Method for visualizing space utilization in storage containers

• US 8,284,198 B1
• Filed: 03/03/2008
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Network Appliance Incorporated (NetApp, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hackworth, Brian, Shah, Lokesh, PS, Ramanthan, Klinkner, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, M Good
• Application Number:
  US12/074,440
• Time in Patent Office: 1,681 Days
• Field of Search: 345/440, 345/543, 345/544, 707/609, 707/649
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A server system allows an administrator to visualize storage space utilization of a storage system. In one implementation, the server system monitors the amount of used storage space in a storage system with respect to different types of usage. The server system generates a Graphical User Interface comprising a graphical chart displaying the amount of used storage space relating to a period of time. The graphical chart includes a breakdown of the different types of usage over the period of time. In another implementation, the server system receives a user input applied on the graphical chart, adjusts an allocation of storage space in the storage system in response to the user input, and updates the graphical chart to reflect the adjusted allocation of the storage space. In yet another implementation, the server system receives a selection of one or more snapshots to be deleted, determines one or more common files to the selected snapshots, computes a potential amount of reclaimed storage space based on the selection and the one or more common files to the selected snapshots, and to update the graphical chart in response to the selection without actually deleting the selected snapshots.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring an amount of used storage space in a storage system with respect to different types of usage;

displaying a graphical chart of the amount of used storage space relating to a period of time, the graphical chart comprising a breakdown of the different types of usage over time and a visual indicator corresponding to a current maximum storage size of the storage system, wherein the current maximum storage size corresponds to an allocated portion of available storage;

receiving a user input to the visual indicator;

automatically changing, by a data processing system, the current maximum size of the storage system by increasing a size of the allocated portion or decreasing the size of the allocated portion by an amount corresponding to the user input to the visual indicator; and

updating the graphical chart to reflect the changed size of the storage system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the amount of used storage space comprises an active user data space utilization and a snapshot space utilization, and wherein the different types of usage comprise a total space utilization, an active data space utilization, and a snapshot space utilization.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a selection of one or more snapshots to be deleted;

determining one or more common storage space to the selected snapshots;

computing a potential amount of reclaimed storage space based on the selection and the one or more common storage space to the selected snapshots; and

updating the graphical chart in response to the selection without actually deleting the selected snapshots.

4. A method comprising:

receiving a user input applied on a graphical chart of an amount of used storage space of a storage system relating to a period of time and a visual indicator corresponding to a current maximum storage size of the storage system, wherein the current maximum storage size corresponds to an allocated portion of available storage;

automatically changing, by a data processing system, the current maximum size of the storage system by increasing a size of the allocated portion or decreasing the size of the allocated portion by an amount corresponding to the user input to the visual indicator; and

updating the graphical chart to reflect the changed size of the storage system.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the graphical chart comprises a breakdown of different types of usage over time.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the amount of used storage space comprises an active data space utilization and a snapshot space utilization, and wherein the different types of usage comprise a total space utilization, an active data space utilization, and a snapshot space utilization.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

receiving a selection of one or more snapshots to be deleted;

determining one or more common storage space to the selected snapshots;

computing a potential amount of reclaimed storage space based on the selection and the one or more common storage space to the selected snapshots; and

updating the graphical chart in response to the selection without actually deleting the selected snapshots.

8. A method comprising:

monitoring an amount of used storage space in a storage system with respect to different types of usage;

displaying a graphical chart of the amount of used storage space relating to a period of time and a visual indicator corresponding to a maximum storage size of the storage system, wherein the maximum storage size corresponds to an allocated portion of available storage;

receiving a selection of one or more snapshots to be deleted;

determining one or more common storage space to the selected snapshots;

computing a potential amount of reclaimed storage space based on the selection and the one or more common files to the selected snapshots;

updating the graphical chart in response to the selection without deleting the selected snapshots;

receiving a user input to the visual indicator;

automatically changing, by a data processing system, the current maximum size of the storage system by increasing a size of the allocated portion or decreasing the size of the allocated portion by an amount corresponding to the user input to the visual indicator; and

updating the graphical chart to reflect the changed size of the storage system.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the graphical chart comprises a breakdown of the different types of usage over time.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the amount of used storage space comprises an active data space utilization and a snapshot space utilization, and wherein the different types of usage comprise a total space utilization, an active data space utilization, and a snapshot space utilization.

11. A server system comprising:

a monitoring engine to monitor an amount of used storage space with respect to different types of usage in a storage system coupled to the server system; and

a visual engine module configured to generate a graphical user interface (GUI) comprising a graphical chart of the amount of used storage space relating to a period of time and a visual indicator corresponding to a current maximum storage size of the storage system, wherein the current maximum storage size corresponds to an allocated portion of available storage, the graphical chart comprising a breakdown of the different types of usage over time, wherein the GUI is to receive a user input applied on the graphical chart comprising dragging the visual indicator, to automatically change the current maximum size of the storage system by increasing a size of the allocated portion or decreasing the size of the allocated portion by an amount corresponding to the user input to the graphical chart, and to update the graphical chart to reflect the changed size of the storage system.

12. The server system of claim 11 wherein the GUI is to receive a selection of one or more snapshots to be deleted, wherein the visual engine module is to determine one or more common storage space to the selected snapshots, to compute a potential amount of reclaimed storage space based on the selection and the one or more common storage space to the selected snapshots, and to update the graphical chart in response to the selection without actually deleting the selected snapshots.

13. A server system comprising:

a monitoring engine to monitor an amount of used storage space with respect to a type of usage in a storage system coupled to the server system; and

a visual engine module configured to generate a graphical user interface (GUI) comprising a graphical chart of the amount of used storage space relating to a period of time and a visual indicator corresponding to a current maximum storage size of the storage system, wherein the current maximum storage size corresponds to an allocated portion of available storage, the GUI is to receive a selection of one or more snapshots to be deleted, the visual engine module is to determine one or more common files to the selected snapshots, to compute a potential amount of reclaimed storage space based on the selection and the one or more common files to the selected snapshots, and to update the graphical chart in response to the selection without actually deleting the selected snapshots, wherein the GUI is to receive a user input applied on the graphical chart comprising dragging the visual indicator, to automatically change the current maximum size of the storage system by increasing a size of the allocated portion or decreasing the size of the allocated portion by an amount corresponding to the user input to the graphical chart, and to update the graphical chart to reflect the changed size of the storage system.

14. The server system of claim 13 wherein the graphical chart comprises a breakdown of the different types of usage over the period of time.