Methods and apparatus for optimally selecting a storage buffer for the storage of data

• US 7,631,120 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2004
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Operating Corporation (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Darcy, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai; Henry W. H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TSENG, CHENG YUAN
• Application Number:
  US10/924,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20060047998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,932 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0656 Data buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices

Abstract

A storage management device can receive a write operation that includes a data payload, store a first instance of the data payload at a first storage buffer in the storage management device, and evaluate a first cost equation to identify a second storage buffer in the storage management device, different from the first storage buffer, at which to optimally store a second instance of the data payload.

Claims

1. A method for storing data, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first processor module, a write operation comprising a data payload;

storing, by the first processor module, a first instance of the data payload at a first storage buffer, wherein the first storage buffer is one of a plurality of storage buffers;

evaluating, by the first processor module, a first cost equation to identify a second storage buffer, different from the first storage buffer, from amongst the plurality of storage buffers at which to store a second instance of the data payload, wherein the second instance of the data payload is a copy of the first instance of the data payload; and

storing the second instance of the data payload at the second storage buffer based at least in part upon the evaluation of the first cost equation, thereby creating in the second storage buffer a redundant copy of the data payload that is stored in the first storage buffer.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising evaluating, by the first processor module, a second cost equation to identify a third storage buffer, different from the first and second storage buffers, from amongst the plurality of storage buffers at which to store a third instance of the data payload.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the first cost equation to identify the second storage buffer comprises assigning, for each one of the plurality of storage buffers other than the first storage buffer, a value to a physical distance from the first processor module to that one of the plurality of storage buffers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the first cost equation to identify the second storage buffer comprises assigning, for each one of the plurality of storage buffers other than the first storage buffer, a value to an available capacity of that one of the plurality of storage buffers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises at least one second processor module comprising at least one of the plurality of storage buffers, different from the first storage buffer, and wherein evaluating the first cost equation to identify the second storage buffer comprises assigning, for each second processor module, a value to a load present at that second processor module.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the load present at each second processor module comprises an input/output load.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the load present at each second processor module comprises an interconnect load between that second processor module and at least one other processor module.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one second processor module, and wherein evaluating the first cost equation to identify the second storage buffer comprises assigning, for each one of the plurality of storage buffers other than the first storage buffer, a value to the number of processor modules that would be able to access at least one of the first instance and the second instance of the data payload if the second instance of the data payload were stored at that one of the plurality of storage buffers.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising separating, by the first processor module, the data payload from the write operation to create the first instance of the data payload, and replicating, by the first processor module, the first instance of the data payload to create the second instance of the data payload.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting from the first processor module to the second storage buffer, the second instance of the data payload.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second storage buffer is located on a second processor module.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of storage buffers is contained within a memory.

13. A device for storing data, comprising:

a plurality of storage buffers;

a first processor module to receive a write operation comprising a data payload, to store a first instance of the data payload in a first storage buffer, wherein the first storage buffer is one of the plurality of storage buffers, and to evaluate a first cost equation to identify a second storage buffer of the plurality of storage buffers at which to store a second instance of the data payload, wherein the second instance of the data payload is a copy of the first instance of the data payload, and wherein the second storage buffer is different from the first storage buffer; and

a transmitter to transmit, to the second storage buffer, the second instance of the data payload based at least in part upon the evaluation of the first cost equation, thereby creating in the second storage buffer a redundant copy of the data payload that is stored in the first storage buffer.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the first processor module further evaluates a second cost equation to identify a third storage buffer, different from the first and second storage buffers, of the plurality of storage buffers at which to store a third instance of the data payload.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the first processor module, in evaluating the first cost equation to identify the second storage buffer, assigns, for each one of the plurality of storage buffers other than the first storage buffer, a value to a physical distance from the first processor module to that one of the plurality of storage buffers.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the first processor module, in evaluating the first cost equation to identify the second storage buffer, assigns, for each one of the plurality of storage buffers other than the first storage buffer, a value to an available capacity of that one of the plurality of storage buffers.

17. The device of claim 13, further comprising at least one second processor module.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the first processor module, in evaluating the first cost equation to identify the second storage buffer, assigns, for each second processor module, a value to a load present at that second processor module.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the load present at each second processor module comprises an input/output load.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the load present at each second processor module comprises an interconnect load between that second processor module and at least one other processor module.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the first processor module, in evaluating the first cost equation to identify the second storage buffer, assigns, for each one of the plurality of storage buffers other than the first storage buffer, a value to a number of processor modules that would be able to access at least one of the first instance and the second instance of the data payload if the second instance of the data payload were stored at that one of the plurality of storage buffers.

22. The device of claim 13, wherein the first processor module separates the data payload from the write operation to create the first instance of the data payload, and replicates the first instance of the data payload to create the second instance of the data payload.

23. The device of claim 13 further comprising a second processor module, different from the first processor module.

24. The device of claim 13, further comprising memory, wherein at least one of the plurality of storage buffers is contained within the memory.

25. A system for storing data, the system comprising:

a module for receiving, at a first processor module, a write operation comprising a data payload;

a module for storing, by the first processor module, a first instance of the data payload at a first storage buffer, wherein the first storage buffer is one of a plurality of storage buffers;

a module for evaluating, by the first processor module, a first cost equation to identify a second storage buffer, different from the first storage buffer, from amongst the plurality of storage buffers at which to store a second instance of the data payload, wherein the second instance of the data payload is a copy of the first instance of the data payload; and

a module for storing the second instance of the data payload at the second storage buffer based at least in part upon the evaluation of the first cost equation, thereby creating in the second storage buffer a redundant copy of the data payload that is stored in the first storage buffer.