Efficient alert mechanism for overutilization of storage resources

A method of issuing volume level alerts that provide a warning that indicates an overutilization of storage resources in a computer system comprising:

• providing a plurality of pools of storage disks;
• creating a plurality of logical volumes that are assigned storage space such that at least one volume in at least one pool of said plurality of volumes is assigned space in more than one pool of said plurality of pools;
• identifying a pool combination set which comprises a set of individual pools that are assigned space from at least one volume of said plurality of volumes and individual combinations of pools (combination pools) that are assigned space from at least one volume of said plurality of volumes;
• identifying a most problematic volume for each individual pool and combination pool that comprise said pool combination set by calculating said free space ratio for each volume of said plurality of volumes that is assigned space in each individual pool and combination pool that comprise said pool combination set, comparing said free space ratio for each volume of said plurality of volumes that is assigned space in each individual pool and combination pool that comprise said pool combination set, and selecting a volume of said plurality of volumes that is assigned space in each individual pool and combination pool that comprise said pool combination set having the lowest free space ratio as said most problematic volume for each individual pool and combination pool that comprise said pool combination set;
• recalculating said free space ratio of volumes that are assigned space in individual pools and combination pools in which a most problematic volume is assigned space if said most problematic volume is reduced in size;
• calculating a free space ratio for a new volume when a new volume is created;
• comparing said free space ratio for said new volume to said free space ratio of most problematic volumes that are assigned space in said individual pools and said combination pools in which said new volume is assigned space;
• making said new volume said most problematic volume for any of said individual pools and said combination pools in which said new volume has a lower free space ratio than said most problematic volumes that are assigned space in said individual pools and said combination pools in which said new volume is assigned space;
• calculating said free space ratio for an existing volume that is assigned space in individual pools and combination pools that comprise said pool combination set, if said existing volume is expanded (expanded volume);
• comparing said free space ratio of most problematic volumes that are assigned space in said individual pools and combination pools in which said expanded volume is assigned space;
• making said expanded volume said most problematic volume for any of said individual pools and combination pools in which said expanded volume has a lower free space ratio than said most problematic volumes that are assigned space in said individual pools and said combination pools in which said expanded volume is assigned space;
• creating an alert whenever a most problematic volume has a free space ratio that is less than a predetermined amount.

A computer readable medium that stores a computer program for programming a computer system to perform a method of issuing volume level alerts that provide a warning that indicates an overutilization of storage resources in a computer system comprising:

• providing a plurality of pools of storage disks;
• creating a plurality of logical volumes that are assigned storage space such that each volume of said plurality of volumes is assigned space in only one pool of said plurality of pools;
• determining a most problematic volume of said plurality of logical volumes for each pool of said plurality of pools by calculating a free space ratio for each volume that is assigned space in each pool, said free space ratio being substantially equal to the sum of all of the unallocated space in all of the pools from which each volume is assigned space divided by the size of each volume;
• recalculating said free space ratios of said volumes having space assigned to said predetermined pool if a volume in said predetermined pool is reduced in size, and said volume is said most problematic volume that was previously determined for said predetermined pool;
• comparing said free space ratios of said volumes having space assigned to said predetermined pool to identify said most problematic volume as a volume having the lowest free space ratio;
• calculating said free space ratio for a new volume if said new volume has space assigned to said predetermined pool;
• comparing said free space ratio of said new volume to said free space ratio of said most problematic volume to determine if said new volume is more problematic than said most problematic volume;
• making said new volume said most problematic volume if said new volume has a lower free space ratio than said most problematic volume;
• calculating said free space ratio of an existing volume that is expanded (expanded volume) if said expanded volume has space assigned to said predetermined pool;
• comparing said free space ratio of said expanded volume with said free space ratio of said most problematic volume to determine if said expanded volume is more problematic than said most problematic volume;
• making said expanded volume said most problematic volume if said expanded volume has a lower free space ratio than said most problematic volume;
• creating said alert whenever said most problematic volume for each pool has a free space ratio that is less than a predetermined amount.

A computer readable medium that stores a computer program for programming a computer system to perform a method of issuing volume level alerts that provide a warning that indicates an overutilization of storage resources in a computer system comprising:

• providing a plurality of pools of storage disks;
• creating a plurality of logical volumes that are assigned storage space such that at least one volume in at least one pool of said plurality of volumes is assigned space in more than one pool of said plurality of pools;
• identifying a pool combination set which comprises a set of individual pools that are assigned space from at least one volume of said plurality of volumes and individual combinations of pools (combination pools) that are assigned space from at least one volume of said plurality of volumes;
• identifying a most problematic volume for each individual pool and combination pool that comprise said pool combination set by calculating said free space ratio for each volume of said plurality of volumes that is assigned space in each individual pool and combination pool that comprise said pool combination set, comparing said free space ratio for each volume of said plurality of volumes that is assigned space in each individual pool and combination pool that comprise said pool combination set, and selecting a volume of said plurality of volumes that is assigned space in each individual pool and combination pool that comprise said pool combination set having the lowest free space ratio as said most problematic volume for each individual pool and combination pool that comprise said pool combination set;
• recalculating said free space ratio of volumes that are assigned space in individual pools and combination pools in which a most problematic volume is assigned space if said most problematic volume is reduced in size;
• calculating said free space ratio for a new volume when a new volume is created;
• comparing said free space ratio for said new volume to said free space ratio of most problematic volumes that are assigned space in said individual pools and said combination pools in which said new volume is assigned space;
• making said new volume said most problematic volume for any of said individual pools and said combination pools in which said new volume has a lower free space ratio than said most problematic volumes that are assigned space in said individual pools and said combination pools in which said new volume is assigned space;
• calculating said free space ratio for an existing volume that is assigned space in individual pools and combination pools that comprise said pool combination set, if said existing volume is expanded (expanded volume);
• comparing said free space ratio of most problematic volumes that are assigned space in said individual pools and combination pools in which said expanded volume is assigned space;
• making said expanded volume said most problematic volume for any of said individual pools and combination pools in which said expanded volume has a lower free space ratio than said most problematic volumes that are assigned space in said individual pools and said combination pools in which said expanded volume is assigned space;
• creating an alert whenever a most problematic volume has a free space ratio that is less than a predetermined amount.

