Managing data storage devices for spontaneous de-staging of cache

A data storage system comprising:

• a plurality of physical storage devices, wherein each of the plurality of physical storage devices has a pre-defined threshold amount of consumed storage space before the physical storage device enters in a background task mode;
• a cache for temporarily storing data corresponding to the plurality of physical storage devices;
• one or more processors;
• and
• a memory comprising code stored thereon that, when executed, performs a method comprising:
• determining a cumulative amount of storage space to be available on the plurality of physical storage devices in case of a spontaneous de-staging of the cache;
• for one or more of the plurality of physical storage devices, determining an apportioned amount of the cumulative amount for the respective physical storage device to have available for storing data in case of a spontaneous de-staging of the cache;
• for each of the one or more physical storage devices, determining a threshold amount of storage space to be consumed on the physical storage space before the physical storage device enters into a background task mode, the threshold amount based at least in part on the respective determined apportioned amount for the physical device, wherein, for at least a first of the one or more physical storage devices, the determined threshold amount is different than the pre-defined threshold amount for the at least first storage device;
• and
• controlling the at least first physical storage devices to consume the determined threshold amount before entering into the background task mode.

One or more computer-readable media having software stored thereon for a storage system including a plurality of physical storage devices and a cache for temporarily storing data corresponding to the plurality of physical storage devices, wherein each of the plurality of physical storage devices has a pre-defined threshold amount of consumed storage space before the physical storage device enters in a background task mode, the software comprising:

• executable code that determines a cumulative amount of storage space to be available on the plurality of physical storage devices in case of a spontaneous de-staging of the cache;
• executable code that, for one or more of the plurality of physical storage devices, determines an apportioned amount of the cumulative amount for the respective physical storage device to have available for storing data in case of a spontaneous de-staging of the cache;
• executable code that, for each of the one or more physical storage devices, determines a threshold amount of storage space to be consumed on the physical storage space before the physical storage device enters into a background task mode, the threshold amount based at least in part on the respective determined apportioned amount for the physical device, wherein, for at least a first of the one or more physical storage devices, the determined threshold amount is different than the pre-defined threshold amount for the at least first storage device;
• and
• executable code that controls the at least first physical storage devices to consume the determined threshold amount before entering into the background task mode.