Publishing configuration patterns for storage resources and storage performance models from client systems to share with client systems in a network computing environment

#The present invention relates to a computer program product, system, and method for publishing configuration patterns for storage resources and storage performance models from client systems to share with client systems in a network computing environment.

#Cloud computing and software defined environments often utilize the Software As Service (SaaS) software distribution model where applications are hosted by a service provider and made available to service consumers over the network. In a typical multi-tenant SaaS architecture, data from multiple companies is stored on a single service provider instance, usually separated by a tenancy partition to prevent the visibility of data from one tenant to another. Standardized logical tenancy partitions are established for the different tenants housed on the same service provider instance. In such a model, service provider application resources (such as repository/database instance(s), application server instance(s)) are multiplexed and used. However, the storage devices used by the tenants are separately managed so that the tenants have separate storage resources to store their data, which may be confidential and cannot be shared.

#Provided are a method, system and program for publishing configuration patterns for storage resources and storage performance models from client systems to share with client systems in a network computing environment. A determination is made of a configuration pattern of storage resources within the client computing environment and storage performance metrics for the configuration pattern of storage resources within the client. At least one storage performance model is created based on the determined storage performance metrics. Information on the at least one storage performance model and the configuration pattern of the storage resources for which the storage performance metrics were determined are published to the service provider.

#FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a client computing environment.

#FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of components of a client computing environment.

#FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of components of a service provider.

#Described embodiments provide techniques for allowing client systems or computing environments to publish information on their storage configuration patterns of storage resources and a storage performance model providing a model of the performance of the storage configuration pattern with a central service provider. The central service provider may then make the published storage configurations and storage performance models available to other client systems to access when they deploy similar storage configuration patterns. The clients may want to obtain a storage performance model for a similar published storage configuration pattern to use to determine how to deploy storage resources. This allows clients to share storage performance models from other clients in the system, which may be sharing a same software service. By sharing the published configuration patterns, a client does not have to construct the storage performance model for a newly deployed storage configuration pattern for which the client does not have information.

#FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a network service provider environment 100, such as a cloud computing environment, having one or more client computing environments 2001, 2002 . . . 200n and a central service provider 300 that communicate over a network 102. Each client computing environment 2001, 2002 . . . 200n has storage resources configured for use with a software service managed by the service provider 300. In one embodiment, the service provider 300 may provide a software as a service (SaaS) architecture to the clients 2001, 2002 . . . 200n, which may comprise tenants that receive the software service from the service provider 300. For instance, in a multi-tenant architecture, the service provider 300 provides every tenant/client a dedicated share of the instance including its data, configuration, user management, tenant individual functionality and non-functional properties. In an alternative embodiment, the service provider 300 may implement a multi-instance architecture where separate software service instances operate on behalf of the different tenants 2001, 2002 . . . 200n. Although each client 2001, 2002 . . . 200n may receive the software services from the service provider 300, each client 2001, 2002 . . . 200n maintains separate storage resources for use in the environment 100.

#The network 102 may comprise a Storage Area Network (SAN), Local Area Network (LAN), Intranet, the Internet, Wide Area Network (WAN), peer-to-peer network, wireless network, arbitrated loop network, etc.