Complete storage area capacity expansion method, storage medium and data storage device

Abstract

The invention discloses a complete storage area capacity expansion method, a storage medium and a data storage device. The method comprises the steps that a complete storage area is arranged in a storage pool of the data storage device, and the storage pool comprises the storage space of at least one storage unit of the data storage device; and estimating the increment of the usage amount of the complete storage area in a preset future time period according to a plurality of historical usage amounts of the complete storage area at a plurality of different time points in the past, so as to expand the capacity of the complete storage area when the increment is greater than the residual capacity of the complete storage area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a data storage technology for a thick volume in a storage pool of a data storage device, and more particularly to a method for expanding the capacity of the thick volume and a corresponding computer-readable storage medium and data storage device. Background Art

[0002] Today's network attached storage (NAS) may have at least one hard disk. The storage space of the hard disk may form at least one storage pool, and the storage space of each storage pool may be divided into at least one storage area (volume), and a file system may be installed in each storage area for storing directories and files.

[0003] If a NAS user needs a storage area, he can register a new storage area in the NAS management interface. Storage areas can be divided into two types, namely thin volumes and thick volumes.

[0004] A thin storage area will not be fully allocated with the capacity specified by the user at the time of registration. Instead, a portion of the capacity will be allocated first, and more capacity will be allocated when needed. The upper limit is the capacity specified by the user when registering the thin storage area. It is possible that the remaining space in the storage pool to which it belongs is occupied by other storage areas, and the entire specified capacity cannot be used. In contrast, a full storage area will be fully allocated with the capacity specified by the user at once at the time of registration, and will not have the above-mentioned problems of a thin storage area.

[0005] The existing full storage area is static, and its capacity will not change after registration, and the size of the capacity will affect the storage pool space that can be configured for other storage areas or snapshots. If over-subscription on thin storage areas is used, when the remaining space in the storage pool is used up, the write operation of the file system on the thin storage area must be suspended and will not continue until the storage pool releases enough space. When this happens, it may cause application errors or unexpected reactions. Summary of the invention

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a method for expanding the capacity of a complete storage area, comprising: setting a complete storage area in a storage pool of a data storage device, wherein the storage pool includes the storage space of at least one storage unit of the data storage device; and estimating the increase in usage of the complete storage area in a preset future time period based on multiple historical usages of the complete storage area at multiple different time points in the past, so as to expand the capacity of the complete storage area when the increase is greater than the remaining capacity of the complete storage area.

[0007] The present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which are read by a data storage device to execute the above-mentioned complete storage area capacity expansion method.

[0008] The present invention further provides a data storage device, comprising: at least one storage unit for storing data, wherein the storage space of the at least one storage unit constitutes at least one storage pool; and a processor for executing the above-mentioned complete storage area capacity expansion method on the at least one storage pool.

[0009] The present invention proposes a dynamic capacity expansion mechanism constructed on a complete storage area, which can automatically expand the capacity of the complete storage area according to the file system usage in the complete storage area, and is suitable for application scenarios where the complete storage area needs to be used flexibly without over-subscribing the storage pool space. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 A schematic block diagram of a data storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 2 FIG. 4 is a schematic flow chart of a method for expanding the capacity of a complete storage area according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 3 and Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of capacity expansion of a complete storage area and a file system therein according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 5 and Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of capacity expansion of a complete storage area according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Main component symbols

[0015] 10 Data storage device

[0016] 11 Processor

[0017] 12 Memory

[0018] 13 Storage Unit

[0019] Steps 21-25

[0020] 31 Storage Pool

[0021] 32 Full storage area

[0022] 33 File System

[0023] 51 Threshold

[0024] 52 Usage

[0025] 60 Expansion

[0026] 61 Threshold. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The following describes the implementation of the present invention through specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification.

