Using a migration cache to cache tracks during migration

• US 8,566,547 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2012
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Montgomery, David, Sorenson, Todd Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Bradley, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREZ-VELEZ, ROCIO DEL MAR
• Application Number:
  US13/462,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20120254546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/165
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0868 Data transfer between cache memory and other subsystems, e.g. storage devices or host systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0888 using selective caching, e.g. bypass
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0617 in relation to availability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays

Abstract

Provided are a method, system, and computer program product for using a migration cache to cache tracks during migration. In response to a migration operation, a determination is made of a first set of tracks in the source storage indicated in an extent list and of a second set of tracks in the extent. The tracks in the source storage in the first set are copied to a migration cache. The tracks in the second set are copied directly from the source storage to the destination storage without buffering in the migration cache. The tracks in the first set are copied from the migration cache to the destination storage. The migration operation is completed in response to copying the first set of tracks from the migration cache to the destination storage and copying the second set of tracks from the source storage to the destination storage.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

indicating in an extent list tracks in an extent in a source storage subject to Input/Output (I/O) requests;

initiating a migration operation to migrate the extent from the source storage to a destination storage;

in response to initiating the migration operation, performing;

determining a first set of tracks in the extent in the source storage indicated in the extent list based on an access characteristic of the tracks in the extent;

determining a second set of tracks in the extent, wherein the second set of tracks have the access characteristic to a lesser extent than the first set of tracks;

copying the tracks in the source storage in the first set to a migration cache, wherein updates to the tracks in the migration cache during the migration operation are applied to the migration cache;

copying the tracks in the second set directly from the source storage to the destination storage without buffering in the migration cache;

copying the tracks in the first set from the migration cache to the destination storage; and

completing the migration operation in response to copying the first set of tracks from the migration cache to the destination storage and copying the second set of tracks from the source storage to the destination storage, wherein after the migration the tracks in the extent are located in the destination storage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of tracks includes tracks in the extent indicated in the extent list that are not in the first set of tracks and tracks in the extent not indicated in the extent list.

3. The method of claim 1, further performing during the migration operation:

receiving an update to one track in the extent during the migration operation;

determining whether the track is located in the migration cache;

writing the update to the migration cache in response to determining that the track is in the migration cache, wherein the updated track is copied from the migration cache to the destination storage;

writing the update to the source storage in response to determining that the track is not maintained in the migration cache.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the migration cache and a source cache are maintained in at least one memory device in a server in communication with the source storage and the destination storage, wherein writing the update to the source storage comprises writing the update to the source cache, wherein updated tracks in the source cache are destaged to the source storage and wherein updates to tracks in the migration cache are not destaged to the source storage.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

maintaining a destination cache in the server for tracks in the destination storage;

copying tracks in the migration cache for the extent to the destination cache in response to completing the migration of the extent to the destination storage.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the extent list comprises a write extent list indicating tracks in the extent subject to a write request and a read extent list indicating tracks in the extent subject to a read request, wherein the first set of tracks includes tracks indicated in the write and read extent lists, and wherein the second set of tracks includes tracks indicated in the write and read extent lists not included in the first set.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the access characteristic comprises last recently used, wherein the extent list orders tracks according to last recently used, wherein the second set of tracks includes tracks in the extent indicated in the extent list that are not in the first set of tracks, and wherein the tracks in the first set have been more recently used according to the extent list ordering than the tracks in the second set.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracks in the migration cache are copied to the destination storage in response to copying all the tracks in the first set to the migration cache, and wherein the tracks in the migration cache and the source storage are copied in parallel to the destination storage.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the extent list indicates write requests to the source storage and not read requests, wherein the first set of tracks indicates only tracks in the source storage that have been updated prior to the migration operation.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the access characteristic comprises last recently used, wherein the most recently accessed tracks indicated in the write and read extent lists are included in the first set according to a proportion of the tracks indicated in the write and read extent lists.