Managing high performance storage systems with hybrid storage technologies

Abstract

There is provided a method for managing a solid state storage system with hybrid storage technologies. The method includes monitoring one or more storage request streams to identify operating mode characteristics therein from among a set of possible operating mode characteristics. The set of possible operating mode characteristics correspond to a set of available operating modes of the hybrid storage technologies. The method further includes identifying a current operating mode from among the set of available operating modes responsive to the identified operating mode characteristics. The method also includes predicting a likely future operating mode responsive to variations in workload requirements to generate at least one future operating mode prediction. The method additionally includes controlling at least one of data placement, wear leveling, and garbage collection, responsive to the at least one future operating mode prediction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for managing a solid state storage system with hybrid storage technologies including check-pointing storage and file-system storage, comprising:
 monitoring one or more storage request streams to identify operating mode characteristics therein from among a set of possible operating mode characteristics, the set of possible operating mode characteristics corresponding to a set of available operating modes of the hybrid storage technologies, the check-pointing storage having a lower capacity and being more write-intensive in comparison to the file-system storage, which has a higher capacity and is less write-intensive;   identifying a current operating mode from among the set of available operating modes responsive to the identified operating mode characteristics;   predicting a future operating mode responsive to variations in workload requirements to generate at least one future operating mode prediction; and   controlling at least one of data placement, wear leveling, garbage collection, and read performance of the storage system, responsive to the at least one future operating mode prediction.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said controlling step comprises improving read performance by placing duplicate data in the storage system. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said controlling step comprises preparing the system for an imminent change to a write intensive operating mode by performing proactive garbage collection. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said controlling step comprises placing data from a data stream corresponding to at least one of the storage request streams in a worn out region of the storage system that meets without exceeding retention needs of the data stream, when a time period that the data is to be written is below a threshold time period. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hybrid storage technologies comprise single-level cell technology and multi-level cell technology. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hybrid storage technologies comprise a same storage technology used in at least two different ways. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the hybrid storage technologies comprise single-level cell technology configured to be wear focused and the single-level cell technology configured to be wear delayed. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the storage system is one of a flash storage system and a phase change memory (PCM). 
     
     
         9 . A computer readable storage medium comprising a computer readable program for managing a solid state storage system with hybrid storage technologies, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform the steps of:
 monitoring one or more storage request streams to identify operating mode characteristics therein from among a set of possible operating mode characteristics, the set of possible operating mode characteristics corresponding to a set of available operating modes of the hybrid storage technologies, the check-pointing storage having a lower capacity and being more write-intensive in comparison to the file-system storage, which has a higher capacity and is less write-intensive;   identifying a current operating mode from among the set of available operating modes responsive to the identified operating mode characteristics;   predicting a future operating mode responsive to variations in workload requirements to generate at least one future operating mode prediction; and   controlling at least one of data placement, wear leveling, garbage collection, and read performance of the storage system, responsive to the at least one future operating mode prediction.   
     
     
         10 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein said controlling step comprises improving read performance by placing duplicate data in the storage system. 
     
     
         11 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein said controlling step comprises preparing the system for an imminent change to a write intensive operating mode by performing proactive garbage collection. 
     
     
         12 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein said controlling step comprises placing data from a data stream corresponding to at least one of the storage request streams in a worn out region of the storage system that meets without exceeding retention needs of the data stream, when a time period that the data is to be written is below a threshold time period. 
     
     
         13 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the hybrid storage technologies comprise single-level cell technology and multi-level cell technology. 
     
     
         14 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the hybrid storage technologies comprise a same storage technology used in at least two different ways. 
     
     
         15 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 14 , wherein the hybrid storage technologies comprise single-level cell technology configured to be wear focused and the single-level cell technology configured to be wear delayed. 
     
     
         16 . The computer readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the storage system is one of a flash storage system and a phase change memory (PCM). 
     
     
         17 . A solid state storage system with hybrid storage technologies, comprising:
 a monitor for monitoring one or more storage request streams to identify operating mode characteristics therein from among a set of possible operating mode characteristics, the set of possible operating mode characteristics corresponding to a set of available operating modes of the hybrid storage technologies, the check-pointing storage having a lower capacity and being more write-intensive in comparison to the file-system storage, which has a higher capacity and is less write-intensive;   a predictor for predicting a future operating mode responsive to variations in workload requirements to generate at least one future operating mode prediction; and   a controller for controlling at least one of data placement, wear leveling, garbage collection, and read performance of the storage system, responsive to the at least one future operating mode prediction.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein said controller improves read performance by placing duplicate data in the storage system. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein said controller prepares the system for an imminent change to a write intensive operating mode by performing proactive garbage collection. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein said controller places data from a data stream corresponding to at least one of the storage request streams in a worn out region of the storage system that meets without exceeding retention needs of the data stream, when a time period that the data is to be written is below a threshold time period.