[0028] Figure 1 1 is a schematic block diagram of a data storage device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the data storage device 10 may be a network attached storage (NAS), or a computer or server for storing data. In addition, the data storage device 10 includes a processor 11, a memory 12, and at least one storage unit 13. Furthermore, the processor 11 is electrically connected to the memory 12 and the storage unit 13.

[0029] The storage unit 13 is used to store data. Each storage unit 13 can be a non-volatile physical storage device such as a traditional hard disk, a solid state disk or a tape drive. The storage space of all storage units 13 can form at least one storage pool, and each storage pool can include the storage space of one or more storage units 13. In addition, the storage space of each storage pool can be divided into one or more storage areas, and a file system can be installed in each storage area for storing directories and files. As mentioned above, the storage area can be divided into two types, namely, a streamlined storage area and a full storage area.

[0030] The processor 11 can be used to perform the following operations on the storage pool or the complete storage area therein: Figure 2 The complete storage area capacity expansion method shown in the figure, and the memory 12 can be used to temporarily store the data required or generated when the processor 11 executes the complete storage area capacity expansion method.

[0031] The following instructions Figure 2 A schematic flow chart of a complete storage area capacity expansion method.

[0032] First, the method for expanding the capacity of a full storage area of ​​the present invention is only applicable to full storage areas, but not to thin storage areas. When the user of the data storage device 10 needs a new full storage area, he can register a new full storage area with the management interface of the data storage device 10 .

[0033] In step 21 , the processor 11 sets the complete storage area in a storage pool of the data storage device 10 according to the user's requirements.

[0034] In step 22, the usage of the complete storage area is checked. In one embodiment, the usage refers to the usage of the file system in the complete storage area, that is, the capacity of the complete storage area that has been used by the file system to store data such as directories and files. In different embodiments, the usage can be current or past usage.

[0035] In step 23, based on the usage checked above, it is determined whether the capacity of the complete storage area needs to be expanded (details will be described later). If expansion is not necessary, the process returns to step 22. Otherwise, if expansion is necessary, the process proceeds to step 24.

[0036] In step 24, the capacity of the complete storage area is expanded (details will be described later).

[0037] Then, in step 25, the file system installed in the complete storage area is made to manage the capacity increased by the above expansion of the complete storage area.

[0038] For example, Figure 3 As shown, a storage pool 31 is provided in the storage space of the storage unit 13 of the data storage device 10, a complete storage area 32 is provided in the storage pool 31, and a file system 33 is installed in the complete storage area 32. Figure 2 In step 23, the processor 11 determines that the capacity of the complete storage area 32 needs to be expanded, so Figure 4 As shown, the processor 11 expands the capacity of the complete storage area 32 and enables the file system 33 to manage the newly added capacity of the complete storage area 32 .

[0039] By this mechanism, the present invention can realize a full storage area and a file system with dynamic capacity, which is different from the traditional thin storage area. Specifically, the capacity of the traditional thin storage area after expansion can only be less than or equal to the capacity specified by the user when setting the thin storage area, while the capacity of the full storage area 32 after expansion will be greater than the capacity specified by the user when setting the full storage area 32 in the storage pool 31.

[0040] Five embodiments are given below to illustrate Figure 2 Various implementations of steps 22 to 24 in .

[0041] In the first embodiment, the usage checked in step 22 is the current usage of the complete storage area. When the usage is greater than a threshold set by the user, it is determined in step 23 that the capacity of the complete storage area needs to be expanded, otherwise it is determined in step 23 that the capacity does not need to be expanded, wherein the threshold can be set as a preset ratio of the capacity of the complete storage area, such as 50%.

[0042] When the capacity of the complete storage area is expanded in step 24, the capacity can be expanded by 1GB or multiples of 1GB, and the expansion amount can be adjusted by the user. Afterwards, when the usage of the complete storage area is greater than the threshold again, step 24 can be executed again to expand the capacity of the complete storage area until the expansion limit is reached or the storage space of the storage pool to which the complete storage area belongs is exhausted.

