Transferring storage resources between snapshot storage pools and volume storage pools in a distributed network

A distributed network, comprising:

• one or more computing devices;
• and
• a data storage center in communication with the one or more computing devices, the data storage center comprising:
• one or more data storage devices configured to provide a volume storage pool as data storage resources available for allocation to volumes and snapshots in a data storage system and to provide a snapshot storage pool as data storage resources available for allocation to the volumes and the snapshots, and
• a management module configured to:
• define a volume threshold for the volume storage pool,
• define a snapshot threshold for the snapshot storage pool,
• determine that one of the volume threshold and the snapshot threshold has been crossed,
• in response to determining that the volume threshold has been crossed and that the snapshot threshold has not been crossed:
• temporarily allocate data storage resources from the snapshot storage pool to the volume storage pool in response to determining that the snapshot threshold will not be crossed if the data storage resources are allocated from the snapshot storage pool to the volume storage pool,
• in response to determining that the snapshot threshold has been crossed and that the volume threshold has not been crossed:
• temporarily allocate data storage resources from the volume storage pool to the snapshot storage pool in response to determining that the volume threshold will not be crossed if the data storage resources are allocated from the volume storage pool to the snapshot storage pool, and
• in response to determining that both the volume threshold and the snapshot threshold have been crossed:
• delete one or more volumes from the volume storage pool or deleting one or more snapshots from the snapshot storage pool, and
• allocate data storage resources from the deleted one or more volumes to the snapshot storage pool or allocating data storage resources from the deleted one or more snapshots to the volume storage pool.

A computer software product for operating a distributed network comprising one or more computing devices in communication with a data storage center, the computer software product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium including program instructions recorded therein, which instructions, when read by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

• configure a volume storage pool in the data storage center as data storage resources available for allocation to volumes and snapshots in the distributed network;
• configure a snapshot storage pool as data storage resources available for allocation to the volumes and the snapshots;
• define a volume threshold for the volume storage pool;
• define a snapshot threshold for the snapshot storage pool;
• determine that one of the volume threshold and the snapshot threshold has been crossed;
• in response to determining that the volume threshold has been crossed and that the snapshot threshold has not been crossed:
• temporarily allocate data storage resources from the snapshot storage pool to the volume storage pool in response to determining that the snapshot threshold will not be crossed if the data storage resources are allocated from the snapshot storage pool to the volume storage pool;
• in response to determining that the snapshot threshold has been crossed and that the volume threshold has not been crossed:
• temporarily allocate data storage resources from the volume storage pool to the snapshot storage pool in response to determining that the volume threshold will not be crossed if the data storage resources are allocated from the volume storage pool to the snapshot storage pool;
• and
• in response to determining that both the volume threshold and the snapshot threshold have been crossed:
• delete one or more volumes from the volume storage pool or deleting one or more snapshots from the snapshot storage pool, and
• allocate data storage resources from the deleted one or more volumes to the snapshot storage pool or allocating data storage resources from the deleted one or more snapshots to the volume storage pool.