Multiple quality of service file system using performance bands of storage devices

• US 20090228535A1
• Filed: 05/15/2009
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Rathi, Unmesh, Shoens, Kurt Alan, Hamilton, Rex Rilen
• Granted Patent: US 8,438,138 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/185 Hierarchical storage management [HSM] systems, e.g. file migration or policies thereof details of archiving G06F16/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

The invention relates to a multiple QoS file system and methods of processing files at different QoS. The file system allocates VLUNs and using rules chooses an initial QoS for a file when created and moves files to different QoS using rules. Users see a single unified space of files, while administrators place files on storage according to file attributes. A file system enhances the descriptive information for each file to contain the chosen QoS for the file. The invention classifies volumes (e.g., file systems or LUNs) according to application requirements and allocates space for volumes. An IT administrator configures volumes specifying size, type and priority. The host schedules I/O requests in priority queues using the volume definition to match applications and reduce seek time between volumes of different priorities. The data storage system therefore places data on the performance band of a storage device that best supports needs.

Claims

1. A multiQoS file system, comprising:

a multiQoS file system including a plurality of files, wherein each file has an attribute, a current QoS, and data blocks; and

a host coupled to the multiQoS file system adapted to;

receive a migration rule,

determine if each data block is identified for migration and if not compute a new QoS by comparing the migration rule to the attribute,

compare the current QoS to the new QoS,

migrate each data block from a current QoS VLUN to a new QoS VLUN,

write each data block to a performance band of a storage device that corresponds to the new QoS VLUN, and

update the current QoS to the new QoS.

2. The multiQoS file system of claim 1, wherein each data block has a block address that includes bits to encode a QoS and bits to address the data block.

3. The multiQoS file system of claim 1, wherein the host is further adapted to:

receive a migration rule, and

set the migration flag if the current QoS and new QoS are not equal.

4. The multiQoS file system of claim 1, wherein the migration rule uses a value associated with a capacity of the current QoS VLUN, a file activity, a file size, or a file type.

5. The multiQoS file system of claim 1, wherein the file attributes and addresses of the blocks are located in an i-node of the multiQoS file system.

6. The multiQoS file system of claim 1, wherein the host reads the current QoS in the block addresses before the file migrates and the host writes the new QoS in the block addresses after the file migrates.

7. The multiQoS file system of claim 1, wherein the host migrates the file in chunks from the current QoS VLUN to the new QoS VLUN.

8. The multiQoS file system of claim 1, wherein the host writes the file to a performance band of a data storage subsystem that corresponds to the new QoS VLUN.

9. The multiQoS file system of claim 1, wherein the host writes the file to an array of storage devices in a data storage subsystem that corresponds to the new QoS VLUN.

10. The multiQoS file system of claim 1, further comprising a management client coupled to a management controller to receive and transmit IT administrator input to the host.

11. The multiQoS file system of claim 10, wherein the management client is configured to receive IT administrator input for user capacity, file type, capacity threshold, migration size, and/or a migration rule.

12. The multiQoS file system of claim 1, wherein the migration rule includes a value file type.

13. A method of file migration between different QoS in a multiQoS file system, comprising:

(a) testing if a file of an i-node is identified for migration and if not, computing a new QoS of the file by comparing a migration rule to a rule attribute of the file, wherein the file has data blocks, wherein each data block has a block address that encodes a QoS and addresses the data block; and

(b) testing if a current QoS of the file equals the new QoS computed at step (a) and if not, migrating the file from the current QoS to the new QoS;

(c) writing each file to a performance band of a storage device that corresponds to the new QoS VLUN; and

(d) updating the current QoS to the new QoS.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a lower block address represents a first QoS and a higher block address represents a second QoS.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising setting a migration flag before migrating the file from the current QoS to the new QoS.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising setting the migration flags for a plurality of files before migrating the plurality of files.

