Sizing a write cache buffer based on emergency data save parameters

A computer program product for allocating a write cache on a storage controller, the computer program product comprising:

• a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor of the storage controller to cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
• retrieving, at run-time by the processor of the storage controller, one or more operating parameters of a transfer logic residing on an application specific circuit (ASIC), the one or more operating parameters including an instance-specific process speed of the transfer logic, wherein
• the instance-specific process speed is retrieved as bin data,
• the transfer logic is configured to copy, upon power loss, contents of a write cache in a volatile memory to a non-volatile storage, and
• the storage controller includes the volatile memory, the non-volatile storage, the ASIC, the instruction memory, and the processor;
• determining a voltage of the transfer logic based on the instance-specific process speed of the transfer logic;
• calculating an energy consumption rate of the transfer logic during the copy upon power loss, wherein the calculating is based on the voltage, a current temperature of the transfer logic and the one or more operating parameters that are obtained at run-time;
• determining a size for the write cache in the volatile memory, based on the energy consumption rate and an amount of energy in an energy storage element that powers the power-loss save;
• and
• allocating the write cache, of the determined size, from the volatile memory.