Prioritizing storage array management commands

• US 9,509,771 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2014
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Abram, Polina, Harel, Ran, Goodman, Daniel I.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DEBBIE M
• Application Number:
  US14/155,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20150201018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 707/736
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements

Abstract

Methods, apparatus and computer program products implement embodiments of the present invention that include defining, by a first computer in communication with a storage system, at least two priority levels for storage management commands to be processed by the storage system, and defining a respective queue for each of the defined priority levels. Upon receiving multiple storage management commands from one or more second computers in communication with the first computer and the storage system, a respective priority is determined for each of the received storage management commands, and the respective queue is identified for each of the received storage management commands based on the respective priority thereof. Each of the received storage management commands is loaded to the respective identified queue thereof, and the received storage management commands stored in the respective queues are processed by the storage system according to the priority levels thereof.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

defining, by a first computer in communication with a storage system, at least two priority levels for storage management commands to be processed by the storage system;

defining a respective queue for each of the defined priority levels;

receiving, from one or more second computers in communication with the first computer and the storage system, multiple storage management commands;

determining a respective priority for each of the received storage management commands;

identifying the respective queue for each of the received storage management commands based on the respective priority thereof;

loading each of the received storage management commands to the respective identified queue thereof; and

processing, by the storage system, the received storage management commands stored in the respective queues according to the priority levels thereof.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the respective priority of a given storage management command comprises determining a time sensitivity of the given storage management command, and assigning the respective priority based on the time sensitivity.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the respective priority of a given storage management command comprises determining length of execution time of the given storage management command, and assigning the respective priority based on the length of execution time.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the one or more second computers has a respective storage profile, and wherein determining the respective priority of a given storage management command comprises identifying a respective storage profile of a given second computer that conveyed the given storage management command, and assigning the respective priority based on the identified storage profile.

5. The method according to claim 1, and comprising identifying, in a given queue, multiple storage management commands that perform a similar function, and combining the multiple storage management commands into a single storage management command.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein processing the storage management commands comprises fetching the storage management commands from the respective queues in a round-robin order, and performing the storage management commands in the round-robin order.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the respective queues has a respective management path between the first computer and the storage system.

8. A storage facility, comprising:

a storage system, and

a first computer in communication with the storage system and configured;

to define at least two priority levels for storage management commands to be processed by the storage system,

to define a respective queue for each of the defined priority levels,

to receive, from one or more second computers in communication with the first computer and the storage system, multiple storage management commands,

to determine a respective priority for each of the received storage management commands,

to identify the respective queue for each of the received storage management commands based on the respective priority thereof, and

to load each of the received storage management commands to the respective identified queue thereof.

9. The storage facility according to claim 8, wherein the storage system is configured to process the received storage management commands stored in the respective queues according to the priority levels thereof.

10. The storage facility according to claim 9, wherein the storage system is configured to process the storage management commands by fetching the storage management commands from the respective queues in a round-robin order, and performing the storage management commands in the round-robin order.

11. The storage facility according to claim 8, wherein the first computer is configured to determine the respective priority of a given storage management command by determining a time sensitivity of the given storage management command, and assigning the respective priority based on the time sensitivity.

12. The storage facility according to claim 8, wherein the first computer is configured to determine the respective priority of a given storage management command by determining length of execution time of the given storage management command, and assigning the respective priority based on the length of execution time.

13. The storage facility according to claim 8, wherein each of the one or more second computers has a respective storage profile, and wherein d wherein the first computer is configured to determine the respective priority of a given storage management command by identifying a respective storage profile of a given second computer that conveyed the given storage management command, and assigning the respective priority based on the identified storage profile.

14. The storage facility according to claim 8, wherein the first computer is configured to identify, in a given queue, multiple storage management commands that perform a similar function, and combining the multiple storage management commands into a single storage management command.

15. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code executing on a first computer in communication with a storage system and configured;

to define at least two priority levels for storage management commands to be processed by the storage system;

to define a respective queue for each of the defined priority levels;

to receive, from one or more second computers in communication with the first computer and the storage system, multiple storage management commands;

to determine a respective priority for each of the received storage management commands;

to identify the respective queue for each of the received storage management commands based on the respective priority thereof; and

to load each of the received storage management commands to the respective identified queue thereof; and

computer readable program code executing on the storage system and configured to process the received storage management commands stored in the respective queues according to the priority levels thereof.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the computer readable program code is configured to determine the respective priority of a given storage management command by determining a time sensitivity of the given storage management command, and assigning the respective priority based on the time sensitivity.

17. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the computer readable program code is configured to determine the respective priority of a given storage management command by determining length of execution time of the given storage management command, and assigning the respective priority based on the length of execution time.

18. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein each of the one or more second computers has a respective storage profile, and wherein the computer readable program code is configured to determine the respective priority of a given storage management command by identifying a respective storage profile of a given second computer that conveyed the given storage management command, and assigning the respective priority based on the identified storage profile.

19. The computer program product according to claim 15, and comprising computer readable program code executing on the first computer and configured to identify, in a given queue, multiple storage management commands that perform a similar function, and to combine the multiple storage management commands into a single storage management command.

20. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the computer readable program code executing on the storage system is configured to process the storage management commands by fetching the storage management commands from the respective queues in a round-robin order, and performing the storage management commands in the round-robin order.