US 9,542,326 B1Granted

Managing tiering in cache-based systems

AssigneeEMC IP Holding Company LLC

InventorsDean D. Throop, Dennis T. Duprey

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Abstract

A method and a system for use in managing tiering in a cache-based system is disclosed wherein the cache-based system comprises a first data storage tier and a second data storage tier configured such that the performance characteristics associated with one of the tiers is superior to the performance characteristics associated with the other tier. In at least one embodiment the method and system comprises collecting a first set of I/O activity data for at least one data unit located in a cache, wherein the at least one data unit is associated with a data group located on the first data storage tier; collecting a second set of I/O activity data for the data group located on the first data storage tier; analyzing the first and second set of I/O activity data; and based on the analysis and the performance characteristics associated with the second data storage tier, determining whether the data group should be migrated to the second data storage tier.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method for use in managing tiering in a cache-based system, wherein the cache-based system comprises a first data storage tier and a second data storage tier configured such that the performance characteristics associated with the second tier is superior to the performance characteristics associated with the first tier, further wherein the cache-based system comprises a cache separate to the first and second tiers, still further wherein a data group is stored on the first data storage tier and additionally comprises a number of data units associated with the data group that are stored in cache and the first data storage tier, the method comprising:

collecting cache activity data in connection with the number of data units stored in the cache;
collecting non-cache activity data in connection with the data group stored on the first data storage tier, wherein the data group stored on the first data storage tier comprises a plurality of data units including the number of data units that are stored in cache and the first data storage tier;
determining a temperature of the data group based on the cache activity data in combination with the non-cache activity data, wherein the cache activity data relates to activity in connection with the number of data units stored in the cache, further wherein the non-cache activity relates to activity in connection with the data group stored on the first data storage tier;
and
based on the determined temperature of the data group, the number of data units stored in cache that are associated with the data group and the performance characteristics associated with the second data storage tier, determining to migrate the data group from the first data storage tier to the second data storage tier.

2 more elements

A system for use in managing tiering in a cache-based system, wherein the cache-based system comprises a first data storage tier and a second data storage tier configured such that the performance characteristics associated with the second tier is superior to the performance characteristics associated with the first tier, further wherein the cache-based system comprises a cache separate to the first and second tiers, still further wherein a data group is stored on the first data storage tier and additionally comprises a number of data units associated with the data group that are stored in cache and the first data storage tier, the system comprising:

first logic collecting cache activity data in connection with the number of data units stored in the cache;
second logic collecting non-cache activity data in connection with the data group stored on the first data storage tier, wherein the data group stored on the first data storage tier comprises a plurality of data units including the number of data units that are stored in cache and the first data storage tier;
third logic determining a temperature of the data group based on the cache activity data in combination with the non-cache activity data, wherein the cache activity data relates to activity in connection with the number of data units stored in the cache, further wherein the non-cache activity relates to activity in connection with the data group stored on the first data storage tier;
and
based on the determined temperature of the data group, the number of data units stored in cache that are associated with the data group and the performance characteristics associated with the second data storage tier, fourth logic determining to migrate the data group from the first data storage tier to the second data storage tier.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.