Assigning data for storage based on a frequency with which the data is accessed

• US 8,645,347 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GQRC Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Condusiv Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Khalsa, Sopurkh, Quan, Gary, Jensen, Craig, Staffer, Andrew, Kleinschmidt, Jr., Robert Stevens
• Primary Examiner(s): Jami, Hares
• Application Number:
  US13/174,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20110270839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 707/705, 707/770, 707/999.1, 707/999.3, 711/100, 711/152
• US Class Current: 707/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0643 Management of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0644 Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus for improving performance when retrieving data from one or more storage media. Files to be stored on the one or more storage media are classified into a ranking of different sets. Differences in retrieval value of different regions of the one or more storage media are exploited by selecting which files to store in which regions. For example, files that have a higher classification are stored in regions with faster retrieval values. The files can be classified based on frequency of access. Thus, files that are more frequently accessed are stored in regions that have a faster retrieval value. The files can be classified by another measure such as priority. For example, the classification for some or all of the files can be based on user-assigned priority. The classification may be based on events or data grouping.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining retrieval values for a plurality of logical storage locations on a single physical storage medium;

determining a frequency with which data is accessed by examining whether said data was accessed more than a predetermined number of times in a predetermined period;

selecting a particular logical storage location from the plurality of logical storage locations on the single physical storage medium, based, at least in part, on;

the determined frequency with which the data is accessed, and

the determined retrieval values of the plurality of logical storage locations; and

storing the data at the particular logical storage location,

wherein the method is performed by one or more devices, and

wherein the retrieval values are values corresponding to an amount of time it takes to retrieve data from each of the plurality of logical storage locations on the physical storage medium.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the retrieval value is determined by issuing read commands by a host computer to said plurality of logical storage locations and determining a time to retrieve data from each of said plurality of logical storage locations.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the retrieval value associated with the particular logical storage location is based on a retrieval value associated with a memory region comprising the particular logical storage location.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the retrieval value associated with the particular logical storage location is an average retrieval value of retrieval values associated with logical storage locations within a memory region comprising the particular logical storage location.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that a first data is associated with a high frequency of access;

storing the first data at a first logical storage location, of the plurality of logical storage locations, that is associated with a first retrieval value; and

responsive to determining that a second data is associated with a low frequency of access;

storing the second data at a second logical storage location of the plurality of logical storage locations that is associated with a second retrieval value,

wherein the first retrieval value and the second retrieval value indicate that the first logical storage location has a faster access time than the second logical storage location.

6. A method comprising:

determining retrieval values for two or more logical regions on a single physical storage medium;

determining a frequency of access for particular data accessed by examining whether said particular data was accessed more than a predetermined number of times in a predetermined period;

based at least on the determined frequency of access for the particular data and the retrieval values of the two or more logical regions, selecting a logical region, from among the two or more logical regions on the single physical medium, for storing the particular data; and

storing the particular data in the selected logical region on the single physical storage medium,

wherein the method is performed by one or more devices, and

wherein the retrieval values are values corresponding to an amount of time it takes to retrieve data from each of the two or more logical regions on the single physical storage medium.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein each of the two or more logical regions is associated with a different retrieval value, and wherein the selecting the logical region of the two or more logical regions is further based on respective retrieval values associated with each of the two or more logical regions.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

responsive to determining that a first data is associated with a high frequency of access;

storing the first data in a first logical region of the two or more logical regions that is associated with a first retrieval value; and

responsive to determining that a second data is associated with a low frequency of access;

storing the second data in a second logical region of the two or more logical regions that is associated with a second retrieval value,

wherein the first retrieval value and the second retrieval value indicate that logical storage locations in the first logical region have faster access times than logical storage locations in the second logical region.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes performance of steps comprising:

determining retrieval values for a plurality of logical storage locations on a single physical storage medium;

determining a frequency with which data is accessed by examining whether said data was accessed more than a predetermined number of times in a predetermined period;

selecting a particular logical storage location, from the plurality of logical storage locations on a single storage medium, based, at least in part, on;

the determined frequency with which the data is accessed, and

the determined retrieval values of the plurality of logical storage locations; and

storing the data at the particular logical storage location,

wherein the retrieval values are values corresponding to an amount of time it takes to retrieve data from each of the plurality of logical storage locations on the physical storage medium.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the retrieval value is determined by issuing read commands by a host computer to said plurality of logical storage locations and determining a time to retrieve data from each of said plurality of logical storage locations.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the retrieval value associated with the particular logical storage location is based on a retrieval value associated with a memory region comprising the particular logical storage location.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the retrieval value associated with the particular logical storage location is an average retrieval value of retrieval values associated with logical storage locations within a memory region comprising the particular logical storage location.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 9, further comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes performance of steps comprising:

