# US 7,275,097 B2 · System and method for analyzing input/output activity on local attached storage > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,275,097 B2 - Document ID: US7275097B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/369,675 - Filed: 2003-02-21 - Published: 2004-02-05 - Granted: 2007-09-25 - Earliest claimed: 2002-02-21 - Assignees: Precise Software Solutions, Inc. - Inventors: William Peake, Jr.; Colleen McLaughlin; Daniel B. Kyler - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7275097B2 ## CPC - G06F 11/3485: {for I/O devices} - G06F 2201/81: Threshold - Y10S 707/99931: Database or file accessing - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A system, method and computer program product for analyzing file I/O activity on local attached storage devices within a computer network is provided. In an embodiment, a software agent executes on one or more servers within the network, and monitors the I/O activity on the network's local attached storage (e.g., SAN, NAS, and IDE and SCSI disks). A management interface is also provided for monitoring I/O activity-related data and for receiving reports on such I/O activity. In an embodiment, collected I/O-related data and any predefined I/O metrics are stored in a central repository (e.g., a relational database). The system, method and computer program product provide accurate metrics to assists system administrators in deciding, justifying and validating resource purchases for and allocations within the network. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: identifying a critical threshold of a file I/O metric associated with a managed object; establishing a baseline level of I/O performance associated with the file I/O metric, wherein said critical threshold is defined relative to the baseline level; collecting a plurality of values of the file I/O metric, wherein each value of the plurality of values is collected over a specified time interval; determining, using at least the plurality of values of the file I/O metric, a time period after which the file I/O metric is expected to reach the critical threshold; and providing a report indicating the determined time period. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file open operations, wherein the method further comprises: classifying the file open operations into a plurality of categories, including a first category of file open operations that resulted in a file creation and a second category of file open operations that resulted in an overwrite of an existing file. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the plurality of categories includes a third category of file open operations that resulted in an existing file being superseded. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file truncate operations. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file extend operations. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file compression operations. ### Claim 7 A system, comprising: a processor; and memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory includes program instructions executable by the processor to implement an I/O analyzer configured to: identify a critical threshold of a file I/O metric associated with a managed object; establish a baseline level of I/O performance associated with the file I/O metric, wherein said critical threshold is defined relative to the baseline level; collect a plurality of values of the file I/O metric, wherein each value of the plurality of values is collected over a specified time interval; determine, using at least the plurality of values of the file I/O metric, a time period after which the file I/O metric is expected to reach the critical threshold; and providing a report indicating the determined time period. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file open operations, wherein the I/O analyzer is further configured to: classify the file open operations into a plurality of categories, including a first category of file open operations that resulted in a file creation and a second category of file open operations that resulted in an overwrite of an existing file. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the plurality of categories includes a third category of file open operations that resulted in an existing file being superseded. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file truncate operations. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file extend operations. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file compression operations. ### Claim 13 A computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions, wherein the instructions are computer-executable to implement an I/O analyzer configured to: identify a critical threshold of a file I/O metric associated with a managed object; establish a baseline level of I/O performance associated with the file I/O metric, wherein said critical threshold is defined relative to the baseline level; collect a plurality of values of the file I/O metric, wherein each value of the plurality of values is collected over a specified time interval; and determine, using at least the plurality of values of the file I/O metric, a time period after which the file I/O metric is expected to reach the critical threshold; and provide a report indicating the determined time period. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file open operations, wherein the I/O analyzer is further configured to: classify the file open operations into a plurality of categories, including a first category of file open operations that resulted in a file creation and a second category of file open operations that resulted in an overwrite of an existing file. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the plurality of categories includes a third category of file open operations that resulted in an existing file being superseded. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file truncate operations. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file extend operations. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the file I/O metric comprises a number of file compression operations.