Quasi disk drive for testing disk interface performance

• US 9,244,807 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2011
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dobbelstein, Steven L., Pratt, Steven L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Henson, Mischita
• Assistant Examiner(s): Quigley, Kyle R
• Application Number:
  US13/168,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20120331344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2221 to test input/output devices or peripheral units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/261 by simulating additional hardware, e.g. fault simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3485 for I/O devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0653 Monitoring storage devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0674 Disk device

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to diagnostic evaluation of hardware components of a computer machine. A conventional storage device is replaced with a modified storage device. Read and write operations are received by the modified storage device. Issuance of a response to the read and write operations is limited to an acknowledgement receipt, which is employed to evaluate performance and/or bandwidth of the machines with respect to hardware for data storage.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

configuring a computer system with a port connection to directly receive a persistent storage device;

the port connection receiving a modified storage device, the modified device having logic to emulate behavior of the persistent device;

emulating behavior of the persistent device, including sending a request from an application to the modified device, the request to access the modified device, including the modified device to issue a response to the request with a reply after emulating a transaction, the response including a measurement of time for completion of the transaction at the modified device, wherein emulating the behavior further consists of returning a null data set for responding to a read transaction; and

testing performance of supporting hardware in communication with the modified device, including measuring a factor associated with sending of the request to receipt of the response, the measuring including testing capacity of an intermediate component that supports physical communication of the request to the modified device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the request to at least two or more modified devices in a single communication, and measuring the factor associated with sending of the request to receipt of the response.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the factor is a measurement of bandwidth of a channel supporting the request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified storage device replaces the persistent storage device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising running a diagnostic measurement associated with speed and time for processing the request.

6. A system comprising:

a processing unit in communication with memory and an operating system;

a computer system with a port connection to directly receive a persistent storage device;

the port connection receiving a modified storage device, the modified device having logic to emulate behavior of the persistent device;

a functional unit in communication with the memory, the functional unit comprising;

a diagnostic program to support issuance of an evaluation to the modified device;

a request manager in communication with the diagnostic program, the modified device to emulate behavior of the persistent storage, including the request manager to send a request from the diagnostic program to the modified device, the request manager to access the modified device, including the modified device to issue a response to the request with a reply after emulation of a transaction, the response including a measurement of time for completion of the transaction at the modified device, wherein emulating the behavior of the persistent device consists of returning a null data set for responding to a read transaction; and

a test manager in communication with the request manager, the test manager to test performance of supporting hardware in communication with the modified device, including measurement of a factor associated with both the sending of the request by the request manager and the receipt of the response, the measurement including to test capacity of an intermediate component that supports physical communication of the request to the modified device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the request includes an operation selected from the group consisting of:

a read operation and a write operation.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising the request manager to send the request to at least two or more modified devices in a single communication, and to measure the factor associated with sending of the requests to receipt of the response.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the factor is a measurement of bandwidth of a channel supporting the request.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the modified storage device replaces the persistent storage device.

11. A computer program product for use with an electronic communication, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage device having computer readable program code, which when executed on a processor causes a computer to implement a method for testing performance of computer hardware, the method comprising:

configuring a computer system with a port connection to directly receive a persistent storage device;

the port connection receiving a modified storage device, the modified device having logic to emulate behavior of the persistent device;

emulating behavior of the persistent device, including sending a request from an application to the modified device, the request to access the modified device, including the modified device to issue a response to the request with a reply after emulating a transaction, the response including a measurement of time for completion of the transaction at the modified device, wherein emulating the behavior consists of returning a null data set for responding to a read transaction; and

testing performance of supporting hardware in communication with the modified device, including measuring a factor associated with sending of the request to receipt of the response, the measuring including testing capacity of an intermediate component that supports physical communication of the request to the modified device.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising sending the request to at least two or more modified devices in a single communication, and measuring the factor associated with sending of the requests to receipt of the response.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the modified storage device replaces the persistent storage device.

14. A computer implemented method for evaluation of hardware components, the method comprising:

a computer system configured with a port connection to directly receive a persistent storage device;

the port connection to receive a modified storage device, the modified device configured with logic for emulating behavior of the persistent device, and;

the modified device emulating behavior of the persistent device, including an application sending a request to the modified device, the request accessing the modified device;

a diagnostic tool receiving a response communication from the modified device, wherein the response communication includes data acknowledging receipt of the request for emulating a transaction, and a time measurement for completion of the emulation at the modified device, wherein emulating the behavior consists of returning a null data set for responding to a read transaction; and

testing performance of supporting hardware in communication with the modified device, including measuring a factor associated with sending of the request and receipt of the response communication, the measuring including testing capacity of an intermediate component that supports physical communication of the request to the modified device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the modified storage device replaces the persistent storage device.