Virtual disk drive system and method

• US 9,436,390 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2015
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell International LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell International LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Soran, Philip E., Guider, John P., Aszmann, Lawrence E., Klemm, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Iqbal, Nadeem
• Application Number:
  US14/715,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20150301751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/108 Parity data distribution in semiconductor storages, e.g. in SSD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1435 using file system or storage system metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1471 involving logging of persistent data for recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2089 Redundant storage control functionality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/02 Addressing or allocation; Relocation program address sequencing G06F9/00; arrangements for selecting an address in a digital store G11C8/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0611 in relation to response time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0665 at area level, e.g. provisioning of virtual or logical volumes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

A disk drive system and method capable of dynamically allocating data is provided. The disk drive system may include a RAID subsystem having a pool of storage, for example a page pool of storage that maintains a free list of RAIDs, or a matrix of disk storage blocks that maintain a null list of RAIDs, and a disk manager having at least one disk storage system controller. The RAID subsystem and disk manager dynamically allocate data across the pool of storage and a plurality of disk drives based on RAID-to-disk mapping. The RAID subsystem and disk manager determine whether additional disk drives are required, and a notification is sent if the additional disk drives are required. Dynamic data allocation and data progression allow a user to acquire a disk drive later in time when it is needed. Dynamic data allocation also allows efficient data storage of snapshots/point-in-time copies of virtual volume pool of storage, instant data replay and data instant fusion for data backup, recovery etc., remote data storage, and data progression, etc.

Claims

1. A method of data progression in a disk drive system, comprising:

determining a cost of operating for each of a plurality of data storage devices;

classifying each of the plurality of data storage devices based on the cost;

defining a usage threshold for a storage device of a first classification; and

when the usage threshold is reached, moving data stored on the storage device of the first classification to a storage device of a second classification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data moved comprises data having a decreased access pattern relative to other data on the storage device of the first classification.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cost of each of the plurality of data storage devices is based on efficiency of the data storage devices.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the cost of each of the plurality of data storage devices is based on storage efficiency of the data storage devices.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the cost of each of the plurality of data storage devices is further based on physical cost of the data storage devices.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the threshold is substantially 100% usage of the storage device of the first classification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold is complete usage of the storage device of the first classification less a buffer amount of usage.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data moved further comprises historical snapshot data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second classification designates a lower cost storage classification than the first classification.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising directing new write data to the storage device of the first classification.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein moving data from the storage device of the first classification frees up space on the storage device of the first classification for write data.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining a second usage threshold for a storage device of the second classification.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising when the second usage threshold is reached, moving data stored on the storage device of the second classification to a storage device of a third classification.

14. A disk drive system, comprising:

a data storage device of a first classification, the storage device of the first classification having an operating cost;

a data storage device of a second classification, the storage device of the second classification having a lower operating cost than that of the storage device of the first classification;

a usage threshold for the data storage device of the first classification, wherein when the usage threshold is reached, data stored on the storage device of the first classification is moved to the storage device of the second classification.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the threshold is substantially 100% usage of the storage device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the threshold is complete usage of the storage device of the first classification less a buffer amount of usage.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein new write data is directed to the storage device of the first classification and moving data from the storage device of the first classification frees up space on the storage device of the first classification for write data.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a data storage device of a third classification, the storage device of the third classification having a lower operating cost than that of the storage device of the second classification; and

a second usage threshold for the data storage device of the second classification, wherein when the second usage threshold is reached, data stored on the storage device of the second classification is moved to the storage device of the third classification.

19. A method of data progression in a disk drive system, comprising the steps of:

determining a cost of operating for each of a plurality of data storage devices;

classifying each of the plurality of data storage devices based on the cost; and

defining a usage threshold for each of at least a portion of the plurality of data storage devices;

wherein when a usage threshold for a storage device of one classification is reached, moving data stored on the storage device to a storage device of another classification having a lower cost of operating.