17. A method of migration of files from a current QoS VLUN to a new QoS VLUN in a multiQoS file system containing i-nodes, comprising:

(a) assigning a first i-node of a file of the multiQoS file system to a variable I;

(b) testing if the variable I is greater than a last i-node of the multiQoS file system, and if greater, waiting for the next scan of all of the i-nodes of the multiQoS file system, and if not greater, testing if the file is identified for migration and if not, computing a new QoS for the file using migration rule(s);

(c) testing if the current QoS of the file equals the new QoS of the file and if not, identifying the file for migration;

(d) migrating the file from the current QoS VLUN to the new QoS VLUN;

(e) writing each file to a performance band of a storage device that corresponds to the new QoS VLUN, wherein the file has an attribute and data blocks, wherein each data block has a block address that includes bits to encode a current QoS and bits to address the data block;

(f) assigning a next i-node of the next file of the multiQoS file system to the variable I; and

(g) updating the current QoS to the new QoS.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein using the migration rule includes reading a value of file activity, capacity threshold, file size, or file type.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein step (c) includes setting a migration flag.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein steps (a) through (c) are performed on all files in the multiQoS file system before performing step (d).

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the next scan of step (b) runs as a background process, starts after a predetermined time, or starts when a condition is met.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the condition is based on relative priority of the next scan with respect to other processes running in the host, recent consumption of host CPU time for the method falls below a value, or the amount of time the method has slept.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the file is identified for migration in the file attributes.

24. A method of migrating extents of a file between QoS of a multiQoS file system, comprising:

(a) testing if the file is identified for migration, and if not, performing the following steps;

(b) testing if the extent is part of the file and if so, performing the following steps;

(c) computing a new QoS of the extent using a migration rule;

(d) testing if the current QoS equals the new QoS, and if not, identifying the extent as in migration;

(e) migrating the extent of the file from the current QoS VLUN to the new QoS VLUN;

(f) writing each extent of the file to a performance band of a storage device that corresponds to the new QoS VLUN, wherein the extent of the file can be accessed on the new QoS VLUN; and

(g) updating the current QoS to the new QoS.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein using the migration rule includes reading a value of file activity, capacity threshold, file size, or file type.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein step (d) includes setting a migration flag.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein steps (a) through (e) are performed for the extent before steps (a) through (d) are performed on another extent.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein steps (a) through (d) are performed on all extents of the file before performing step (e) for any extent.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein steps (a) through (e) run as a background process, start after a predetermined time, or start when a condition is met.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the condition is based on the relative priority of the method with respect to other processes, recent consumption of CPU time by the method falls below a value, or the amount of time the method has slept.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein the extent is identified for migration in an extent attribute.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein the step (b) includes evaluating a migration rule using an extent attribute.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein after steps (a) through (d) are performed on all extents of the file, the method repeats for a next file in the file system.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein after steps (a) through (e) are performed on all extents of the file the method repeats for a next file in the file system.

35. A system, comprising:

a multiQoS file system including a plurality of files, wherein each file has an attribute, a current QoS, a migration flag, and data blocks, and wherein each data block has a block address that includes bits to encode a QoS and bits to address the data block;

a processor; and

a memory including program instructions executable by the processor to configure the multiQoS file system to receive a migration rule, to determine if a file is identified for migration and if not compute a new QoS by comparing the migration rule to the attribute, to compare the current QoS to the new QoS and if not equal set the migration flag, to migrate the file from a current QoS VLUN to a new QoS VLUN, to write the file to a performance band of a storage device that corresponds to the new QoS VLUN, and to update the current QoS to the new QoS.

36. A computer-readable medium storing program instructions that cause a computer to perform steps, comprising:

configuring a multiQoS file system including a plurality of files, wherein each file has an attribute, a current QoS, a migration flag, and data blocks, and wherein each data block has a block address that includes bits to encode a QoS and bits to address the data block;

receiving a migration rule;

determining if a file is identified for migration and if not computing a new QoS by comparing the migration rule to the attribute;

comparing the current QoS to the new QoS and if not equal set the migration flag;

migrating the file from a current QoS VLUN to a new QoS VLUN;

writing the file to a performance band of a storage device that corresponds to the new QoS VLUN; and

updating the current QoS to the new QoS.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the migration rule uses a value associated with a file type.