determining a power budget of a maximum number of storage devices in the plurality of storage devices that can be powered on at one time, wherein not all of the plurality of storage devices are powered on at one time;

one or more instructions for determining if power consumption is above the power budget;

one or more instructions for selecting a data enhancing operation for data on the particular storage device if the power consumption is not above the power budget; and

;

one or more instructions for performing the data enhancing operation on the particular storage device.