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Method of dynamically balancing workload of a storage system

  • US 7,886,299 B2
  • Filed: 02/14/2005
  • Issued: 02/08/2011
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2004
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A storage system coupled to a plurality of clients via a communication link, the storage system comprising:

  • a first file server including a first network interface and a second network interface, said first network interface being assigned a first group of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and said second network interface being assigned a second group of IP addresses;

    a second file server including a third network interface assigned a third group of IP addresses;

    a plurality of disks providing a plurality of storage area;

    a storage unit including a storage area of first type that is assigned to the first network interface, a storage area of second type that is assigned to the second network interface, the storage area of first type including a first group of file systems, the storage area of second type including a second group of file systems, each file system being associated with an IP address; and

    a memory comprising a program to balance a workload, the program comprising, code for determining whether or not a disk workload of a first group of disks of the plurality of disks is heavy;

    code for balancing the disk workload by distributing work to other disks to reduce the heavy disk workload of the first group of disks if the disk workload is determined to be heavy; and

    code for balancing a processor workload of a processor of the first file server by distributing work to other processors if the processor workload is determined to be heavy in order to reduce the heavy processor workload of the processor;

    wherein the code for balancing the processor workload includes;

    code for detaching a first file system and first IP address which is associated with said first file system if it is determined that the workload of the processor of the first file server is heavy, the first file system being part of the first group of file systems; and

    code for attaching said first file system to the second file server, said first IP address being assigned to the third network interface, so that the first file system may be accessed via the second file server but not from the first file server.

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