System and method for managing memory or session resources used for movement of data being copied in a data storage environment

• US 7,509,465 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2004
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Vaidya, Chetan Rameshchandra, Gulve, Somnath, Misra, Pawan, Haynes, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elmore; Reba I
• Application Number:
  US10/953,639
• Time in Patent Office: 1,637 Days
• Field of Search: 711/162, 711/170, 370/233, 370/235
• US Class Current: 711/162
• 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 3/0656 Data buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

This invention is a system and method for managing and allocating memory used for data movement of data being copied in a data storage environment. In one embodiment, a methodology is provided that allocates and manages data buffers based on bandwidth and memory availability in the data storage environment, that includes adjustment of buffer size allocation and/or number of buffers allocated based on a determination of the bandwidth allocated. In other embodiments, implementations include a system, a computer program product, and an apparatus are disclosed that are configured for carrying out the steps involved in the methodology.

Claims

1. In a data storage environment having a first and second data storage system, and production data being stored on the first data storage system, a method for allocating memory resources for transfer of data across a network link in the data storage environment during a replication of the production data to produce a copy of the production data on the second data storage system, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining-bandwidth information available for a network link used for transferring data from the first data storage system to the second storage system; and

allocating data buffers used for transferring data from the first data storage system to the second storage system in accordance with the bandwidth information, wherein said allocation is first based on a number of buffers when said bandwidth information indicates high bandwidth and on a size of buffers when said bandwidth information indicates low bandwidth.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocation of said number of buffers is obtained by dividing an existing number of buffers by one-half.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocation of the size of buffers is obtained by dividing an existing buffer size by one-half.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein for low bandwidth conditions the number of buffers is halved when the size of buffers satisfies a criterion.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein for high bandwidth conditions—

the size of the buffers is halved when the number of buffers satisfies a criterion.

6. A system for allocating memory resources for transfer of data across a network link in a data storage environment during a replication of production data from a first data storage system to produce a copy of the production data on a second data storage system, the system comprising:

the first and second data storage system;

the network link between the first and second data storage system that is available for data transfer when data is being copied from the first data storage system to the second data storage system;

computer-executable program code operational with the first data storage system for enabling the method steps of;

obtaining bandwidth information available for a network link used for transferring data from the first data storage system to the second storage system; and

allocating data buffers used for transferring data from the first data storage system to the second storage system in accordance with the bandwidth information, wherein said allocation is first based on a number of buffers when said bandwidth information indicates high bandwidth and on a size of buffers when said bandwidth information indicates low bandwidth.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the allocation of said number of buffers is obtained by dividing an existing number of buffers by one-half.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the allocation of the size of buffers is obtained by dividing an existing buffer size by one-half.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein for low bandwidth conditions the number of buffers is halved when the size of buffers satisfies a criterion.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein for high bandwidth conditions—

the size of the buffers is halved when the number of buffers satisfies a criterion.

11. A program product for allocating memory resources for transfer of data across a network link in a data storage environment during a replication of production data from a first data storage system to produce a copy of the production data on a second data storage system, wherein the network link between the first and second data storage system is available for data transfer when data is being copied from the first data storage system to the second data storage system, and the program product comprises:

a computer-readable storage medium operational with the first data storage system, said computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer-executable program code thereon, which is operable when executed upon by a processing device of said first data storage system to;

obtain bandwidth information available for a network link used for transferring data from the first data storage system to the second storage system; and

allocate data buffers used for transferring data from the first data storage system to the second storage system in accordance with the bandwidth information, wherein said allocation is based on a number of buffers when said bandwidth information indicates high bandwidth and on size of buffers when said bandwidth information indicates low bandwidth.

12. An apparatus for allocating memory resources for transfer of data across a network link in a data storage environment during a replication of production data from a first data storage system to produce a copy of the production data on a second data storage system, wherein the network link between the first and second data storage system is available for data transfer when data is being copied from the first data storage system to the second data storage system, the apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining bandwidth information available for the network link used for transferring data from the first data storage system to the second storage system; and

means for allocating data buffers used for transferring data from the first data storage system to the second storage system in accordance with the bandwidth information, wherein said allocation is based on a number of buffers when said bandwidth information indicates high bandwidth and on a size of buffers when said bandwidth information indicates low bandwidth.