Method for using service level objectives to dynamically allocate cache resources among competing workloads

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9836407-B2
Application number	US-201414522259-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2014
Priority date	Oct 23, 2014
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

A method, device, and non-transitory computer readable medium that dynamically allocates cache resources includes monitoring a hit or miss rate of a service level objective for each of a plurality of prior workloads and a performance of each of a plurality of cache storage resources. At least one configuration for the cache storage resources for one or more current workloads is determined based at least on a service level objective for each of the current workloads, the monitored hit or miss rate for each of the plurality of prior workloads and the monitored performance of each of the plurality of cache storage resources. The cache storage resources are dynamically partitioned among each of the current workloads based on the determined configuration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
monitoring, by a storage controller computing apparatus, a hit or miss rate for each of a plurality of prior workloads and a latency of each of a plurality of cache storage resources;
determining, by the storage controller computing apparatus, a configuration for the plurality of cache storage resources for one or more current workloads based at least on a service level objective for each of the one or more current workloads, the monitored hit or miss rate for each of the plurality of prior workloads, and the monitored latency of each of the plurality of cache storage resources;
identifying, by the storage controller computing apparatus, when the service level objective for at least one of the one or more current workloads is not met by the determined configuration for the plurality of cache storage resources;
modifying, by the storage controller computing apparatus, the determined configuration for the plurality of cache storage resources when the service level objective for at least one of the one or more current workloads is not met;
identifying, by the storage controller computing apparatus, when the service level objective for at least one of the one or more current workloads is not met by the modified configuration for the plurality of cache storage resources;
determining, by the storage controller computing apparatus, for which of the one or more current workloads to violate the service level objective and by what extent to violate the service level objective when the service level objective for at least one of the one or more current workloads is not met;
adjusting, by the storage controller computing apparatus, the modified configuration for the plurality of cache storage resources based on the determination of for which of the one or more current workloads to violate the service level objective and by what extent to violate the service level objective; and
dynamically partitioning, by the storage controller computing apparatus, the plurality of cache storage resources among each of the one or more current workloads based on the determined configuration.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the plurality of cache storage resources comprises an in-memory buffer cache and a flash cache.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising modeling, by the storage controller computing apparatus, the hit or miss rate for each of the plurality of prior workloads over a range of sizes of the plurality of cache storage resources, wherein determining the configuration for the plurality of cache storage resources for the one or more current workloads is further based on the modeling.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein determining for which of the one or more current workloads to violate the service level objective and by what extent to violate the service level objective comprises degrading, by the storage controller computing apparatus, the service level objective of each of the one or more current workloads by a set percentage.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein determining for which of the one or more current workloads to violate the service level objective and by what extent to violate the service level objective comprises:
identifying, by the storage controller computing apparatus, a priority of each of the one or more current workloads; and
degrading, by the storage controller computing apparatus, the service level objective of each of the one or more current workloads that has a priority below a priority threshold.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein determining the configuration for the plurality of cache storage resources comprises:
determining, by the storage controller computing apparatus, a plurality of configurations for the plurality of cache storage resources for the one or more current workloads based at least on the service level objective for each of the one or more current workloads, the monitored hit or miss rate for each of the plurality of prior workloads, and the monitored latency of each of the plurality of cache storage resources;
determining, by the storage controller computing apparatus, a total cost for each of the determined plurality of configurations; and
selecting, by the storage controller computing apparatus, one of the determined plurality of configurations for the dynamic partitioning based on the determined total cost for each of the determined plurality of configurations.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 wherein determining the total cost for each of the determined plurality of configurations comprises:
obtaining, by the storage controller computing apparatus, a cache resource cost assigned to each of the plurality of cache storage resources; and
determining, by the storage controller computing apparatus, a value of a portion of each of the plurality of cache storage resources consumed in each of the determined plurality of configurations based on the obtained cache resource cost assigned to each of the plurality of cache storage resources, wherein the determined total cost for each of the determined plurality of configurations is a sum of the determined values that configuration.

8. The method as set forth in claim 6 wherein determining the total cost for each of the determined plurality of configurations comprises determining an error sensitivity cost for each of the determined plurality of configurations, and wherein selecting one of the determined plurality of configurations for the dynamic partitioning comprises selecting one of the determined plurality of configurations that has a lowest error sensitivity cost for dynamic partitioning.

9. A computing device comprising:
a memory containing a machine readable medium comprising machine executable code having stored thereon instructions for performing a method of dynamically allocating cache storage resources; and
a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to execute the machine executable code to cause the processor to:
monitor a hit or miss rate for each of a plurality of prior workloads and a latency of each of a plurality of cache storage resources;
determine a configuration for the plurality of cache storage resources for one or more current workloads based at least on a service level objective for each of the one or more current workloads, the monitored hit or miss rate for each of the plurality of prior workloads, and the monitored latency of each of the plurality of cache storage resources;
identify when the service level objective for at least one of the one or more current workloads is not met by the determined configuration for the plurality of cache storage resources;
modify the determined configuration for the plurality of cache storage resources when the service level objective for at least one of the one or more current workloads is not met;
identify when the service level objective for at least one of the one or more current workloads is not met by the modified configuration for the plurality of cache storage resources;
determine for which of the one or more current workloads to violate the service level objective and by what extent to violate the service level objective when the service level objective for at least one of the one or more current workloads is not met;
adjust the modified configuration for the plurality of cache storage resources based on the determination of for which of the one or more current workloads to violate the service level objective and by what extent to violate the service level objective; and
dynamically partition the plurality of cache storage resources among each of the one or more current workloads based on the determined configuration.

10. The

Assignees

• Netapp Inc

Inventors

• Shah Peter
• Smith Keith

Classifications

• G06F12/0895 Primary

  of parts of caches, e.g. directory or tag array · CPC title

• G06F12/0871 Primary

  Allocation or management of cache space · CPC title

• G06F2212/1021

  Hit rate improvement · CPC title

• G06F2212/222

  Non-volatile memory · CPC title

• G06F2212/282

  Partitioned cache · CPC title