responsive to determining that a first data is associated with a high frequency of access;

storing the first data at a first logical storage location of the plurality of logical storage locations that is associated with a first retrieval value; and

responsive to determining that a second data is associated with a low frequency of access;

storing the second data at a second logical storage location of the plurality of logical storage locations that is associated with a second retrieval value,

wherein the first retrieval value and the second retrieval value indicate that the first logical storage location has a faster access time than the second logical storage location.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes performance of steps comprising:

determining retrieval values for two or more logical regions on a single physical storage medium;

determining a frequency of access for particular data by examining whether said particular data was accessed more than a predetermined number of times in a predetermined period;

based at least on the determined frequency of access for the particular data and the retrieval values of the two or more logical regions, selecting a logical region, from among the two or more regions on the single physical storage medium, for storing the particular data; and

storing the particular data in the selected logical region on the single physical storage medium;

wherein the retrieval values are values corresponding to an amount of time it takes to retrieve data from each of the two or more logical regions on the single physical storage medium.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein each of the two or more logical regions is associated with a different retrieval value, and wherein the selecting the logical region of the two or more logical regions is further based on respective retrieval values associated with each of the two or more logical regions.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 14, further comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes performance of steps comprising:

responsive to determining that a first data is associated with a high frequency of access;

storing the first data in a first logical region of the two or more logical regions that is associated with a first retrieval value; and

responsive to determining that a second data is associated with a low frequency of access;

storing the second data in a second logical region of the two or more logical regions that is associated with a second retrieval value,

wherein the first retrieval value and the second retrieval value indicate that logical storage locations in the first logical region have faster access times than logical storage locations in the second logical region.

17. A device comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes performance of steps comprising;

determining retrieval values for a plurality of logical storage locations on a single physical storage medium;

determining a frequency with which data is accessed data by examining whether said data was accessed more than a predetermined number of times in a predetermined period;

selecting a particular logical storage location, from the plurality of logical storage locations on a single physical storage medium, based, at least in part, on;

the determined frequency with which the data is accessed, and

the determined retrieval values of the plurality of logical storage locations; and

storing the data at the particular logical storage location,

wherein the retrieval values are values corresponding to an amount of time it takes to retrieve data from each of the plurality of logical storage locations on the physical storage medium.

18. The device as recited in claim 17, wherein the retrieval value indicates a ranking of the particular logical storage location relative to at least one other logical storage location.

19. The device as recited in claim 17, wherein the retrieval value associated with the particular logical storage location is based on a retrieval value associated with a memory region comprising the particular logical storage location.

20. The device as recited in claim 17, wherein the retrieval value associated with the particular logical storage location is an average retrieval value of retrieval values associated with logical storage locations within a memory region comprising the particular logical storage location.

21. The device as recited in claim 17, wherein the computer readable storage medium further comprises instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes performance of steps comprising:

responsive to determining that a first data is associated with a high frequency of access;

storing the first data at a first logical storage location of the plurality of logical storage locations that is associated with a first retrieval value; and

responsive to determining that a second data is associated with a low frequency of access;

storing the second data at a second logical storage location of the plurality of logical storage locations that is associated with a second retrieval value,

wherein the first retrieval value and the second retrieval value indicate that the first logical storage location has a faster access time than the second logical storage location.

22. A device comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes performance of steps comprising;

determining retrieval values for two or more logical regions on a single physical storage medium;

determining a frequency of access for particular data by examining whether said particular data was accessed more than a predetermined number of times in a predetermined period;

based at least on the determined frequency of access for the particular data and the retrieval values of the two or more logical regions, selecting the region, from among two or more regions on a single storage medium, for storing the particular data; and

storing the particular data in the selected logical region on the single physical storage medium,

wherein the retrieval values are values corresponding to an amount of time it takes to retrieve data from each of the two or more logical regions on the single physical storage medium.

23. The device as recited in claim 22, wherein each of the two or more logical regions is associated with a different retrieval value, and wherein selecting the logical region of the two or more logical regions is further based on respective retrieval values associated with each of the two or more logical regions.

24. The device as recited in claim 22, wherein the computer readable storage medium further comprises instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes performance of steps comprising:

responsive to determining that a first data is associated with a high frequency of access;

storing the first data in a first logical region of the two or more logical regions that is associated with a first retrieval value; and

responsive to determining that a second data is associated with a low frequency of access;

storing the second data in a second logical region of the two or more logical regions that is associated with a second retrieval value,

wherein the first retrieval value and the second retrieval value indicate that logical storage locations in the first logical region have faster access times than logical storage locations in the second logical region.