Adaptive change of redundancy level of raid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11216340-B2
Application number	US-202016824016-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2020
Priority date	Apr 30, 2019
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

Techniques for storage management involve: detecting a trigger for an adjustment of a redundant level for a set of RAIDs. Each of the set of RAIDs includes one or more RAID extents. Each RAID extent is formed by a plurality of storage extents from a set of storage extents. The set of storage extents is obtained by dividing a plurality of storage disks into storage extents. The plurality of storage extents are located in different storage disks of the plurality of storage disks. The techniques further involve: in response to detecting the trigger, selecting, from the set of RAIDs, a target RAID for which the redundant level is to be adjusted. The techniques further involve: adjusting the redundant level of the target RAID from a first redundant level to a second redundant level. Such techniques can improve the performance of a RAID storage system.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for storage management, comprising:
detecting a trigger for an adjustment of a redundant level for a set of redundant array of independent disks (RAIDs), each of the set of RAIDs comprising one or more RAID extents, each RAID extent being formed by a plurality of storage extents from a set of storage extents, the set of storage extents being obtained by dividing a plurality of storage disks into storage extents, the plurality of storage extents being located in different storage disks of the plurality of storage disks, wherein detecting the trigger for the adjustment of the redundant level for the set of RAIDs includes a processor autonomously detecting both that at least one of the plurality of the storage disks has an error rate above a first threshold and that a workload of a storage system that includes both the processor and the plurality of storage disks has reached a second threshold;
in response to detecting the trigger, selecting, from the set of RAIDs, a target RAID for which the redundant level is to be adjusted; and
adjusting the redundant level of the target RAID from a first redundant level to a second redundant level.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the redundant level of the target RAID from the first redundant level to the second redundant level comprises:
in response to the second redundant level being higher than the first redundant level,
determining whether a first number of free storage extents in the set of storage extents is greater than a second number of RAID extents in the target RAID; and
in response to the first number being greater than the second number, changing a type of the target RAID from a first type with the first redundant level to a second type with the second redundant level.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein changing the type of the target RAID to the second type comprises:
for each RAID extent in the target RAID,
adding a new storage extent into the RAID extent; and
reconstructing data in the new storage extent using data in original storage extents in the RAID extent.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
in response to detecting a trigger for a further operation consuming the free storage extents, ceasing the change of the type of the target RAID to the second type; and
releasing storage extents used for performing the change.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the redundant level of the target RAID from the first redundant level to the second redundant level comprises:
in response to the second redundant level being lower than the first redundant level, changing a type of the target RAID from a first type with the first redundant level to a second type with the second redundant level.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein changing the type of the target RAID to the second type comprises:
removing a storage extent storing parity data from each RAID extent of the target RAID.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second redundant level is above an initial redundant level of the target RAID.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target RAID is selected based on at least one of:
information indicating that the redundant level of the target RAID is to be adjusted,
a redundant level of a RAID of the set of RAIDs, and
a number of RAID extents in a RAID of the set of RAIDs.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the trigger for the adjustment of the redundant level of the set of RAIDs comprises:
receiving an indication for performing the adjustment of the redundant level from a user of the set of RAIDs.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the trigger for the adjustment of the redundant level of the set of RAIDs further comprises:
determining that storage space utilization of the plurality of storage disks has reached a third threshold.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein autonomously detecting that the workload of the storage system that includes both the processor and the plurality of storage disks has reached the third threshold comprises detecting that the workload of the storage system that includes both the processor and the plurality of storage disks is below the third threshold.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein selecting the target RAID for which the redundant level is to be adjusted comprises selecting at least one of the RAIDs having a lower redundant level; and
wherein adjusting the redundant level of the target RAID from the first redundant level to the second redundant level comprises adjusting the first redundant level to a second redundant level that is higher than the lower redundant level.

13. An electronic device, comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory storing computer program instructions, the at least one memory and the computer program instructions being configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the electronic device to:
detect a trigger for an adjustment of a redundant level for a set of redundant array of independent disks (RAIDs), each of the set of RAIDs comprising one or more RAID extents, each RAID extent being formed by a plurality of storage extents from a set of storage extents, the set of storage extents being obtained by dividing a plurality of storage disks into storage extents, the plurality of storage extents being located in different storage disks of the plurality of storage disks, wherein the trigger for the adjustment of the redundant level for the set of RAIDs is detected by the processor autonomously detecting both that at least one of the plurality of the storage disks has an error rate above a first threshold and that a workload of a storage system that includes both the processor and the plurality of storage disks has reached a second threshold;
in response to detecting the trigger, select, from the set of RAIDs, a target RAID for which the redundant level is to be adjusted; and
adjust the redundant level of the target RAID from a first redundant level to a second redundant level.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the electronic device to:
in response to the second redundant level being higher than the first redundant level,
determine whether a first number of free storage extents in the set of storage extents is greater than a second number of RAID extents in the target RAID; and
in response to the first number being greater than the second number, change a type of the target RAID from a first type with the first redundant level to a second type with the second redundant level.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the electronic device to:
for each RAID extent in the target RAID,
add a new storage extent into the RAID extent; and
reconstruct data in the new storage extent using data in original storage extents in the RAID extent.

16. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the electronic device to:
in response to detecting a trigger for a further operation consuming the free storage extents, cease the change of the type of the target RAID to the second type; and
release storage extents used for performing the change.

17. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are further

Assignees

• Emc Ip Holding Co Llc

Inventors

• Ma Chun
• Yang Lifeng

Classifications

• G06F3/0689

  Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD · CPC title

• G06F3/0619

  in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors · CPC title

• G06F3/0644

  Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools · CPC title

• G06F11/1076 Primary

  Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems · CPC title

• G06F3/0608 Primary

  Saving storage space on storage systems · CPC title