Comprehensive load balancing in a host device through consistent path selection for data copy offload

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored therein program code of one or more software programs, wherein the program code, when executed by at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory, causes said at least one processing device:

• to maintain in a host device a data structure characterizing an ordered arrangement of available initiator-target pairs corresponding to respective paths between the host device and a storage system, the data structure comprising a plurality of entries for respective ones of the initiator-target pairs, a given one of the entries of the data structure for a corresponding one of the initiator-target pairs comprising a first field that includes an identifier of that initiator-target pair and a second field that includes a particular one in a sequence of a plurality of numbers assigned by the host device to respective ones of the initiator-target pairs;
• to obtain a data copy offload command to offload a data copy operation from the host device to the storage system;
• to select a particular path for delivery of the data copy offload command from the host device to the storage system based at least in part on the ordered arrangement of available initiator-target pairs characterized by the data structure, the particular path being selected as a function of (i) one or more of the assigned numbers in respective corresponding instances of the second field of the data structure and (ii) an identifier of the data copy offload command;
• and
• to send the data copy offload command from the host device to the storage system using the selected path.

A method comprising:

• maintaining in a host device a data structure characterizing an ordered arrangement of available initiator-target pairs corresponding to respective paths between the host device and a storage system, the data structure comprising a plurality of entries for respective ones of the initiator-target pairs, a given one of the entries of the data structure for a corresponding one of the initiator-target pairs comprising a first field that includes an identifier of that initiator-target pair and a second field that includes a particular one in a sequence of a plurality of numbers assigned by the host device to respective ones of the initiator-target pairs;
• obtaining a data copy offload command to offload a data copy operation from the host device to the storage system;
• selecting a particular path for delivery of the data copy offload command from the host device to the storage system based at least in part on the ordered arrangement of available initiator-target pairs characterized by the data structure, the particular path being selected as a function of (i) one or more of the assigned numbers in respective corresponding instances of the second field of the data structure and (ii) an identifier of the data copy offload command;
• and
• sending the data copy offload command from the host device to the storage system using the selected path;
• wherein the method is performed by at least one processing device comprising a processor coupled to a memory.