A computer system that is programmed to perform a method of issuing volume level alerts that provide a warning that indicates an overutilization of storage resources in a computer system comprising:

• providing a plurality of pools of storage disks;
• creating a plurality of logical volumes that are assigned storage space such that at least one volume in at least one pool of said plurality of volumes is assigned space in more than one pool of said plurality of pools;
• identifying a pool combination set which comprises a set of individual pools that are assigned space from at least one volume of said plurality of volumes and individual combinations of pools (combination pools) that are assigned space from at least one volume of said plurality of volumes;
• identifying a most problematic volume for each individual pool and combination pool that comprise said pool combination set by calculating said free space ratio for each volume of said plurality of volumes that is assigned space in each individual pool and combination pool that comprise said pool combination set, comparing said free space ratio for each volume of said plurality of volumes that is assigned space in each individual pool and combination pool that comprise said pool combination set, and selecting a volume of said plurality of volumes that is assigned space in each individual pool and combination pool that comprise said pool combination set having the lowest free space ratio as said most problematic volume for each individual pool and combination pool that comprise said pool combination set;
• recalculating said free space ratio of volumes that are assigned space in individual pools and combination pools in which a most problematic volume is assigned space if said most problematic volume is reduced in size;
• calculating said free space ratio for a new volume when a new volume is created;
• comparing said free space ratio for said new volume to said free space ratio of most problematic volumes that are assigned space in said individual pools and said combination pools in which said new volume is assigned space;
• making said new volume said most problematic volume for any of said individual pools and said combination pools in which said new volume has a lower free space ratio than said most problematic volumes that are assigned space in said individual pools and said combination pools in which said new volume is assigned space;
• calculating said free space ratio for an existing volume that is assigned space in individual pools and combination pools that comprise said pool combination set, if said existing volume is expanded (expanded volume);
• comparing said free space ratio of most problematic volumes that are assigned space in said individual pools and combination pools in which said expanded volume is assigned space;
• making said expanded volume said most problematic volume for any of said individual pools and combination pools in which said expanded volume has a lower free space ratio than said most problematic volumes that are assigned space in said individual pools and said combination pools in which said expanded volume is assigned space;
• creating an alert whenever a most problematic volume has a free space ratio that is less than a predetermined amount.

An electrical signal that contains instructions for programming a computer to perform a method of issuing volume level alerts that provide a warning that indicates an overutilization of storage resources in a computer system comprising:

• providing a plurality of pools of storage disks;
• creating a plurality of logical volumes that are assigned storage space such that at least one volume in at least one pool of said plurality of volumes is assigned space in more than one pool of said plurality of pools;
• identifying a pool combination set which comprises a set of individual pools that are assigned space from at least one volume of said plurality of volumes and individual combinations of pools (combination pools) that are assigned space from at least one volume of said plurality of volumes;
• identifying a most problematic volume for each individual pool and combination pool that comprise said pool combination set by calculating said free space ratio for each volume of said plurality of volumes that is assigned space in each individual pool and combination pool that comprise said pool combination set, comparing said free space ratio for each volume of said plurality of volumes that is assigned space in each individual pool and combination pool that comprise said pool combination set, and selecting a volume of said plurality of volumes that is assigned space in each individual pool and combination pool that comprise said pool combination set having the lowest free space ratio as said most problematic volume for each individual pool and combination pool that comprise said pool combination set;
• recalculating said free space ratio of volumes that are assigned space in individual pools and combination pools in which a most problematic volume is assigned space if said most problematic volume is reduced in size;
• calculating said free space ratio for a new volume when a new volume is created;
• comparing said free space ratio for said new volume to said free space ratio of most problematic volumes that are assigned space in said individual pools and said combination pools in which said new volume is assigned space;
• making said new volume said most problematic volume for any of said individual pools and said combination pools in which said new volume has a lower free space ratio than said most problematic volumes that are assigned space in said individual pools and said combination pools in which said new volume is assigned space;
• calculating said free space ratio for an existing volume that is assigned space in individual pools and combination pools that comprise said pool combination set, if said existing volume is expanded (expanded volume);
• comparing said free space ratio of most problematic volumes that are assigned space in said individual pools and combination pools in which said expanded volume is assigned space;
• making said expanded volume said most problematic volume for any of said individual pools and combination pools in which said expanded volume has a lower free space ratio than said most problematic volumes that are assigned space in said individual pools and said combination pools in which said expanded volume is assigned space;
• creating an alert whenever a most problematic volume has a free space ratio that is less than a predetermined amount.