Storage handling guidance for host input/output operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11029884-B2
Application number	US-201916512449-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2019
Priority date	Jul 16, 2019
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

Method and system are provided for storage handling guidance for host input/output (I/O) operations. The method includes: providing a guidance array of indications of storage operations handling instructions, the guidance array having multiple dimensions of performance characteristics with each dimension having multiple levels; and associating a reference vector with one or more I/O operations, wherein the reference vector points to a level for each dimension of the array to obtain an indication of a storage operations handling instruction at an intercept of the dimension levels for application by a storage system controller for the one or more I/O operations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for providing storage handling guidance for host input/output (I/O) operations comprising:
providing a guidance array of indications of storage operations handling instructions, the guidance array having multiple dimensions of performance characteristics with each dimension having multiple levels;
receiving, by a storage system controller, an input/output (I/O) operation from a host application, the I/O operation comprising a command and a reference vector, wherein the reference vector points to a level for each dimension of the guidance array to obtain an indication of a storage operations handling instruction at an intercept of the dimension levels for the host application by the storage system controller for the I/O operation;
extracting, by the storage system controller, the reference vector from the command;
looking up, by the storage system controller, the reference vector in the guidance array for the storage operations handling instruction;
determining, by the storage system controller, whether there is a customized storage operations handling instructions for the I/O operation within the guidance array, and where the customized storage operations handling instructions are present in the guidance array, applying, by the storage system controller, the customized storage operations handling instructions, otherwise, applying, by the storage system controller, default storage handling behavior;
selecting, by the storage system controller, a level value for each dimension of the guidance array;
adding each level value to the reference vector, wherein the level value added to the reference vector points to an indication of an instruction in the guidance array for handling a combination of performance characteristic.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
associating the reference vector with one or more I/O operations and associating is carried out by the host application in accordance with the guidance array defined by an agreement between the host application and a storage system.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
associating the reference vector with one or more I/O operations is carried out by the storage system controller and applying the reference vector based on a nature or type of incoming I/O operation.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein associating the reference vector with one or more I/O operations is based on a sector of the I/O operations and specifies a required level for each dimension of the guidance array.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether a sector being written by the I/O operation requires special storage handling; and
upon determining that special storage handling is required, selecting the level value for each dimension of the guidance array and adding the level value to the reference vector, indicating an instruction in the guidance array for handling a combination of performance characteristic levels; and
upon determining that special storage handling is not required, associating a blank reference vector with the I/O operation.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the sector being written by the I/O operation that requires the special storage handling is a superblock or a log area.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the guidance array includes dimensions for performance, resilience, and storage efficiency.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the storage operations handling instructions are selected from the group consisting of instructions to deduplicate stored data, to compress stored data, to store data in a special location, to duplicate data for increased resilience, to decide on a storage tier, to decide on a compression level, and to handle storage operations in a designated manner.

9. A system for providing storage handling guidance for host input/output (I/O) operations, comprising:
a processor;
and a computer-readable storage media coupled to the processor, wherein the computer-readable storage media contains computer program instructions executing a computer-implemented method comprising:
providing a guidance array of indications of storage operations handling instructions accessible to a storage system controller, the guidance array having multiple dimensions of performance characteristics with each dimension having multiple levels;
receiving, by a storage system controller, an input/output (I/O) operation from a host application, the I/O operation comprising a command and a reference vector, wherein the reference vector points to a level for each dimension of the guidance array to obtain an indication of a storage operations handling instruction at an intercept of the dimension levels for the host application by the storage system controller for the I/O operation;
extracting, by the storage system controller, the reference vector from the command;
looking up, by the storage system controller, the reference vector in the guidance array for the storage operations handling instruction; and
determining, by the storage system controller, whether there is a customized storage operations handling instructions for the I/O operation within the guidance array, and if the customized storage operations handling instructions are present in the guidance array, applying, by the storage system controller, the customized storage operations handling instructions, otherwise, applying, by the storage system controller, default storage handling behavior;
selecting, by the storage system controller, a level value for each dimension of the guidance array; and
adding each level value to the reference vector, wherein the level value added to the reference vector points to an indication of an instruction in the guidance array for handling a combination of performance characteristic.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:
associating the reference vector with one or more I/O operations and the associating of the reference vector with the one or more I/O operations is carried out by the host application in accordance with the guidance array as defined by an agreement between the host application and a storage system.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein associating the reference vector with one or more I/O operations is based on a sector of the I/O operations and specifies a required level for each dimension of the guidance array.

12. The system as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:
determining whether a sector being written by the I/O operation requires special storage handling;
upon determining that special storage handling is required, selecting the level value for each dimension of the guidance array and adding the level value to the reference vector, indicating an instruction in the guidance array for handling a combination of performance characteristic levels; and
upon determining that special storage handling is not required, associating a blank reference vector with the I/O operation.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the sector being written by the I/O operation that requires the special storage handling is a superblock or a log area.

14. The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the guidance array includes dimensions for performance, resilience, and storage efficiency.

15. The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the storage operations handling instructions are selected from the group consisting of instructions to deduplicate stored data, to compress stored data, to store data in a special location, to duplicate data for increased resilienc

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Sasson Ben
• Fuente Carlos F
• Rostagni Florent
• Ainscow Alexander Henry

Classifications

• G06F3/0608

  Saving storage space on storage systems · CPC title

• G06F3/0658

  Controller construction arrangements · CPC title

• G06F3/0604 Primary

  Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management · CPC title

• G06F3/061

  Improving I/O performance · CPC title

• G06F16/902

  using more than one table in sequence, i.e. systems with three or more layers · CPC title