Storage Controller Execution Context Migration for I/O Throughput

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Solution Overview

Problem

Storage controllers face challenges in improving throughput, power consumption, and execution time for IO-bound tasks, with existing technologies not effectively addressing these issues.

Innovation Solution

A method for migrating an execution context from a source computer to a storage controller, utilizing a management entity to determine and execute the migration based on criteria such as throughput improvement, resource availability, and migration penalties, with the storage controller equipped to execute virtual machines or groups of processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If storage controller executes more IO requests to improve throughput, then productivity increases, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovethroughputVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent dynamically migrates execution contexts between storage controller and source computer based on real-time criteria evaluation. The storage controller activates as an execution platform when beneficial, and deactivates or reduces activity when not needed, creating a dynamic power-performance optimization system rather than a static configuration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The storage controller autonomously evaluates migration criteria and executes context migration decisions without requiring external intervention. The system self-manages its execution workload by monitoring system state and automatically migrating contexts based on predefined performance and power consumption thresholds

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If storage controller executes IO-bound tasks to improve throughput, then productivity increases, but execution time increases due to migration overhead

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovethroughputVSAvoidexecution time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary evaluation of migration criteria before executing context migration. By assessing whether migration will actually improve throughput before incurring migration overhead, the system avoids unnecessary migrations that would waste time, ensuring that only beneficial migrations are executed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors system state and evaluates migration criteria to determine whether context migration will improve overall performance. This feedback mechanism ensures that migration decisions are based on current system conditions, preventing premature or unnecessary migrations that would increase execution time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS8745295B2Device, method and computer program product for executing a migrated execution context by a storage controller

Publication Date: 2014.06.03 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

A method for executing a migrated execution context by a storage controller, the method includes: determining, by a management entity, to migrate an execution context from a source computer to the storage controller in response to a fulfillment of a first criterion; and migrating the execution context to the storage controller; wherein the source computer is coupled to the storage controller.