[0043] Preferably, each time the capacity is expanded in step 24, the threshold value recalculated after the expansion should be greater than or equal to the current usage of the complete storage area.

[0044] For example Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 5 , the current usage 52 of the complete storage area 32 has reached the threshold 51 set by the user. When the usage 52 increases and exceeds the threshold 51, the capacity of the complete storage area 32 needs to be expanded. Figure 6 As shown, its capacity is increased by an expansion amount 60 , and the threshold value 61 after expansion is greater than the current usage 52 .

[0045] In the second to fourth embodiments below, Figure 2 Step 22 in the method estimates the increase in usage of the complete storage area in a preset future period based on multiple historical usages of the complete storage area at multiple different time points in a preset historical period, such as multiple historical usages monitored every day or every hour in the preset historical period, and then compares the increase with the remaining capacity of the complete storage area in step 23. If the increase is greater than the remaining capacity, the capacity of the complete storage area is expanded in step 24, otherwise the capacity of the complete storage area is not expanded. Preferably, the remaining capacity of the complete storage area after the expansion should be greater than or equal to the increase.

[0046] In the second embodiment, the increase may be a multiple of the difference between the highest usage and the lowest usage of the complete storage area in the preset historical period, wherein the highest usage and the lowest usage are respectively the highest usage and the lowest usage among the multiple historical usages in the preset historical period.

[0047] In a third embodiment, the increase may be a multiple of the difference between the average usage of the complete storage area in the preset historical period and the minimum usage. The average usage is the average usage of multiple historical usages in the preset historical period.

[0048] In a fourth embodiment, the increase may be a multiple of the difference between the first day usage and the last day usage of the complete storage area in the preset historical period, wherein the difference may be taken as an absolute value to ensure that it is a positive number.

[0049] For example, the preset historical period may be the past 3 days, the past 5 days or the past 7 days, and the preset future period may be the next 3 days, the next 7 days or the next 10 days, and accordingly, the multiple may be 2 to 10 times. The time lengths of the preset historical period and the preset future period may be adjusted by the user, and the multiple may also be adjusted by the user to have equivalent properties, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0050] In the fifth embodiment, Figure 2 Step 22 in the method is to check the increase in usage of the complete storage area within a preset historical period, and step 23 is to compare the increase with a threshold value set by the user. If the increase is greater than the threshold, the capacity of the complete storage area is expanded in step 24, otherwise the capacity of the complete storage area is not expanded. For example, when expansion is required, the expansion amount of the capacity of the complete storage area may be a multiple of the increase, and / or, the remaining capacity of the complete storage area after the expansion may be greater than or equal to the increase. The preset historical period may be the past 7 days, the past 5 days, the past 5 working days, the past 1 day or the past 1 hour, and the preset historical period may allow the user to set it by himself to have equivalent properties, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0051] The present invention further provides a computer-readable storage medium, such as a memory, a tape, a disk, or an optical disk. The computer-readable storage medium can be used to store instructions, and the instructions can be read by the above-mentioned data storage device to execute the above-mentioned complete storage area capacity expansion method. In one embodiment, the computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[0052] The present invention provides a full storage area capable of dynamically expanding capacity and a file system installed therein, which has at least the following advantages compared with a traditional static full storage area (static thick volume) and an over-subscription on thin volume.

[0053] Flexibility: Dynamic file systems offer greater flexibility than static file systems. They allow storage pool space to be easily and efficiently reconfigured based on changing needs. With dynamic full storage, administrators can instantly resize file system capacity without interrupting file system operations, and the capacity can be expanded to a size greater than the capacity specified by the user when setting up the full storage.

[0054] Efficient space utilization: Dynamic file systems can expand the capacity of full storage areas as needed to optimize the space utilization of the storage pool. Unlike static full storage areas that occupy the entire configuration space regardless of its utilization, dynamic full storage areas can expand capacity as needed, thereby reducing storage space waste and more effectively utilizing the space resources of the storage pool.

