Techniques for dynamically adjusting over-provisioning space of a flash controller based on workload characteristics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017242592-A1
Application number	US-201615047929-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 19, 2016
Priority date	Feb 19, 2016
Publication date	Aug 24, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A technique for adapting over-provisioning space in a storage system includes determining one or more workload characteristics in the storage system. Over-provisioning space in the storage system is then adjusted to achieve a target write amplification for the storage system, based on the workload characteristics.

First claim

1 . A method of adapting over-provisioning space in a storage system, comprising:
determining, by a controller, a data reduction ratio in the storage system; determining, by the controller, one or more workload characteristics in the storage system; and adjusting by the controller, based on the workload characteristics and the data reduction ratio, over-provisioning space in the storage system to achieve a target write amplification for the storage system and thereby improve performance of the storage system.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the workload characteristics include one or more of a dynamic read/write ratio, a dynamic write amplification, and a dynamic write access distribution experienced by the storage system.

3 . (canceled)

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data reduction ratio is based on at least one of a dynamic data compression ratio and a dynamic data deduplication ratio experienced by the storage system.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the storage system is a thin provisioned storage system.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the target write amplification is increased for read-dominated workloads.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the target write amplification is decreased for write-dominated workloads.

8 . A storage system, comprising:
a flash controller memory; and a flash controller coupled to the flash controller memory, wherein the flash controller is configured to:
determine a data reduction ratio in the storage system;
determine one or more workload characteristics in the storage system; and
adjust, based on the workload characteristics and the data reduction ratio, over-provisioning space in the storage system to achieve a target write amplification for the storage system and thereby improve performance of the storage system.

9 . The storage system of claim 8 , wherein the workload characteristics include one or more of a dynamic read/write ratio, a dynamic write amplification, and a dynamic write access distribution experienced by the storage system.

10 . (canceled)

11 . The storage system of claim 8 , wherein the data reduction ratio is based on at least one of a dynamic data compression ratio and a dynamic data deduplication ratio experienced by the storage system.

12 . The storage system of claim 8 , wherein the storage system is a thin provisioned storage system.

13 . The storage system of claim 8 , wherein the target write amplification is increased for read-dominated workloads.

14 . The storage system of claim 8 , wherein the target write amplification is decreased for write-dominated workloads.

15 . A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a storage system to cause the storage system to:
determine a data reduction ratio in the storage system; determine one or more workload characteristics in the storage system; and adjust, based on the workload characteristics and the data reduction ratio, over-provisioning space in the storage system to achieve a target write amplification for the storage system and thereby improve performance of the storage system.

16 . The program product of claim 15 , wherein the workload characteristics include one or more of a dynamic read/write ratio, a dynamic write amplification, and a dynamic write access distribution experienced by the storage system.

17 . (canceled)

18 . The program product of claim 15 , wherein the data reduction ratio is based on at least one of a dynamic data compression ratio and a dynamic data deduplication ratio experienced by the storage system.

19 . The program product of claim 15 , wherein the storage system is a thin provisioned storage system.

20 . The program product of claim 15 , wherein the target write amplification is increased for read-dominated workloads, and wherein the target write amplification is decreased for write-dominated workloads.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Camp Charles J
• Fisher Timothy J
• Fry Aaron D
• Ioannou Nikolas
• Parnell Thomas
• Pletka Roman A
• Tomic Sasa

Classifications

• G06F11/3442

  for planning or managing the needed capacity · CPC title

• G06F11/3034

  where the computing system component is a storage system, e.g. DASD based or network based (digital input from or digital output to record carriers G06F3/06; digital recording or reproducing G11B20/18; 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], H04L67/1097) · CPC title

• G06F2212/7208

  Multiple device management, e.g. distributing data over multiple flash devices · CPC title

• G06F2212/214

  Solid state disk · CPC title

• G06F12/0246 Primary

  in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory · CPC title