File cache management system

• US 8,346,740 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2005
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valtrus Innovations Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 9 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Trask, Barrett, Gilanyi, Robery, Sabsevitz, Arthur L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Truong
• Application Number:
  US11/187,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20070022143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,720 Days
• Field of Search: 707/200, 707/694, 711/170, 705/8
• US Class Current: 707/694
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0866 for peripheral storage systems, e.g. disk cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/121 using replacement algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5016 the resource being the memory

Abstract

In one embodiment a method of file cache management in a computer system comprises creating a resource group; developing one or more cache management policies for the resource group; and managing one or more subsequent requests for cache memory in accordance with the one or more cache management policies.

Claims

1. A method of file cache management in a computer system, comprising:

creating a resource group that will include a set of processes that are running in the computer system, said creating the resource group comprising selecting processes as members of the resource group;

developing one or more cache management policies for the resource group, wherein the one or more policies are used for managing cache memory in the computer system and are created by use of an interface module;

downloading the one or more cache management policies from the interface module to a file cache management system that enforces cache management policies; and

managing one or more subsequent requests for cache memory in accordance with the one or more cache management policies, wherein the one or more subsequent requests are transmitted from a process in the resource group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein developing one or more cache management policies for the resource group comprises:

identifying one or more members of the resource group; and

assigning a minimum share of file cache memory to the one or more members of the resource group.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

assigning a maximum threshold of cache memory available to the one or more resource groups.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein managing one or more subsequent requests for file cache memory in accordance with the one or more cache management policies comprises:

receiving a request for file cache memory from a member of a resource group;

implementing a self reuse algorithm when the resource group has consumed a threshold amount of cache memory.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein managing one or more subsequent requests for file cache memory in accordance with the one or more cache management policies comprises:

receiving a request for file cache memory from a member of a resource group;

implementing a global reuse algorithm when the resource group has not consumed a threshold amount of file cache memory.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein implementing a global reuse algorithm comprises reassigning cache memory resources from a first resource group to a second resource group.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein implementing a global reuse algorithm comprises:

assigning to one or more resource groups a score that represents an amount by which the resource group exceeds a threshold allocation of cache memory resource; and

reassigning cache memory resources from a resource group with a high score to a resource group with a low score.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring file cache memory utilization; and

modifying the cache management policies in response to a change in available cache memory.

9. A computer system to manage cache memory resources, comprising:

a processor;

a memory module including logic instructions stored in a computer-readable medium which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to;

create a resource group that will include a set of processes that are running in the computer system, and create the resource group by selecting processes as members of the resource group;

develop one or more cache management policies for the resource group, wherein the one or more policies are used for managing cache memory in the computer system and are created by use of an interface module;

download the one or more cache management policies from the interface module to a file cache management system that enforces cache management policies; and

manage one or more subsequent requests for cache memory in accordance with the one or more cache management policies, wherein the one or more subsequent requests are transmitted from a process in the resource group.

10. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising logic instructions which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to:

identify one or more members of the resource group; and

assign a share of cache memory to the one or more members of the resource group.

11. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising logic instructions which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to assign a maximum threshold of cache memory available to the one or more members of the resource group.

12. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising logic instructions which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to:

receive a request for cache memory from a member of a resource group;

implement a self reuse algorithm when the resource group has consumed a threshold amount of cache memory.

13. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising logic instructions which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to:

receive a request for cache memory from a member of a resource group;

implement a global reuse algorithm when the resource group has not consumed a threshold amount of cache memory.

14. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising logic instructions which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to reassign cache memory resources from a first resource group to a second resource group.

15. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising logic instructions which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to:

assign to one or more resource groups a score that represents an amount by which the resource group exceeds a threshold allocation of cache memory resource; and

reassign cache memory resources from a resource group with a high score to a resource group with a low score.

16. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising logic instructions which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to:

monitor cache memory utilization; and

modify the cache management policies in response to a change in available cache memory.

17. A computer program product comprising computer storage media and logic instructions stored on the computer storage media which, when executed by a computer processor, configure the processor to:

create a resource group that will include a set of processes that are running in the computer system, and create the resource group by selecting processes as members of the resource group;

develop one or more cache management policies for the resource group, wherein the one or more policies are used for managing cache memory in the computer system and are created by use of an interface module;

download the one or more cache management policies from the interface module to a file cache management system that enforces cache management policies; and

manage one or more subsequent requests for cache memory in accordance with the one or more cache management policies, wherein the one or more subsequent requests are transmitted from a process in the resource group.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising logic instructions which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to:

identify one or more members of the resource group; and

assign a share of cache memory to the one or more members of the resource group.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising logic instructions which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to assign a maximum threshold of cache memory available to the one or more members of the resource group.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising logic instructions which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to:

receive a request for cache memory from a member of a resource group;

implement a self reuse algorithm when the resource group has consumed a threshold amount of cache memory.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising logic instructions which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to:

receive a request for cache memory from a member of a resource group;

implement a global reuse algorithm when the resource group has not consumed a threshold amount of cache memory.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising logic instructions which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to reassign cache memory resources from a first resource group to a second resource group.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising logic instructions which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to:

assign to one or more resource groups a score that represents an amount by which the resource group exceeds a threshold allocation of cache memory resource; and

reassign cache memory resources from a resource group with a high score to a resource group with a low score.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising logic instructions which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to:

monitor cache memory utilization; and

modify the cache management policies in response to a change in available cache memory.