Workload-aware thin-provisioning storage-allocation system

A method for workload-aware thin provisioning of a plurality of physical storage volumes comprised by a plurality of shared pools of physical storage, the method comprising:

• identifying, for a first pool of the plurality of shared pools of physical storage, a maximum workload that may be directed to the first pool and a maximum amount of physical storage capacity that may be allocated from the first pool to one or more virtual resources;
• receiving a workload profile and a capacity profile for each volume of the plurality of physical storage volumes,
• where the first pool comprises a first volume of the plurality of physical storage volumes,
• where a first workload profile and a first capacity profile is received for the first volume,
• where the first workload profile comprises time-stamped records that each identify a workload directed to the first volume at a past time, and
• where the first capacity profile comprises time-stamped records that each identify an amount of physical storage capacity allocated from the first volume at a previous time;
• predicting, as a function of the first workload profile and the first capacity profile, a predicted amount of physical storage expected to be allocated from the first volume at a future time t;
• forecasting, as a function of the first workload profile, the first capacity profile, and the predicted amount of physical storage, a forecasted workload expected to be directed to the first volume at the future time t;
• determining that a conflict will occur at the future time t that prevents the forecasted workload from being directed to the first volume at the same time that the predicted amount of physical storage is allocated from the first volume;
• resolving the conflict by directing a set of client computer-storage controllers to move a lowest-cost volume of the plurality of physical storage volumes from the first pool to a second pool of the plurality of shared pools, where the set of client computer-storage controllers.

A computer program product, comprising a computer-readable hardware storage device having a computer-readable program code stored therein, the program code configured to be executed by a storage-allocation system comprising:

• a processor,
• a memory coupled to the processor,
• a computer-readable hardware-storage device coupled to the processor, where the storage device contains program code configured to be run by the processor via the memory to implement a method for workload-aware thin provisioning of a plurality of physical storage volumes, each of which is comprised by one pool of a plurality of shared pools of physical storage, and
• a set of client computer-storage controllers coupled to the processor that are each capable of moving a volume of the plurality of physical storage volumes between two pools of the plurality of shared pools,
• the method comprising:
• identifying, for a first pool of the plurality of shared pools, a maximum workload that may be directed to the first pool and a maximum amount of physical storage capacity that may be allocated from the first pool to one or more virtual resources;
• receiving a workload profile and a capacity profile for each volume of the plurality of physical storage volumes,
• where the first pool comprises a first volume of the plurality of physical storage volumes,
• where a first workload profile and a first capacity profile is received for the first volume,
• where the first workload profile comprises time-stamped records that each identify a workload directed to the first volume at a past time, and
• where the first capacity profile comprises time-stamped records that each identify an amount of physical storage capacity allocated from the first volume at a previous time;
• predicting, as a function of the first workload profile and the first capacity profile, a predicted amount of physical storage expected to be allocated from the first volume at a future time t;
• forecasting, as a function of the first workload profile, the first capacity profile, and the predicted amount of physical storage, a forecasted workload expected to be directed to the first volume at the future time t;
• determining that a conflict will occur at the future time t that prevents the forecasted workload from being directed to the first volume at the same time that the predicted amount of physical storage is allocated from the first volume;
• resolving the conflict by directing the client computer-storage controllers to move a lowest-cost volume of the plurality of physical storage volumes from the first pool to a second pool of the plurality of shared pools.