Method, apparatus and program storage device for providing real-time file system charge-back accounting per management object during a report cycle

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program storage device for providing real-time file system charge-back accounting with real time historical minimum and maximum usage per user or group during a report cycle. In a first storage area of file system memory, space allocation data for a current accounting period is monitored and persistently maintained. A minimum, maximum and average space allocation is calculated for the management object during the current accounting period. The calculated minimum, maximum and average space allocation for the management object may be moved to a second storage area of the file system memory while beginning to monitor and persistently maintain space allocation data of the management object in the first storage area of the file system memory during a subsequent accounting period.

1 . A file system for providing charge back accounting data, comprising a first file system buffer for persistently maintaining space allocation data during a current accounting period, wherein the space allocation data comprises a minimum, a maximum and an average space allocation for a management object during the current accounting period.  
     
     
         2 . The file system of  claim 1 , wherein the space allocation is transactionally and persistently maintained per management object.  
     
     
         3 . The file system of  claim 2 , wherein the space allocation per management object is maintained per storage tier.  
     
     
         4 . The file system of  claim 1 , wherein the average space allocation comprises an average that is weighted based on lengths of time and size of space allocation during the current accounting period.  
     
     
         5 . The file system of  claim 1 , wherein space allocation data in the first file system buffer is updated as space is allocated and deallocated.  
     
     
         6 . The file system of  claim 1  further comprising a second file system buffer for persistently maintaining space allocation data for a previous accounting period; wherein the space allocation data persistently maintained during the first accounting period is moved to the second file system buffer at the end of the current accounting period.  
     
     
         7 . A storage system, comprising: 
 a pool of storage;    a controller, coupled to the pool of storage, for controlling user access to the storage pool;    a file system for providing charge back accounting data based upon space allocation; and    an accounting system for using the file system charge back accounting data to generate a report describing storage space allocation by a management object;    wherein the file system comprises a first file system buffer for persistently maintaining space allocation data during a current accounting period, the space allocation data comprising a minimum, a maximum and an average space allocation for a management object during the current accounting period.    
     
     
         8 . The storage system of  claim 7 , wherein the space allocation is transactionally and persistently maintained per management object.  
     
     
         9 . The storage system of  claim 8 , wherein the space allocation per management object is maintained per storage tier.  
     
     
         10 . The storage system of  claim 7 , wherein the average space allocation comprises an average that is weighted based on lengths of time and size of space allocation during the current accounting period.  
     
     
         11 . The storage system of  claim 7 , wherein space allocation data in the first file system buffer is updated as space is allocated and deallocated.  
     
     
         12 . The storage system of  claim 7 , wherein accounting system applies cost constants to the space allocation data to capture storage attributes.  
     
     
         13 . The storage system of  claim 12 , wherein the storage attributes comprise at least one selected from the group comprising a quality of service, service level agreements, and tiered storage class.  
     
     
         14 . The storage system of  claim 7  further comprising a second file system buffer for persistently maintaining space allocation data for a previous accounting period, wherein the space allocation data persistently maintained during the first accounting period is moved to the second file system buffer at the end of the current accounting period.  
     
     
         15 . A program storage device, comprising: 
 program instructions executable by a processing device to perform operations for providing file system charge back accounting data, the operations comprising:    monitoring and persistently maintaining, in a first storage area of file system memory, space allocation data for a current accounting period;    calculating a minimum, maximum and average space allocation for a management object during the current accounting period; and    generating a report based upon the calculated minimum, maximum and average space allocation for the management object during the current accounting period.    
     
     
         16 . The program storage device of  claim 15 , wherein the calculating a minimum, maximum and average space allocation for the management object during the ended current accounting period further comprises calculating an average that is weighted based on lengths of time and size of space allocation during the current accounting period.  
     
     
         17 . The program storage device of  claim 15 , wherein the monitoring and persistently maintaining, in a first storage area of file system memory, space allocation data for a current accounting period further comprises transactionally and persistently maintaining space allocation data per management object.  
     
     
         18 . The program storage device of  claim 15 , wherein the monitoring and persistently maintaining, in a first storage area of file system memory, space allocation data for a current accounting period further comprises updating the space allocation data as space is allocated and deallocated.  
     
     
         19 . The program storage device of  claim 15  further comprising: 
 persistently maintaining space allocation data for a previous accounting period in a second storage area of the file system memory; and    moving the maintained space allocation for the management object to the second storage area of the file system memory while beginning to monitor and persistently maintain space allocation data of the management object in the first storage area of the file system memory during a subsequent accounting period.    
     
     
         20 . A method for providing file system charge back accounting data, comprising: 
 monitoring and persistently maintaining, in a first storage area of file system memory, space allocation data for a current accounting period;    calculating a minimum, maximum and average space allocation for a management object during the current accounting period; and    generating a report based upon the calculated minimum, maximum and average space allocation for the management object during the current accounting period.    
     
     
         21 . A method for providing file system charge back accounting, comprising: 
 receiving metadata representing space allocation per management object based on file system activity;    persistently maintaining in a storage area the metadata representing the space allocation for a current accounting period; and    using the received metadata to calculate a minimum, maximum and average space allocation for the management object during the current accounting period.