Dynamic Path Selection for Virtual Storage I/O Latency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern data storage systems face performance challenges in maintaining acceptable levels of data access efficiency as data is striped across multiple disks, leading to increased latency due to internal communications between boards in multi-board storage arrays.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced to determine a preferred path for I/O operations by querying the data storage system for path and address range information, allowing the host to map and direct I/O requests to the same board as the disk adapter, reducing inter-board messaging and latency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If data is striped across multiple disks in a multi-board storage array, then data storage capacity and flexibility are improved, but I/O operation latency increases due to internal communications between boards
Solution Approach 1:
The host system performs preliminary actions by querying the storage system to obtain path and address range information before executing I/O operations. This allows the host to determine the preferred path in advance, mapping address ranges to specific boards or disk adapters, thereby avoiding latency during actual data operations by pre-establishing the optimal communication path.
2Adaptability or versatility
If I/O operations are directed through multiple boards for striped data, then data access flexibility is improved, but communication latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the path selection specific to each address range rather than using a uniform approach for all data. The host queries and determines preferred paths on a per-address-range basis, allowing I/O operations to be directed to the specific board or disk adapter that locally stores the requested data, thereby minimizing communication distance and latency while maintaining access flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
Example embodiments of the present invention relate to a method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for sending an I/O over a preferred path. The method includes determining a preferred path to an address range of a virtual storage unit striped across a plurality of disks of a data storage system and sending an I/O for data comprising the address range over the preferred path.