Methods and systems for determining at risk index for storage capacity

• US 8,904,144 B1
• Filed: 05/24/2012
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Inventors: Chelur, Raja S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schnee, Hal
• Application Number:
  US13/480,232
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 711/114, 711/172, 711/E12.006
• US Class Current: 711/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/008 Reliability or availability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0238 Memory management in non-volatile memory, e.g. resistive RAM or ferroelectric memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1044 Space efficiency improvement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0614 Improving the reliability of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• 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]

Abstract

Methods and systems for determining at risk indexes of a plurality of storage containers in a data storage system are disclosed. The available allocated capacities of the storage containers are determined and converted to respective allocated capacities in time periods. The available unallocated capacities of the storage containers are determined and converted to respective unallocated capacities in time periods. The at risk indexes of the storage containers are determined from the sum of the respective allocated capacity in time periods and the respective unallocated capacity in time periods.

Claims

1. A method for determining at risk indexes of storage capacity of a plurality of storage containers in a data storage system, the method comprising:

determining, by a storage management computing device, available allocated capacities of the plurality of storage containers;

converting, by the storage management computing device, the available allocated capacities to respective allocated capacities in a predetermined time period by dividing each available allocated capacity by a growth rate of each respective one of the plurality of storage containers;

determining, by the storage management computing device, available unallocated capacities of the plurality storage containers;

converting, by the storage management computing device, the available unallocated capacities to respective unallocated capacities in the predetermined time period by dividing each available unallocated capacity by a growth rate of all storage containers sharing a parent storage container with the respective storage container; and

determining, by the storage management computing device, the at risk indexes from a sum of the respective allocated capacities in the predetermined time period and the respective unallocated capacities in the predetermined time period, the at risk indexes indicating which the plurality of storage containers are at risk of running out of storage space.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising ranking, by the storage management computing device, the at risk indexes of the plurality of storage containers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at risk indexes indicate a number of days left before running out of storage space.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying, by the storage management computing device, storage containers of the plurality of storage containers whose at risk index is less than a threshold value as being at risk of running out of data storage space.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the available unallocated capacities of the plurality of storage containers are available capacities in respective parent containers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a container of the plurality of storage containers is a thin-provisioned volume.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocated capacities in the predetermined time period is determined from an allocated capacity of a parent container available for growth and a growth rate of the parent container.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of storage containers comprise a thick-provisioned volume network attached storage (NAS).

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the allocated capacities in the predetermined time period of the NAS thick-provisioned volume are determined from a free storage capacity of the NAS thick-provisioned volume and daily growth of the NAS thick-provisioned volume.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of storage containers comprise a thin-provisioned volume network attached storage (NAS).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the allocated capacities in the predetermined time period of the NAS, thin-provisioned volume are zero.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for determining at risk indexes of storage capacity of a plurality of storage containers in a data storage system comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one processor, causes the processor to perform steps comprising:

determining available allocated capacities of the plurality of storage containers;

converting the available allocated capacities to respective allocated capacities in a predetermined time period by dividing each available allocated capacity by a growth rate of each respective one of a plurality of storage containers;

determining available unallocated capacities of the plurality storage containers;

converting the available unallocated capacities to respective unallocated capacities in the predetermined time period by dividing each available unallocated capacity by a growth rate of all storage containers sharing a parent storage container with the respective storage container; and

determining the at risk indexes from a sum of the respective allocated capacities in the predetermined time period and the respective unallocated capacities in the predetermined time period, the at risk indexes indicating which the plurality of storage containers are at risk of running out of storage space.

13. The medium as set forth in claim 12 further comprising:

ranking the at risk indexes of the plurality of storage containers; and

identifying storage containers of the plurality of storage containers whose at risk index is less than a threshold value as being at risk of running out of data storage space.

14. The medium as set forth in claim 12 wherein:

the at risk indexes indicate a number of days left before running out of storage space;

the available unallocated capacities of the plurality of storage containers are available capacities in respective parent containers;

a container of the plurality of storage containers is a thin-provisioned volume; and

the allocated capacities in the predetermined time period are determined from an allocated capacity of a parent container available for growth and a growth rate of the parent container.

15. The medium as set forth in claim 12 wherein the allocated capacities in the predetermined time period is determined from an allocated capacity of a parent container available for growth and a growth rate of the parent container.

16. The medium as set forth in claim 12 wherein:

the plurality of storage containers comprise a thick-provisioned volume network attached storage (NAS);

wherein the allocated capacities in the predetermined time period of the NAS thick-provisioned volume are determined from a free storage capacity of the NAS thick-provisioned volume and daily growth of the NAS thick-provisioned volume.

17. The medium as set forth in claim 12 wherein:

the plurality of storage containers comprise a thin-provisioned volume network attached storage (NAS); and

the allocated capacities in the predetermined time period of the NAS, thin-provisioned volume are zero.

18. A storage management computing device comprising:

a processor;

a memory, wherein the memory coupled to the processor are configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory comprising;

determining available allocated capacities of a plurality of storage containers;

converting the available allocated capacities to respective allocated capacities in a predetermined time period by dividing each available allocated capacity by a growth rate of each respective one of the plurality of storage containers;

determining available unallocated capacities of the plurality storage containers;

converting the available unallocated capacities to respective unallocated capacities in the predetermined time period by dividing each available unallocated capacity by a growth rate of all storage containers sharing a parent storage container with the respective storage container; and

determining the at risk indexes from a sum of the respective allocated capacities in the predetermined time period and the respective unallocated capacities in the predetermined time period, the at risk indexes indicating which the plurality of storage containers are at risk of running out of storage space.

19. The device as set forth in claim 18 wherein the processor is further configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory further comprising:

ranking the at risk indexes of the plurality of storage containers; and

identifying storage containers of the plurality of storage containers whose at risk index is less than a threshold value as being at risk of running out of data storage space.

20. The device as set forth in claim 18 wherein:

the at risk indexes indicate a number of days left before running out of storage space;

the available unallocated capacities of the plurality of storage containers are available capacities in respective parent containers;

a container of the plurality of storage containers is a thin-provisioned volume; and

the allocated capacities in the predetermined time period are determined from an allocated capacity of a parent container available for growth and a growth rate of the parent container.

21. The device as set forth in claim 18 wherein the allocated capacities in the predetermined time period is determined from an allocated capacity of a parent container available for growth and a growth rate of the parent container.

22. The device as set forth in claim 18 wherein:

the plurality of storage containers comprise a thick-provisioned volume network attached storage (NAS);

wherein the allocated capacities in the predetermined time period of the NAS thick-provisioned volume are determined from a free storage capacity of the NAS thick-provisioned volume and daily growth of the NAS thick-provisioned volume.

23. The device as set forth in claim 18 wherein:

the plurality of storage containers comprise a thin-provisioned volume network attached storage (NAS); and

the allocated capacities in the predetermined time period of the NAS, thin-provisioned volume are zero.