Systems and methods for providing intelligent automated support capable of self rejuvenation with respect to storage systems

• US 8,825,752 B1
• Filed: 05/18/2012
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Inventors: Madhavan, Sreejith
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN GILLES, JUDE
• Application Number:
  US13/475,608
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709223-228, 726/22, 726/23, 726/24, 726/25, 714 15- 18, 714/25, 714/27, 714 37- 39, 714 47- 50
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3485 for I/O devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/88 Monitoring involving counting

Abstract

Systems and methods which provide an intelligent automated support (IASUP) architecture in which logic is implemented to control support messaging in an automatic, timely, and meaningful fashion to imbibe intelligent automated support functionality are disclosed. Embodiments of an IASUP architecture implement bidirectional communication links between storage systems and IASUP back-end systems providing data collection. The bidirectional communication links supported by IASUP architectures of embodiments facilitate automated storage system rejuvenation functionality whereby an IASUP back-end system provides processing and analysis with respect to storage system data to initiate manipulation or control of one or more components of a storage system.

Claims

1. A method for providing intelligent automated support for storage system self rejuvenation, the method comprising:

controlling transmission of support messages from a storage system with a management system operable to provide automated back-end support with respect to the storage system;

storing data of the support messages transmitted by the storage system in a distributed file system of the management system;

analyzing at least a portion of the data of the support messages stored by the distributed file system to determine a rejuvenating action to be taken with respect to one or more components of the storage system; and

transmitting a support message from the management system to a node of the storage system, the support message from the management system including information for automated initiation of the rejuvenating action by the storage system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing further comprising utilizing one or more rules of a rules ecosystem of the management system to determine the rejuvenating action.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing further comprises providing a predictive determination with respect to operation of one or more components of the storage system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the rejuvenating action provides preemptive management of the one or more components.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the rejuvenating action provides preventative action with respect to operation of one or more components of the storage system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the support messages from the storage system and the support message from the management system are transmitted via a bidirectional support messaging link.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the support messages from the storage system are initiated across the bidirectional support messaging link in response to detection of an event within the storage system.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the support messages from the storage system are initiated across the bidirectional support messaging link based on a polling period.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling transmission of support messages from the storage system comprises declining transmission of one or more of the support messages from the storage system to prevent message flooding at the management system.

10. A management system comprising:

a distributed file system and a processor coupled to a memory and configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory to perform steps comprising;

controlling transmission of support messages from a storage system;

storing data of the support messages transmitted by the storage system in the distributed file system;

analyzing at least a portion of the data of the support messages stored by the distributed file system to determine a rejuvenating action to be taken with respect to one or more components of the storage system; and

transmitting a support message to a node of the storage system, the support message transmitted to the node including information for automated initiation of the rejuvenating action by the storage system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the analyzing further comprises utilizing one or more rules of a rules ecosystem to determine the rejuvenating action.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the analyzing further comprises providing a predictive determination with respect to operation of one or more components of the storage system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the rejuvenating action provides preemptive management of the one or more components.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the rejuvenating action provides preventative action with respect to operation of one or more components of the storage system.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the support messages from the storage system and the support message transmitted to the node are transmitted via a bidirectional support messaging link.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the support messages from the storage system are initiated across the bidirectional support messaging link in response to detection of an event within the storage system.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the support messages from the storage system are initiated across the bidirectional support messaging link based on a polling period.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the controlling transmission of support messages from the storage system comprises declining transmission of one or more of the support messages from the storage system to prevent message flooding.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for providing intelligent automated support for storage system self rejuvenation comprising machine executable code which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform steps comprising:

controlling transmission of support messages from a storage system;

storing data of the support messages transmitted by the storage system in a distributed file system;

analyzing at least a portion of the data of the support messages stored by the distributed file system to determine a rejuvenating action to be taken with respect to one or more components of the storage system; and

transmitting a support message to a node of the storage system, the support message transmitted to the node including information for automated initiation of the rejuvenating action by the storage system.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein the analyzing further comprises utilizing one or more rules of a rules ecosystem to determine the rejuvenating action.

21. The medium of claim 19, wherein the analyzing further comprises providing a predictive determination with respect to operation of one or more components of the storage system.

22. The medium of claim 21, wherein the rejuvenating action provides preemptive management of the one or more components.

23. The medium of claim 19, wherein the rejuvenating action provides preventative action with respect to operation of one or more components of the storage system.

24. The medium of claim 19, wherein the support messages from the storage system and the support message transmitted to the node are transmitted via a bidirectional support messaging link.

25. The medium of claim 24, wherein the support messages from the storage system are initiated across the bidirectional support messaging link in response to detection of an event within the storage system.

26. The medium of claim 24, wherein the support messages from the storage system are initiated across the bidirectional support messaging link based on a polling period.

27. The medium of claim 19, wherein the controlling transmission of support messages from the storage system comprises declining transmission of one or more of the support messages from the storage system to prevent message flooding.