Optimization of a computing environment in which data management operations are performed

• US 8,554,743 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2009
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Tevis, Gregory John, Van Hise, David Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Wilson
• Application Number:
  US12/633,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20110138154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 707690-701
• US Class Current: 707/692
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1744 using compression, e.g. sparse files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0629 Configuration or reconfiguration of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Described are embodiments of an invention for optimizing a computing environment that performs data management operations such as encryption, deduplication and compression. The computing environment includes data components and a management system. The data components operate on data during the lifecycle of the data. The management system identifies all the data components in a data path, how the data components are interconnected, the data management operations performed at each data component, and how many data management operations of each type are performed at each data component. Further, the management system builds a data structure to represent the flow of data through the data path and analyzes the data structure in view of policy. After the analysis, the management system provides recommendations to optimize the computing environment through the reconfiguration of the data management operation configuration and reconfigures the data management operation configuration to optimize the computing environment.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for data management in a computing environment, comprising:

discovering a plurality of data components of said computing environment, wherein said data components perform data management operations, said data management operations comprises encryption, deduplication and compression;

creating a data flow topology representing a data path of data through said data components, said data flow topology comprising said data management operations performed on said data, wherein said data flow topology comprises a data structure representing said plurality of data components, interconnections between said plurality of data components, and a configuration of each of said plurality of data components;

optimizing said data path by analyzing said data flow topology, wherein optimizing comprises changing a sequence of said data management operations; and

sending a command to reconfigure the data components and the data management operations based on the optimizing.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein discovering said plurality of data components comprises identifying each data component within said computing environment and determining a configuration of each data component.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said configuration comprises at least one of a back pointer, a forward pointer, a data component ID, a data component type, a data component vendor, a data component product, a data component location, data component processor, an encryption type, a deduplication type, a compression type, an encryption operation, a deduplication operation, a compression operation, encryption capability, a deduplication capability, compression capability, encryption transparency, and a compression transparency.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said data flow topology provides an order of said data management operations performed on said data.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said optimizing indicates a reconfiguring of said configuration of at least one data component of said plurality of data components such that a data management policy is met.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein said data management policy comprises avoiding at least one of redundant encryption, redundant deduplication, redundant compression, the performance of encryption before deduplication, and the performance of encryption before compression.

7. A computing system in communication with a computing environment including a plurality of data components, comprising:

a processor of a management system;

a memory coupled to said processor;

said memory including computer readable instructions implemented by said processor to;

discover a plurality of said data components of said computing environment, wherein said data components perform data management operations, said data management operations comprises encryption deduplication and compression;

create a data flow topology representing a data path of data through said data components, said data flow topology comprising said data management operations performed on said data, wherein said data flow topology comprises a data structure representing said plurality of data components, interconnections between said plurality of data components, and a configuration of each of said plurality of data components;

optimize said data path by analyzing said data flow topology, wherein said optimization comprises changing a sequence of said data management operations; and

send a command to reconfigure the data components and the data management operations based on the optimizing.

8. The computing environment of claim 7, wherein said data flow topology provides an order of said data management operations performed on said data.

9. The computing environment of claim 7, wherein said computer readable instructions when implemented on a computer causes the computer to optimize said data path by reconfiguring said configuration of at least one data component of said plurality of said data components such that said computing environment avoids at least one of redundant encryption, redundant deduplication, redundant compression, the performance of encryption before deduplication, and the performance of encryption before compression.

10. A computer implemented method for data management in a computing environment, comprising:

discovering a plurality of data components of said computing environment, wherein said data components perform data management operations, said data management operations comprises encryption, deduplication and compression;

creating a data flow topology representing a data path of data through said data components and comprising a data structure representing said data components, interconnections between said data components, said data management operations performed, a configuration of each of said plurality of data components, an order of said data management operations, and a count of each said data management operation comprising encryption, deduplication and compression; and

optimizing said data path by analyzing said data flow topology, wherein optimizing comprises changing a sequence of said data management operations; and

sending a command to reconfigure the data components and the data management operations based on the optimizing.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 10, wherein discovering said plurality of data components comprises identifying each data component within said computing environment and determining a configuration of each data component.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein said configuration comprises at least one of a back pointer, a forward pointer, a data component ID, a data component type, a data component vendor, a data component product, a data component location, data component processor, an encryption type, a deduplication type, a compression type, an encryption operation, a deduplication operation, a compression operation, encryption capability, a deduplication capability, compression capability, encryption transparency, and a compression transparency.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 10, wherein said optimizing indicates reconfiguring of said configuration of at least one data component of said plurality of data components such that a data management policy is met.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 13, wherein said data management policy comprises avoiding at least one of redundant encryption, redundant deduplication, redundant compression, the performance of encryption before deduplication, and the performance of encryption before compression.

15. A computing system in communication with a computing environment including a plurality of data components comprising:

a processor of a management system;

a memory coupled to said processor;

said memory including computer readable instructions implemented by said processor to;

discover a plurality of said data components of said computing environment, wherein said data components perform data management operations, said data management operations comprises encryption deduplication and compression;

create a data flow topology representing a data path of data through said data components and comprising a data structure representing said data components, interconnections between said data components, said data management operations performed, a configuration of each of said plurality of data components, an order of said data management operations, and a count of each said data management operation comprising encryption, deduplication, and compression;

optimize said data path by analyzing said data flow topology, wherein optimizing comprises changing a sequence of said data management operations; and

send a command to reconfigure the data components and the data management operations based on the optimizing.

16. The computing environment of claim 15, wherein said computer readable instructions when implemented on a computer causes the computer to optimize said data path by reconfiguring said configuration of at least one data component of said plurality of said data components such that said computing environment avoids at least one of redundant encryption, redundant deduplication, redundant compression, the performance of encryption before deduplication, and the performance of encryption before compression.