Capacity forecasting based on capacity policies and transactions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9965190-B2
Application number	US-201615194458-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2016
Priority date	Nov 1, 2013
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a system and technique for capacity forecasting is disclosed. The system includes a host having a processor unit and a memory. Resource data stored associated with an environment is stored in the memory, the resource data comprising inventory information of applications, processing resources and storage resources of the environment. A ledger module is executable by a processor unit to: create a capacity-associated transaction; identify and link at least one of an application, processing resource and storage resource to the transaction from the resource data; determine an initiation time and duration associated with the transaction; and forecast a change in capacity of at least one linked storage resource for the transaction and a time of the change in capacity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a host having a processor unit and a memory;
resource data associated with a computing environment stored in the memory, the resource data comprising inventory information of storage resources of the computing environment; and
a ledger module executable by a processor unit to:
create a capacity-associated parent transaction;
identify and link at least one storage resource to the parent transaction from the resource data;
automatically determine, based on a type of the parent transaction, whether to create a first triggered transaction;
responsive to the type of the parent transaction meeting a defined transaction type, automatically create the first triggered transaction; and
automatically determine, based on a type of the first triggered transaction, whether to create a second triggered transaction;
responsive to the type of the first triggered transaction meeting a defined transaction type, automatically create the second triggered transaction; and
forecast a change in capacity of the at least one linked storage resource for the parent transaction, first triggered transaction, and second triggered transactions.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ledger module is operable to define the first triggered transaction to control a start time of the first triggered transaction relative to the parent transaction; and
wherein the ledger module is operable to define the second triggered transaction to control a start time of the second triggered transaction relative to the first triggered transaction.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ledger module is operable to:
access policy data indicating policy-based transactions affecting storage capacity;
schedule capacity-associated transactions based on the policy data;
identify and link storage resources to the policy-based transactions; and
forecast changes in capacity for the linked storage resources based on the policy-based transactions.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ledger module is operable to receive an indication of an actual change in capacity for the at least one linked storage resource in response to a completion of the parent transaction, first triggered transaction, and second triggered transactions.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ledger module is operable to forecast an increase in capacity and a corresponding decrease in capacity in at least one other storage device resulting from the parent transaction, first triggered transaction, and second triggered transactions.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ledger module is operable to display an interface enabling a user to prioritize desired capacity-associated transactions, the ledger module operable to forecast changes in capacities of storage resources according to the prioritizations.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ledger module is operable to forecast at least one of an application, a processing resource and a storage resource available for decommissioning based on the parent transaction, first triggered transaction, and second triggered transactions.

8. A computer program product for capacity forecasting for a computing environment, the computing environment having resource data comprising inventory information of storage resources of the computing environment, the computer program product comprising: a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising computer readable program code configured to:
create a capacity-associated parent transaction;
identify and link at least one storage resource to the parent transaction from the resource data;
automatically determine, based on a type of the parent transaction, whether to create a first triggered transaction;
responsive to the type of the parent transaction meeting a defined transaction type, automatically create the first triggered transaction; and
automatically determine, based on a type of the first triggered transaction, whether to create a second triggered transaction;
responsive to the type of the first triggered transaction meeting a defined transaction type, automatically create the second triggered transaction; and
forecast a change in capacity of the at least one linked storage resource for the parent transaction, first triggered transaction, and second triggered transactions.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the computer readable program code is configured to define the first triggered transaction to control a start time of the first triggered transaction relative to the parent transaction; and
wherein the ledger module is operable to define the second triggered transaction to control a start time of the second triggered transaction relative to the first triggered transaction.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the computer readable program code is configured to:
access policy data indicating policy-based transactions affecting storage capacity;
schedule capacity-associated transactions based on the policy data;
identify and link storage resources to the policy-based transactions; and
forecast changes in capacity for the linked storage resources based on the policy-based transactions.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the computer readable program code is configured to:
create the parent transaction based on an input via a user interface; and
receive an indication as to whether to apply a filter to the transaction for a capacity forecast.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the computer readable program code is configured to forecast an increase in capacity and a corresponding decrease in capacity in at least one other storage device resulting from the parent transaction, first triggered transaction, and second triggered transactions.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the computer readable program code is configured to display an interface enabling a user to prioritize desired capacity-associated transactions, the ledger module operable to forecast changes in capacities of storage resources according to the prioritizations.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the computer readable program code is configured to receive an indication of an actual change in capacity for the at least one linked storage resource in response to a completion of parent transaction, first triggered transaction, and second triggered transactions.

15. A system, comprising:
a host having a processor unit and a memory;
resource data associated with first and second computing environments stored in the memory, the resource data comprising inventory information of storage resources of the first and second computing environments; and
a ledger module executable by a processor unit to:
create a capacity-associated transaction associated with the first computing environment;
identify and link a storage resource of the first computing environment to the transaction from the resource data;
determine, based on a type of the transaction, whether to create a first triggered transaction;
responsive to the type of the transaction associated with the first computing environment meeting a defined transaction type, automatically create the first triggered transaction for the second computing environment;
determine, based on a type of the first triggered transaction, whether to create a second triggered transaction;
responsive to the type of the first triggered transaction associated with the second computing environment meeting a defined transaction type, automatic

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Cheng Sonia
• Hurwitch Pamela H
• Kisin Roman
• Oswal Anirudh
• Paknad Deidre
• Simpson Irina

Classifications

• G06F11/3419

  by assessing time · CPC title

• G06F3/0619

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

• G06F9/466

  Transaction processing · CPC title

• H04L67/1097

  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] · CPC title

• G06F12/02

  Addressing or allocation; Relocation (program address sequencing G06F9/00; arrangements for selecting an address in a digital store G11C8/00) · CPC title