SERVICE LEVEL BASED CONTROL OF STORAGE SYSTEMS

• US 20170060442A1
• Filed: 09/01/2015
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: HGST Netherlands B.V. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Dunn, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 10,296,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0625 Power saving in storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0634 by changing the state or mode of one or more devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

To provide enhanced operation of data storage devices and systems, various systems, apparatuses, methods, and software are provided herein. In a first example, a data storage system is presented. The data storage system includes data storage devices comprising media for storage and retrieval of data. The data storage system includes a host interface configured to receive service level selections indicated by a host system for service level control of the one or more data storage devices. The data storage system includes a storage control system configured to operate the one or more data storage devices according to the service level selections.

Claims

1. A data storage system, comprising:

an array of data storage devices comprising media for storage and retrieval of data;

a host interface configured to receive storage operations transferred by a host system for handling by the data storage system;

a service level interface configured to;

present service level options to the host system over the host interface; and

receive service level selections indicated by the host system for service level control of the array of data storage devices; and

a storage control system configured to operate the array of data storage devices according to the service level selections normalized across the data storage devices of the array of data storage devices.

3. The data storage system of claim 1, wherein the service level interface presents the service level options to the host system responsive to a service level query issued by the host system.

4. The data storage system of claim 1, wherein the storage control system is further configured to:

characterize performance information and power information for the data storage devices in the array of data storage devices to establish service level metrics for the array of data storage devices.

5. The data storage system of claim 4, wherein the storage control system is further configured to:

normalize the service level metrics among variations in the performance and power information across the data storage devices in the array of data storage devices; and

establish service level targets for each of the data storage devices based on the normalized service level metrics, wherein the service level targets are used by the storage control system to individually operate the data storage devices according to the service level selections.

6. The data storage system of claim 4, wherein the storage control system is further configured to:

determine when a service level selection cannot be achieved for at least one data storage device based at least on the service level metrics; and

responsively indicate an error condition to the host system.

7. The data storage system of claim 1, wherein the service level selections comprise power targets and performance targets for the array of data storage devices.

8. The data storage system of claim 1, wherein:

the service level selections comprise one or more selections among power targets and performance targets for the array of data storage devices;

the performance targets comprise at least one of time-to-first-bit performance, spin-up performance of an associated spindle, seek performance of associated read/write heads, and data throughput to the host system; and

the power targets comprise at least one of a peak power target and an average power target.

9. The data storage system of claim 1, wherein:

the service level selections are made for more than one of the data storage devices; and

the storage control system is further configured to allocate the service level selections among the more than one of the data storage devices to operate the array of data storage devices according to the service level selections.

2. (canceled)

10. A method of operating a data storage system, the method comprising:

storing data in and retrieving data from an array of data storage devices;

in a host interface, receiving storage operations transferred by a host system for handling by the data storage system;

in a service level interface, presenting service level options to the host system over the host interface and receiving service level selections indicated by the host system for service level control of the array of data storage devices; and

operating the array of data storage devices according to the service level selections normalized across the data storage devices of the array of data storage devices.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

presenting the service level options to the host system responsive to a service level query issued by the host system.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

characterizing performance information and power information of the array of data storage devices to establish service level metrics for the array of data storage devices.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

normalizing the service level metrics among variations in the performance information and the power information across the data storage devices in the array of data storage devices; and

establishing service level targets for each of the data storage devices based on the normalized service level metrics, wherein the service level targets are used to individually operate the data storage devices according to the service level selections.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining when a service level selection cannot be achieved for at least one data storage device based at least on the service level metrics; and

responsively indicating an error condition to the host system.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the service level selections comprise power targets and performance targets for the array of data storage devices.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the service level selections comprise one or more selections among power targets and performance targets for the array of data storage devices;

the performance targets comprise at least one of time-to-first-bit performance, spin-up performance of an associated spindle, seek performance of associated read/write heads, and data throughput to the host system; and

the power targets comprise at least one of a peak power target and an average power target.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the service level selections are made for more than one of the data storage devices, and further comprising:

allocating the service level selections among the more than one of the data storage devices to operate the array of data storage devices according to the service level selections.

11. (canceled)

19. A service level system for a data storage apparatus, the service level system comprising:

a host interface configured to receive storage operations transferred by a host system for handling by the data storage apparatus;

a service level interface configured to;

present service level options to the host system for altering performance levels and power consumption of data storage devices across an array of data storage devices associated with the service level interface; and

receive one or more service level selections indicated by the host system; and

a storage control system configured to operate the array of data storage devices according to the one or more service level selections normalized across the data storage devices of the array of data storage devices.

20. The service level system of claim 19, wherein:

the one or more service level selections comprise one or more selections among power targets and performance targets for the array of data storage devices;

the performance targets comprise at least one of time-to-first-bit performance, spin-up performance of an associated spindle, seek performance of associated read/write heads, and data throughput to the host system; and

the power targets comprise at least one of a peak power target and an average power target.