Optimization of a computing environment in which data management operations are performed

• US 8,818,964 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Tevis, Gregory John, Van Hise, David Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Wilson
• Application Number:
  US13/613,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20130013572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/692
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1744 using compression, e.g. sparse files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0629 Configuration or reconfiguration of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Described are embodiments of an invention for optimizing a computing environment that performs data management operations such as encryption, deduplication and compression. The computing environment includes data components and a management system. The data components operate on data during the lifecycle of the data. The management system identifies all the data components in a data path, how the data components are interconnected, the data management operations performed at each data component, and how many data management operations of each type are performed at each data component. Further, the management system builds a data structure to represent the flow of data through the data path and analyzes the data structure in view of policy. After the analysis, the management system provides recommendations to optimize the computing environment through the reconfiguration of the data management operation configuration and reconfigures the data management operation configuration to optimize the computing environment.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for data management of a computing environment, comprising:

analyzing a data flow topology of data components within said computing environment, wherein said data flow topology comprises an order of data management operations performed on data by the data components performing different types of operations on the data, wherein the data flow topology comprises a data structure representing the data components, interconnections between the data components, and a configuration of each of the data components;

evaluating said data flow topology in view of a data management policy; and

determining from the evaluated data flow topology an optimal sequence of said data management operations by the data components within said computing environment.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing a recommended configuration of said data components within said computing environment to achieve said optimal sequence of data management operations.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, further comprising executing said recommended configuration of said data components within said computing environment.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said configuration comprises at least one of a back pointer, a forward pointer, a data component ID, a data component type, a data component vendor, a data component product, a data component location, data component processor, an encryption type, a deduplication type, a compression type, an encryption operation, a deduplication operation, a compression operation, encryption capability, a deduplication capability, compression capability, encryption transparency, and a compression transparency.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising in response to determining an optimal sequence of said data management operations within said computing environment reconfiguring said data components.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein a data management operation is one of encryption, deduplication, and compression.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said optimal sequence comprises a sequence of data management operations that meets data management policy.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein said data management policy comprises avoiding at least one of redundant encryption, redundant deduplication, redundant compression, the performance of encryption before deduplication, and the performance of encryption before compression.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data components include an encryption components and a deduplication component, wherein the determined optimal sequence of data management operations specifies the deduplication component to perform deduplication of the data before the encryption component encrypts the data.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data components include an encryption component and a compression component, wherein the determined optimal sequence of data management operations specifies the compression component to perform compression of the data before the encryption component encrypts the data.

9. A computing environment comprising:

a processor of a management system;

a memory coupled to said processor;

said memory including computer readable instructions implemented by said processor to;

analyze a data flow topology of data components within said computing environment, wherein said data flow topology comprises an order of data management operations performed on data by data components performing different types of operation on the data, wherein said data flow topology comprises a data structure representing the data components, interconnections between the data components, and a configuration of each of the data components;

evaluate said data flow topology in view of a data management policy; and

determine from the evaluated data flow topology an optimal sequence of said data management operations by the data components within said computing environment.

10. The computing environment of claim 9, wherein the computer readable instructions are implemented on a computer and further cause the computer to provide a recommended configuration of said data components within said computing environment to achieve said optimal sequence of data management operations and executing said recommended configuration of said data components within said computing environment.

11. The computing environment of claim 9, wherein the computer readable instructions are implemented on a computer and further cause the computer to reconfigure said data components in response to the determination of an optimal sequence of said data management operations.

12. The computing environment of claim 9, wherein said optimal sequence comprises a sequence of data management operations that avoids at least one of redundant encryption, redundant deduplication, redundant compression, the performance of encryption before deduplication, and the performance of encryption before compression.

15. The computing environment of claim 9, wherein the data components include an encryption component and a deduplication component, wherein the determined optimal sequence of data management operations specifies the deduplication component to perform deduplication of the data before the encryption component encrypts the data.

16. The computing environment of claim 9, wherein the data components include an encryption component and a compression component, wherein the determined optimal sequence of data management operations specifies the compression component to perform compression of the data before the encryption component encrypts the data.