Load balancing method for exchanging data between multiple hosts and storage entities, in IP based storage area network
First Claim
1. A method for balancing storage traffic in a storage area network (SAN), including at least a plurality of host computers, at least one storage gateway, and a plurality of storage entities, wherein the host computers are coupled to the storage gateway through a network and the storage entities are coupled to the storage gateway through a communication means, said method comprising:
- accumulating, over a time interval, statistical readings on the storage traffic for all routes in the SAN, wherein a route is established between each a host computer and a storage entity through the at least one gateway;
determining a routing map using the statistical readings and a cost function, wherein the cost function is min (wvariance*variance(GatewayTraffic)+wchange*change), where the change value is a number of changes from a previous routing map, wvariance is a weight assigned to the variance, the Wchange is a weight assigned to the change value, and the GatewayTraffic is the statistical readings on the storage traffic;
said cost function is computed for all combinations of routes in the SAN; and
using the routing map to assign new routes between the plurality of host computers and the plurality of storage entities through the at least one storage gateway;
whereby the new routes allow to balance the storage traffic in the SAN.
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Abstract
The present invention achieves load balancing of activities on storage entities, operating in a storage area network (SAN) by assignment of address to each storage entity. The storage traffic is monitored and statistics are accumulated over an interval and then used to obtain the traffic pattern of each host-storage entity link. A statistical analysis is used to determine the optimal routing map from hosts to storage entity. Other heuristics including genetic algorithms many also be used. This mapping is set on the network by assigning the entities'"'"' addresses to the storage gateways, thus does not impose any process on the hosts or the disks.
17 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method for balancing storage traffic in a storage area network (SAN), including at least a plurality of host computers, at least one storage gateway, and a plurality of storage entities, wherein the host computers are coupled to the storage gateway through a network and the storage entities are coupled to the storage gateway through a communication means, said method comprising:
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accumulating, over a time interval, statistical readings on the storage traffic for all routes in the SAN, wherein a route is established between each a host computer and a storage entity through the at least one gateway; determining a routing map using the statistical readings and a cost function, wherein the cost function is min (wvariance*variance(GatewayTraffic)+wchange*change), where the change value is a number of changes from a previous routing map, wvariance is a weight assigned to the variance, the Wchange is a weight assigned to the change value, and the GatewayTraffic is the statistical readings on the storage traffic;
said cost function is computed for all combinations of routes in the SAN; andusing the routing map to assign new routes between the plurality of host computers and the plurality of storage entities through the at least one storage gateway; whereby the new routes allow to balance the storage traffic in the SAN. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification