Multipath load balancing optimizations for alua storage systems

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer software executable by a processor of a computer system, the computer software embodying a method for performing I/O load balancing, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a computer system, I/O requests destined for a storage array, the computer system being communicatively coupled with the storage array via a plurality of paths, the plurality of paths including a set of optimized paths and a set of unoptimized paths;
• determining, by the computer system, whether the I/O requests can be load balanced across both the set of optimized paths and the set of unoptimized paths, or can solely be load balanced across the set of optimized paths;
• and
• for each I/O request:
• selecting, by the computer system, a path in the plurality of paths based on the determining;
• and
• transmitting, by the computer system, the I/O request to the storage array via the selected path.

A system for performing I/O load balancing, the system comprising:

• a processor;
• a plurality of host bus adapters (HBAs) that communicatively couple the system with a storage array via a plurality of paths, the plurality of paths including a set of optimized paths and a set of unoptimized paths;
• and
• a data store having stored thereon executable program code which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:
• receive I/O requests destined for the storage array;
• determine whether the I/O requests can be load balanced across both the set of optimized paths and the set of unoptimized paths, or can solely be load balanced across the set of optimized paths;
• and
• for each I/O request:
• select a path in the plurality of paths based on the determining;
• and
• transmit the I/O request to the storage array via the selected path.