Control of service workload management

• US 7,593,948 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2005
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Network Appliance Incorporated (NetApp, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Network Appliance Incorporated (NetApp, Inc.)
• Inventors: Scott, John, Suggs, Darrell, Fair, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown; Sheree N
• Application Number:
  US11/166,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20060294045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/10, 707/100, 711/211, 709217-218, 709/223
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5021 Priority
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system and method are provided to manage different types of workload. The method comprises receiving a request, determining a class of the request, determining a priority level associated with the class of the request, and servicing the request utilizing the priority level of the class of the request. The class of the request may be associated with a target volume, as well as with a network protocol, or with a network port.

Claims

1. A method to service messages in a storage system, the method comprising:

receiving a message at a storage server;

determining, by the storage server, a class of the message, wherein the class of the message is associated with a priority level;

placing the message in a queue from a plurality of queues, wherein the queue is associated with the class of the message;

if the number of queued messages does not exceed the predetermined threshold, selecting the message for dequeuing using a randomized selection mechanism;

if a number of queued messages in the plurality of queues exceeds a predetermined threshold, selecting the message for dequeuing using a direct selection mechanism; and

dequeuing the selected message by sending the message to a file system for the message to be serviced.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is a user-initiated message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the class of the message is associated with a volume targeted by the message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the volume is a flexible volume.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the volume is a traditional volume.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the class of the message is associated with a network protocol.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the class of the message is associated with a network port.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the priority level is with respect to maximum permitted CPU utilization for the class of the message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the priority level is with respect to concurrent disk reads.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the priority level is with respect to Non-Volatile Random Access Memory (NVRAM).

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is a system-initiated message.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the system-initiated message is associated with a mirror process.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the priority level is relative to a priority level of user-initiated messages.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the priority level is a user-designated priority level.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the randomized selection mechanism is weighted according to the priority level using a Monte Carlo random selection algorithm.

15. An apparatus to service messages in a storage system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to process a message received at a storage server;

a media access module coupled with the processor, wherein the media access module is configured to receive the message;

a control of service module coupled with the processor, wherein the control of service module includes;

a characterization module to determine a class of the message, wherein the class of the message is associated with a priority level,

a queue from a plurality of queues, wherein the queue is configured to queue the message based on the class of the message, and

a scheduler to dequeue the message by sending the message to a file system for the message to be serviced, wherein the scheduler selects the message for dequeuing using a direct selection mechanism if a number of queued messages in the plurality of queues exceeds a predetermined threshold, and wherein the scheduler selects the message for dequeuing using a randomized selection mechanism if the number of queued messages does not exceed the predetermined threshold.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the class of the message is associated with a volume targeted by the message.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the randomized selection mechanism is weighted according to the priority level using a Monte Carlo random selection algorithm.

17. A storage system comprising:

a file system implemented by a storage server, the file to maintain a hierarchical structure of the data stored in an array of storage devices coupled with the storage server;

and a control of service layer, executable by a processor, configured to queue a message directed to the file system, select the message for dequeuing using a direct selection mechanism if a number of queued messages exceeds a predetermined threshold, select the message for dequeuing using a randomized selection mechanism if the number of queued messages does not exceed a predetermined threshold, and dequeue the selected message by sending the message to the file system for the request to be serviced;

wherein the control of service layer comprises;

a characterization module to determine the class of the message and the priority level associated with the class of the message;

a queue to queue the message based on the class of the message;

and a scheduler to service the message utilizing the priority level of the class of the message.

18. The storage system of claim 17 wherein the queue is from a plurality of queues, wherein each queue from the plurality of queues is associated with a different class of messages.

19. A machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon data representing sets of instructions executable by a machine, wherein the instructions configure the machine to:

receive a message;

determine a class of the message, wherein the class of the message is associated with a priority level;

place the message in a queue from a plurality of queues, wherein the queue is associated with the class of the message;

select the message for dequeuing using a direct selection mechanism if a number of queued messages in the plurality of queues exceeds a predetermined threshold;

select the message for dequeuing using a randomized selection mechanism if the number of queued messages does not exceed the predetermined threshold; and

dequeue the selected message by sending the message to a file system for the message to be serviced.