Techniques for managing cores for storage

A data storage apparatus (DSA) comprising:

• network interface circuitry connecting to a remote host over a network;
• persistent storage storing data;
• and
• a plurality of CPU (Central Processing Unit) cores connected to memory, the CPU cores connected to the memory being configured to perform both host I/O (Input/Output) processing and background storage processing and to:
• selectively classify background storage tasks in one of a first classification for longer-running tasks and a second classification for shorter-running tasks;
• select CPU cores that are running fewer than a threshold number of first-classification background storage tasks to process host I/O requests;
• and
• process the host I/O requests on their selected CPU cores.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions, which, when performed by processing circuitry of a data storage apparatus (DSA), cause the DSA to manage CPU (Central Processing Unit) cores configured to perform both host I/O (Input/Output) processing and background storage processing by:

• selectively classifying background storage tasks in one of a first classification for longer-running tasks and a second classification for shorter-running tasks;
• selecting CPU cores that are running fewer than a threshold number of first-classification background storage tasks to process host I/O requests;
• and
• processing the host I/O requests on their selected CPU cores.