Data compression algorithm selection and tiering

A data storage subsystem, comprising:

• data storage;
• a plurality of data compression engines configured to compress data, each having a different compression algorithm, said compression engines arranged in a plurality of tiers from low to high in accordance with expected latency to compress data and to uncompress compressed data;
• at least one input configured to receive data to be compressed and stored by said data storage;
• and
• at least one data handling system configured to perform steps comprising:
• determining a present rate of access to data;
• selecting at least one sample of said data;
• determining the greatest degree of compression of said data compression engines with respect to said selected at least one sample;
• compressing said selected at least one sample with a plurality of said data compression engines at said selected tier;
• operating said selected data compression engines with respect to said selected at least one sample and determining the greatest degree of compression of said data compression engines from said operation of said data compression engines with respect to said selected at least one sample;
• compressing said data from which said at least one sample was selected with the one of said operated data compression engines determines to have said greatest degree of compression with respect to said selected at least one sample;
• and
• storing said compressed data in data storage repositories associated with the data compression engine employed to compress said data.

A computer program product for storing data, said computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code, wherein said computer readable program code, when executed on a computer processing system, causes said computer processing system to:

• determine a present rate of access to data;
• select at least one sample of said data;
• determine the greatest degree of compression of said data compression engines with respect to said selected at least one sample;
• compress said selected at least one sample with a plurality of said data compression engines at said selected tier;
• operate said selected data compression engines with respect to said selected at least one sample and determining the greatest degree of compression of said data compression engines from said operation of said data compression engines with respect to said selected at least one sample;
• compress said data from which said at least one sample was selected with the one of said operated data compression engines determines to have said greatest degree of compression with respect to said selected at least one sample;
• and
• store said compressed data in data storage repositories associated with the data compression engine employed to compress said data.