Optimizing compression based on data activity

• US 9,355,112 B1
• Filed: 12/31/2012
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Owen, Karl M., Armangau, Philippe, Chen, Xiangping, Duprey, Dennis T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bowen, Richard
• Application Number:
  US13/731,279
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 707/693
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/122 using management policies backup systems G06F11/1446; file migration policies for HSM systems G06F16/185
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1744 using compression, e.g. sparse files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1774 Locking methods, e.g. locking methods for file systems allowing shared and concurrent access to files

Abstract

A method is used in managing data compression in storage systems. A request to compress particular data stored within a memory space is received. An activity level for the particular data is determined. Compression is enabled for data determined to have an activity level below a predetermined threshold and compression is disabled for data determined to have an activity level above the predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. A method for managing data compression in storage systems, the method comprising:

receiving a request to compress particular data stored within a memory space;

determining an activity level for the particular data, wherein determining the activity level includes processing a historical log of locks imposed on the memory space to ascertain the number of times the particular data stored within the memory space was accessed during a recent time period, wherein the historical log of locks imposed on the memory space identifies ranges of extents which were locked during IO operations performed on the memory space, wherein processing the historical log of locks imposed on the memory space includes updating a set of counters based on the ranges of extents which were locked during the IO operations and which are identified by the historical log of locks;

determining if compressing the particular data will increase or decrease system performance;

if compressing the particular data will increase system performance, enabling compression of the particular data determined to have an activity level below a predetermined activity level threshold; and

if compressing the particular data will decrease system performance, disabling compression of the particular data determined to have an activity level above the predetermined activity level threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after performing the compression operation, creating a compression timestamp record to indicate when the particular data stored within the memory space was last compressed.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein receiving a request to compress particular data stored within a memory space includes receiving a request from a user to compress particular data;

determining that compressing the particular data will reduce system performance; and

providing an indicator to the user representative of the determination.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that compressing data other than the particular data will improve system performance; and

providing an indicator to the user representative of the determination.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an activity level for the particular data includes determining at least three different threshold activity levels.

6. The method of claim 1, further including configuring a second set of particular data and enabling compression of the second set of particular data determined to have an activity level below the predetermined threshold.

7. A system for managing data compression in storage systems, the system comprising:

a host interface;

memory which provides a memory space; and

processing circuitry coupled to the host interface and the memory, the processing circuitry being constructed and arranged to;

receive a request to compress particular data stored within a memory space;

determine an activity level for the particular data, wherein determine the activity level includes processing a historical log of locks imposed on the memory space to ascertain the number of times the particular data stored within the memory space was accessed during a recent time period, wherein the historical log of locks imposed on the memory space identifies ranges of extents which were locked during IO operations performed on the memory space, wherein processing the historical log of locks imposed on the memory space includes updating a set of counters based on the ranges of extents which were locked during the IO operations and which are identified by the historical log of locks;

determine if compressing the particular data will increase or decrease system performance;

if compressing the particular data will increase system performance, enable compression of the particular data determined to have an activity level below a predetermined activity level threshold; and

if compressing the particular data will decrease system performance, disable compression of the particular data determined to have an activity level above the predetermined activity level threshold.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

after performing the compression operation, creating a compression timestamp record to indicate when the particular data stored within the memory space was last compressed.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

wherein receiving a request to compress particular data stored within a memory space includes receiving a request from a user to compress particular data;

determining that compressing the particular data will reduce system performance; and

providing an indicator to the user representative of the determination.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

determine that compressing data other than the particular data will improve system performance; and

provide an indicator to the user representative of the determination.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine an activity level for the particular data includes determining at least three different threshold activity levels.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to configure a second set of particular data and enabling compression of the second set of particular data determined to have an activity level above the predetermined threshold.

13. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a set of instructions which, when carried out by computerized circuitry, directs the computerized circuitry to manage data fragmentation by performing a method comprising:

receiving a request to compress particular data stored within a memory space;

determining an activity level for the particular data, wherein determining the activity level includes processing a historical log of locks imposed on the memory space to ascertain the number of times the particular data stored within the memory space was accessed during a recent time period, wherein the historical log of locks imposed on the memory space identifies ranges of extents which were locked during IO operations performed on the memory space, wherein processing the historical log of locks imposed on the memory space includes updating a set of counters based on the ranges of extents which were locked during the IO operations and which are identified by the historical log of locks;

determining if compressing the particular data will increase or decrease system performance;

if compressing the particular data will increase system performance, enabling compression of the particular data determined to have an activity level below a predetermined activity level threshold; and

if compressing the particular data will decrease system performance, disabling compression of the particular data determined to have an activity level above the predetermined activity level threshold.