Synchronizing performance requirements across multiple storage platforms

• US 8,566,549 B1
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Veprinsky, Alexandr, Naamad, Amnon, Fitzgerald, John T., Burke, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): Dudek, Jr., Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Birkhimer, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US12/319,122
• Time in Patent Office: 1,756 Days
• Field of Search: 711/114, 711/162, 711/168, 711/E12.103
• US Class Current: 711/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2069 Management of state, configuration or failover
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2071 using a plurality of controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3433 for load management allocation of a server based on load conditions G06F9/505; load rebalancing G06F9/5083; redistributing the load in a network by a load balancer H04L67/1029
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3485 for I/O devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0611 in relation to response time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0644 Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0653 Monitoring storage devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/068 Hybrid storage device

Abstract

Synchronization of data layouts and resource utilizations at one or more remote replica sites with the workload and data tiering decisions being made at the primary site allows for an efficient and effective workload support transfer in the event of site failover from a primary site to a remote site. Relevant data access information about workload being supported at the primary site is collected and from that raw information, characterized data access information is generated that condenses the raw data access information or otherwise provides relevant encapsulated information about the raw data access information. The characterized data access information is transmitted to the one or more remote sites allowing each remote site to make its own independent decisions on how best to utilize its available resources to match the performance requirements currently being supported by the primary site.

Claims

1. A method for managing data among a plurality of storage devices, comprising:

collecting raw data access information about data stored on a first storage device of the plurality of storage devices, wherein the raw data access information corresponds to a workload of the first storage device, the workload including read and write accesses of the data stored on the first storage device, and wherein the raw data access information includes a number of the read and write accesses of the workload;

characterizing the raw data access information to generate characterized data access information, wherein the characterized data access information contains less information than the raw data access information, and wherein the characterized data access information identifies at least one access characteristic of the data stored on the first storage device, wherein the at least one access characteristic of the data stored on the first storage device includes information concerning at least one of;

an access rate of the data on the first storage device or a frequency of use of the data on the first storage device;

transmitting the characterized data access information to a second storage device of the plurality of storage devices, wherein the generating and transmitting of the characterized data access information is performed independently from data replication processing between the first storage device and the second storage device; and

managing data stored on the second storage device according to the characterized data access information, wherein the data stored on the second storage device corresponds to the data stored on the first storage device, wherein the data stored on the second storage device is present on the second storage device prior to receipt of the characterized data access information by the second storage device, wherein the characterized data access information causes the data stored on the second storage device to be stored in a different storage configuration than a storage configuration prior to receipt of the characterized data access information, wherein the different storage configuration includes storing the data among a plurality of storage tiers of the second storage device, each of the plurality of storage tiers having different data access characteristics, wherein particular data is stored on a particular storage tier based on the characterized data access information.

2. The method according claim 1, wherein management of data stored on the second storage device is performed independently of management of data stored on the first storage device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data stored on the second storage device is managed to match performance requirements being supported by the first storage device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein management of data stored on the second storage device is performed independently of management of data stored on the first storage device, and wherein the data stored on the second storage device is managed to match performance requirements being supported by the first storage device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a first storage tier of the plurality of storage tiers includes memory that is accessible relatively faster than memory of a second storage tier of the plurality of storage tiers.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data stored on the second storage device is a copy of the data stored on the first storage device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the characterized data access information includes information concerning at least one of:

a time of last use of the data or source/requestor information of the data.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the characterized data access information is transmitted periodically to the second data storage device.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data is stored in the different storage configuration in memory of the second storage device such that relative performance characteristics of the memory storing the data on the second storage device correspond to relative performance characteristics of memory storing the data on the first storage device in order to match relative rate of access or frequency of use performance requirements for accessing the data on the second storage device to that of relative rate of access or frequency of use performance requirements for the accesses of the data on the first storage device.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having executable code stored thereon that is executable by at least one processor, the computer-readable medium comprising:

executable code that collects raw data access information about data stored on a first storage device of a plurality of storage devices, wherein the raw data access information corresponds to a workload of the first storage device, the workload including read and write accesses of the data stored on the first storage device, and wherein the raw data access information includes a number of the read and write accesses of the workload;

