Resource allocation aware queuing of requests for media resources

• US 20040199810A1
• Filed: 12/16/2003
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Porter, Jeff, Miller, Dale, Tarcea, Glenn, Malerba, David E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,131,025 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/6.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• 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: G06F 9/5011 the resources being hardware resources other than CPUs, Servers and Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5016 the resource being the memory
• 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]

Abstract

Resource allocation aware processing of requests for media resources is disclosed. A queue is defined. A media resource is allocated to the queue. A media resource request is associated with the queue.

Claims

1. A method for processing requests for media resources, comprising:

defining a queue;

allocating a media resource to the queue; and

associating a media resource request with the queue.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein associating a media resource request with the queue comprises associating the media resource request with a request category associated with the queue.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising

defining a request category;

and

associating the request category with the queue;

wherein associating a media resource request with the queue comprises associating the media resource request with the request category.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein associating a media resource request with the queue comprises associating the media resource request with a data zone associated with the queue.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the media resource comprises a media storage device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the media resource comprises a tape drive.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the media resource request comprises a request to mount a volume of removable storage media on the media resource.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the media resource request from a host.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the media resource request from a backup application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the media resource is allocated exclusively to the queue.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the queue comprises a first queue, the media resource comprises a first media resource, and the media resource request comprises a first media resource request, further comprising:

receiving a second media resource request;

determining that the second media resource request is not associated with the first queue; and

associating the second media resource request with a default queue.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising associating a second media resource with the default queue.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning the media resource request a place in the queue.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein assigning the media resource request a place in the queue comprises determining whether the media resource request has a higher priority than any other media resource request currently pending in the queue.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein assigning the media resource request a place in the queue comprises placing the media resource request in line behind previously-received media resource requests pending in the queue unless the media resource request has a higher priority than one or more previously-received media resource requests pending in the queue.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving an indication that the media resource request should be moved to a different place in the queue than the place currently assigned.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication that the media resource is available;

selecting from the queue a selected request to be serviced by the media resource; and

servicing the selected request.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the media resource request is associated with the queue based at least in part on data included in the request.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the media resource request is associated with a set of data and the media resource request is associated with the queue based at least in part on the set of data to which the request relates.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the media resource request is associated with a client on which a set of data associated with the media resource request is stored and the media resource request is associated with the queue based at least in part on the client with which the media resource request is associated.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the media resource request is associated with an application that generated the media resource request and the media resource request is associated with the queue based at least in part on the application which generated the media resource request.

22. A system for processing requests for media resources, comprising:

a processor configured to;

define a queue;

allocate a media resource to the queue; and

associate a media resource request with the queue; and

a memory configured to store the media resource request and other data associated with the queue.

23. A computer program product for processing requests for media resources, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

defining a queue;

allocating a media resource to the queue; and

associating a media resource request with the queue.