Data transfer using flexible dynamic elastic network service provider relationships

• US 9,923,784 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2015
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chitti, Mark V., Freimuth, Douglas M., Hollingsworth, John F., Mandalia, Baiju D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Warner
• Application Number:
  US14/952,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20170149625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/141 Indication of costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2425 for supporting services specification, e.g. SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/826 Involving periods of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Data transfer using flexible dynamic elastic network service provider relationships is provided. A relationship is dynamically established with an elastic network service provider of multiple available elastic network service providers to transfer a portion of the set of data to the target. Peering policies for each of the multiple elastic network service providers are checked, where a respective peering policy for each elastic network service provider includes respective bandwidth pricing information. Based on the bandwidth pricing information for each of the plurality of elastic network service providers, an elastic network service provider and a schedule are selected to use in transferring the portion to the target. The elastic network service provider is used in transferring the portion to the target, which includes dynamically configuring elastic network bandwidth allocation from the elastic network service provider and initiating transfer of the portion to the target according to the selected schedule.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

based on a determination to transfer a set of data from a source storage location to a target storage location, dynamically establishing a relationship with an elastic network service provider of a plurality of available elastic network service providers to transfer a portion of the set of data to the target storage location, the dynamically establishing comprising;

checking a respective peering policy for each elastic network service provider of the plurality of elastic network service providers, the peering policy for each elastic network service provider comprising respective bandwidth pricing information;

selecting, based on the bandwidth pricing information for each of the plurality of elastic network service providers, an elastic network service provider to use in transferring the portion of the set of data to the target storage location and a schedule for transferring the portion of the set of data; and

using the elastic network service provider in transferring the portion of the set of data to the target storage location, the using comprising dynamically configuring elastic network bandwidth allocation from the elastic network service provider and initiating transfer of the portion of the set of data to the target storage location according to the selected schedule;

wherein the set of data comprises multiple portions, wherein the transfer of the portion of the set of data is part of a staged transfer of the multiple portions of the set of data to the target storage location, and wherein the method further comprises repeating, for each additional portion of the multiple portions of the set of data, the dynamically establishing a relationship with an elastic network service provider of a plurality of available elastic network service providers to transfer the additional portion of the set of data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting the elastic network service provider and the schedule is based on considering cost to transfer the portion of the set of data, taken across a plurality of different bandwidth levels at a plurality of different times of day.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein for each portion of the multiple portions, the selection of the elastic network service provider to use is made independent of the selection of the elastic network service provider to use for the other portions of the multiple portions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a different dynamic relationship is established with a first elastic network service provider for transferring the portion of set of data than a dynamic relationship established with a second elastic network service provider for transferring an additional portion of the set of data, the first elastic network service provider being different than the second elastic network service provider.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected schedule to transfer the portion of the set of data is different from the selected schedule to transfer another portion of the set of data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the checking comprises accessing, for each elastic network service provider of the plurality of elastic network service providers, a respective interface exposed by the elastic network service provider to obtain the bandwidth pricing information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, based on completion of the transfer of the portion of the set of data, deallocating bandwidth from the elastic network service provider to minimize transfer cost.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting the elastic network service provider and the schedule is based on at least one of:

(i) a type of one or more applications with which the set of data is associated or (ii) time of day.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising initially determining that the transfer is to be performed, the determining being based on one or more of volume or rate of change of the set of data.

10. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium readable by a processor and storing instructions for execution by the processor for performing a method comprising;

based on a determination to transfer a set of data from a source storage location to a target storage location, dynamically establishing a relationship with an elastic network service provider of a plurality of available elastic network service providers to transfer a portion of the set of data to the target storage location, the dynamically establishing comprising;

checking a respective peering policy for each elastic network service provider of the plurality of elastic network service providers, the peering policy for each elastic network service provider comprising respective bandwidth pricing information;

selecting, based on the bandwidth pricing information for each of the plurality of elastic network service providers, an elastic network service provider to use in transferring the portion of the set of data to the target storage location and a schedule for transferring the portion of the set of data; and

using the elastic network service provider in transferring the portion of the set of data to the target storage location, the using comprising dynamically configuring elastic network bandwidth allocation from the elastic network service provider and initiating transfer of the portion of the set of data to the target storage location according to the selected schedule;

wherein the set of data comprises multiple portions, wherein the transfer of the portion of the set of data is part of a staged transfer of the multiple portions of the set of data to the target storage location, and wherein the method further comprises repeating, for each additional portion of the multiple portions of the set of data, the dynamically establishing a relationship with an elastic network service provider of a plurality of available elastic network service providers to transfer the additional portion of the set of data.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the selecting the elastic network service provider and the schedule is based on considering cost to transfer the portion of the set of data, taken across a plurality of different bandwidth levels at a plurality of different times of day.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein a different dynamic relationship is established with a first elastic network service provider for transferring the portion of data than a dynamic relationship established with a second elastic network service provider for transferring an additional portion of the set of data, the first elastic network service provider being different than the second elastic network service provider.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the checking comprises accessing, for each elastic network service provider of the plurality of elastic network service providers, a respective interface exposed by the elastic network service provider to obtain the bandwidth pricing information.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the selecting the elastic network service provider and the schedule is based on at least one of:

(i) a type of one or more applications with which the set of data is associated or (ii) time of day.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises initially determining that the transfer is to be performed, the determining being based on one or more of volume or rate of change of the set of data.

20. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein for each portion of the multiple portions, the selection of the elastic network service provider to use is made independent of the selection of the elastic network service provider to use for the other portions of the multiple portions.

16. A computer system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor in communications with the memory, wherein the computer system is configured to perform a method, the method comprising;

based on a determination to transfer a set of data from a source storage location to a target storage location, dynamically establishing a relationship with an elastic network service provider of a plurality of available elastic network service providers to transfer a portion of the set of data to the target storage location, the dynamically establishing comprising;

checking a respective peering policy for each elastic network service provider of the plurality of elastic network service providers, the peering policy for each elastic network service provider comprising respective bandwidth pricing information;

selecting, based on the bandwidth pricing information for each of the plurality of elastic network service providers, an elastic network service provider to use in transferring the portion of the set of data to the target storage location and a schedule for transferring the portion of the set of data; and

using the elastic network service provider in transferring the portion of the set of data to the target storage location, the using comprising dynamically configuring elastic network bandwidth allocation from the elastic network service provider and initiating transfer of the portion of the set of data to the target storage location according to the selected schedule;

wherein the set of data comprises multiple portions, wherein the transfer of the portion of the set of data is part of a staged transfer of the multiple portions of the set of data to the target storage location, and wherein the method further comprises repeating, for each additional portion of the multiple portions of the set of data, the dynamically establishing a relationship with an elastic network service provider of a plurality of available elastic network service providers to transfer the additional portion of the set of data.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein a different dynamic relationship is established with a first elastic network service provider for transferring the portion of data than a dynamic relationship established with a second elastic network service provider for transferring an additional portion of the set of data, the first elastic network service provider being different than the second elastic network service provider.

18. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises initially determining that the transfer is to be performed, the determining being based on one or more of volume or rate of change of the set of data.

19. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the selecting the elastic network service provider and the schedule is based on considering cost to transfer the portion of the set of data, taken across a plurality of different bandwidth levels at a plurality of different times of day.

21. The computer system of claim 16, wherein for each portion of the multiple portions, the selection of the elastic network service provider to use is made independent of the selection of the elastic network service provider to use for the other portions of the multiple portions.