executable code that characterizes the raw data access information to generate characterized data access information, wherein the characterized data access information contains less information than the raw data access information, and wherein the characterized data access information identifies at least one access characteristic of the data stored on the first storage device, wherein the at least one access characteristic of the data stored on the first storage device includes information concerning at least one of;

an access rate of the data on the first storage device or a frequency of use of the data on the first storage device;

executable code that transmits the characterized data access information to a second storage device of the plurality of storage devices, wherein the generating and transmitting of the characterized data access information is performed independently from data replication processing between the first storage device and the second storage device; and

executable code that manages data stored on the second storage device according to the characterized data access information, wherein the data stored on the second storage device corresponds to the data stored on the first storage device, wherein the data stored on the second storage device is present on the second storage device prior to receipt of the characterized data access information by the second storage device, wherein the characterized data access information causes the data stored on the second storage device to be stored in a different storage configuration than a storage configuration prior to receipt of the characterized data access information, wherein the different storage configuration includes storing the data among a plurality of storage tiers of the second storage device, each of the plurality of storage tiers having different data access characteristics, wherein particular data is stored on a particular storage tier based on the characterized data access information.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according claim 9, wherein management of data stored on the second storage device is performed independently of management of data stored on the first storage device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the data stored on the second storage device is managed to match performance requirements being supported by the first storage device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein a first storage tier of the plurality of storage tiers includes memory that is accessible relatively faster than memory of a second storage tier of the plurality of storage tiers.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the data stored on the second storage device is a copy of the data stored on the first storage device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the characterized data access information includes information concerning at least one of:

a time of last use of the data or source/requestor information of the data.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the characterized data access information is transmitted periodically to the second data storage device.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the data is stored in the different storage configuration in memory of the second storage device such that relative performance characteristics of the memory storing the data on the second storage device correspond to relative performance characteristics of memory storing the data on the first storage device in order to match relative rate of access or frequency of use performance requirements for accessing the data on the second storage device to that of relative rate of access or frequency of use performance requirements for the accesses of the data on the first storage device.

16. A computer storage system, comprising:

a plurality of interconnected directors, wherein at least some of the directors handle reading and writing data for the computer storage system;

a plurality of storage devices, coupled to at least some of the directors, that store data for the computer storage system; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium of at least one of the directors that stores executable code, the computer-readable medium including;

executable code that collects raw data access information about data stored on a first storage device of the plurality of storage devices, wherein the raw data access information corresponds to a workload of the first storage device, the workload including read and write accesses of the data stored on the first storage device, and wherein the raw data access information includes a number of the read and write accesses of the workload;

executable code that characterizes the raw data access information to generate characterized data access information, wherein the characterized data access information contains less information than the raw data access information, and wherein the characterized data access information identifies at least one access characteristic of the data stored on the first storage device, wherein the at least one access characteristic of the data stored on the first storage device includes information concerning at least one of;

an access rate of the data on the first storage device or a frequency of use of the data on the first storage device;

executable code that transmits the characterized data access information to a second storage device of the plurality of storage devices, wherein the generating and transmitting of the characterized data access information is performed independently replication processing between the first storage device and the second storage device; and

executable code that manages data stored on the second storage device according to the characterized data access information, wherein the data stored on the second storage device is present on the second storage device prior to receipt of the characterized data access information by the second storage device, wherein the characterized data access information causes the data stored on the second storage device to be stored in a different storage configuration than a storage configuration prior to receipt of the characterized data access information, wherein the different storage configuration includes storing the data among a plurality of storage tiers of the second storage device, each of the plurality of storage tiers having different data access characteristics, wherein particular data is stored on a particular storage tier based on the characterized data access information.

19. The computer storage system according to claim 16, wherein the data is stored in the different storage configuration in memory of the second storage device such that relative performance characteristics of the memory storing the data on the second storage device correspond to relative performance characteristics of memory storing the data on the first storage device in order to match relative rate of access or frequency of use performance requirements for accessing the data on the second storage device to that of relative rate of access or frequency of use performance requirements for the accesses of the data on the first storage device.