Method, electronic device and computer program product for managing disks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11294566-B2
Application number	US-202016881400-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2020
Priority date	Oct 30, 2019
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

Techniques for managing disks involve determining, based on a parameter related to a capability of a plurality of disks, a reference capability parameter for each of the plurality of disks. In addition, the techniques involve determining a used capability parameter for each of the plurality of disks. Moreover, the techniques involve determining from the plurality of disks a first disk to be adjusted, a used capability parameter of the first disk exceeds a reference capability parameter of the first disk. The techniques further involve causing data of at least one disk slice in the first disk to be moved to a second disk of the plurality of disks, such that a difference between the used capability parameter of the first disk and reference capability parameter of the first disk is below a predetermined threshold. Accordingly, a balanced operation among respective storage disks can be achieved.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of managing disks, comprising:
determining, based on a parameter related to a capability of a plurality of disks, a reference capability parameter for each of the plurality of disks;
determining a used capability parameter for each of the plurality of disks;
determining from the plurality of disks a first disk to be adjusted, a used capability parameter of the first disk exceeds a reference capability parameter of the first disk; and
causing data of at least one disk slice in the first disk to be moved to a second disk of the plurality of disks, such that a difference between the used capability parameter of the first disk and the reference capability parameter of the first disk is below a predetermined threshold;

wherein causing the data of the at least one disk slice in the first disk to be moved to the second disk comprises:
causing metadata corresponding to the data in the at least one disk slice to be moved to an intermediate memory, such that the reference capability parameter of the first disk exceeds or is equal to the used capability parameter of the first disk;
determining the metadata to be removed from the intermediate memory; and
moving the metadata to be removed from the intermediate memory to the second disk, such that a standard deviation between respective reference capability parameters and respective used capability parameters of the plurality of disks is below a predetermined threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the reference capability parameter comprises:
determining a predetermined capability parameter of each of the plurality of disks;
determining a sum of predetermined capability parameters of the plurality of disks; and
determining the reference capability parameter as a ratio of the predetermined capability parameter to the sum.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the used capability parameter comprises:
determining an actual usage parameter of each of the plurality of disks;
determining a sum of actual usage parameters of the plurality of disks; and
determining the used capability parameter as a ratio of the actual usage parameter to the sum.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the metadata in the at least one disk slice to be moved to the intermediate memory comprises:
sorting disk slices in the first disk in a descending order according to an individual capability parameter of each disk slice in the first disk; and
performing iteratively the following steps:
in response to the used capability parameter of the first disk exceeding the reference capability parameter of the first disk, causing metadata of a disk slice in the first disk with a maximum individual capability parameter to be moved to the intermediate memory; and
updating the used capability parameter of the first disk.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the reference capability parameter at least comprises a first reference capability parameter and a second reference capability parameter, and the used capability parameter at least comprises a first used capability parameter and a second used capability parameter, wherein sorting disk slices in the first disk in a descending order comprises:
obtaining a first maximum difference value between the first reference capability parameter of the first disk and the first used capability parameter of the first disk;
obtaining a second maximum difference value between the second reference capability parameter for the first disk and the second used capability parameter of the first disk; and
in response to the first maximum difference value being below the second maximum difference value, sorting disk slices in the first disk in a descending order according to a first individual capability parameter of each disk slice.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameter related to the capability of the plurality of disks comprises at least one of:
a number of reads/writes per unit of time,
a counting of write requests, and
a capacity.

7. An electronic device, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storing computer program instructions, the processor running the computer program instructions in the memory to control the electronic device to perform acts comprising:
determining, based on a parameter related to a capability of a plurality of disks, a reference capability parameter for each of the plurality of disks;
determining a used capability parameter for each of the plurality of disks;
determining from the plurality of disks a first disk to be adjusted, a used capability parameter of the first disk exceeds a reference capability parameter of the first disk; and
causing data of at least one disk slice in the first disk to be moved to a second disk of the plurality of disks, such that a difference between the used capability parameter of the first disk and the reference capability parameter of the first disk is below a predetermined threshold;

wherein causing the data of the at least one disk slice in the first disk to be moved to the second disk comprises:
causing metadata corresponding to the data in the at least one disk slice to be moved to an intermediate memory, such that the reference capability parameter of the first disk exceeds or equals to the used capability parameter of the first disk;
determining the metadata to be removed from the intermediate memory; and
moving the metadata to be removed from the intermediate memory to the second disk, such that a standard deviation between respective reference capability parameters and respective used capability parameters of the plurality of disks is below a predetermined threshold.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein determining the reference capability parameter comprises:
determining a predetermined capability parameter of each of the plurality of disks;
determining a sum of predetermined capability parameters of the plurality of disks; and
determining the reference capability parameter as a ratio of the predetermined capability parameter to the sum.

9. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein determining the used capability parameter comprises:
determining an actual usage parameter of each of the plurality of disks;
determining a sum of actual usage parameters of the plurality of disks; and
determining the used capability parameter as a ratio of the actual usage parameter to the sum.

10. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein causing the metadata in the at least one disk slice to be moved to the intermediate memory comprises:
sorting disk slices in the first disk in a descending order according to an individual capability parameter of each disk slice in the first disk; and
performing iteratively the following steps:
in response to the used capability parameter of the first disk exceeding the reference capability parameter of the first disk, causing metadata of a disk slice in the first disk with a maximum individual capability parameter to be moved to the intermediate memory; and
updating the used capability parameter of the first disk.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the reference capability parameter at least comprises a first reference capability parameter and a second reference capability parameter, and the used capability parameter at least comprises a first used capability parameter and a second used capability parameter, wherein sorting disk slices in the first disk in a descending order comprises:
obtaining a first maximum difference value between the first reference capability parameter of the first disk and the first used capability parameter of the first disk;
obtaining a second maximum difference value between the second reference capabil

Assignees

• Emc Ip Holding Co Llc

Inventors

• Huang Liang
• Yang Ruipeng
• Zhao Xiaoliang
• Liu Xianlong
• Chen Yunfei

Classifications

• G06F3/0643

  Management of files · CPC title

• G06F3/0653

  Monitoring storage devices or systems · CPC title

• G06F3/0685 Primary

  Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays · CPC title

• G06F3/0683

  Plurality of storage devices · CPC title

• G06F3/0662

  Virtualisation aspects · CPC title