[0055] Simplified provisioning: Dynamic file systems simplify the provisioning process, allowing system administrators to quickly provision storage pool space to applications or users without having to worry about whether the pre-provisioned capacity is sufficient. This simplifies workflow and does not require manual intervention or complex capacity planning.

[0056] Cost-effective scalability: Dynamic file systems provide cost-effective scalability by allowing full storage to be grown incrementally. System administrators can start with smaller full storage and easily expand as needed, optimizing costs and avoiding unnecessary upfront investments in excess full storage capacity to avoid over-provisioning storage pool space in advance.

[0057] Controllability and stability: Compared with the unpredictable over-subscription on thin volume file system, the dynamic file system ensures that the available space of the complete storage area is not occupied by other storage areas or snapshots, thus providing a more controllable and stable file system for applications.

[0058] In summary, the dynamic complete storage area and dynamic file system of the present invention provide a more flexible, efficient, scalable and highly stable storage solution, thereby enabling users to better manage their storage resources, optimize costs and adapt to changing business needs.

[0059] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art may modify and alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be as set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. A method for expanding the capacity of a complete storage area, comprising: Setting a complete storage area in a storage pool of a data storage device, wherein the storage pool includes storage space of at least one storage unit of the data storage device; and The increase in usage of the complete storage area in a preset future period is estimated based on multiple historical usages of the complete storage area at multiple different time points in the past, so as to expand the capacity of the complete storage area when the increase is greater than the remaining capacity of the complete storage area.

2. The method for expanding the capacity of a complete storage area as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The increase is a multiple of the difference between the highest usage and the lowest usage of the complete storage area within a preset historical period.

3. The method for expanding the capacity of a complete storage area as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The increase is a multiple of the difference between the average usage and the minimum usage of the complete storage area during a preset historical period.

4. The method for expanding the capacity of a complete storage area as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The increase is a multiple of the difference between the first day usage and the last day usage of the complete storage area within the preset historical period.

5. The method for expanding the capacity of a complete storage area as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The method further includes: If the increase is greater than the remaining capacity of the complete storage area, the capacity of the complete storage area is expanded, and the remaining capacity of the complete storage area after the expansion is greater than or equal to the increase.

6. The method for expanding the capacity of a complete storage area as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The method further includes: If the increase in the usage of the complete storage area within a preset historical period is greater than a threshold, the capacity of the complete storage area is expanded.

7. The method for expanding the capacity of a complete storage area as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The capacity of the complete storage area after the expansion is greater than the capacity specified by the user when setting the complete storage area in the storage pool.

8. The method for expanding the capacity of a complete storage area as claimed in claim 1, wherein: The method further includes: After the capacity of the complete storage area is expanded, the file system installed in the complete storage area is allowed to manage the capacity increased by the expansion of the complete storage area.

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, wherein the instructions are read by a data storage device to execute a method for expanding the capacity of a complete storage area, the method comprising: Setting a complete storage area in a storage pool of a data storage device, wherein the storage pool includes storage space of at least one storage unit of the data storage device; and The increase in usage of the complete storage area in a preset future period is estimated based on multiple historical usages of the complete storage area at multiple different time points in the past, so as to expand the capacity of the complete storage area when the increase is greater than the remaining capacity of the complete storage area.

10. A data storage device, comprising: At least one storage unit, for storing data, wherein the storage space of the at least one storage unit constitutes at least one storage pool; and The processor is configured to execute a method for expanding the capacity of a complete storage area on the at least one storage pool, the method comprising: Setting a complete storage area in a storage pool of a data storage device, wherein the storage pool includes storage space of at least one storage unit of the data storage device; and The increase in usage of the complete storage area in a preset future period is estimated based on multiple historical usages of the complete storage area at multiple different time points in the past, so as to expand the capacity of the complete storage area when the increase is greater than the remaining capacity of the complete storage area.

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