Patent · US Expired

Channel path load balancing, through selection of storage volumes to be processed, for long running applications

US5239649A · kind A · utility

39Cited by
14References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 30, 1989
Grant dateAug 24, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 30, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F9/5033
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system for balancing the loads on channel paths in a digital computer during long running applications is disclosed. Only the load associated with relatively long running applications is monitored. For each volume of data eligible for processing, the selection of volumes is first made from those having affinity to the calling host. The load across the respective connected channel paths is calculated. The calculation is weighted to account for the different magnitudes of load resulting from different applications and to prefer the selection of volumes connected to the fewest unused channel paths such that processing of the selected volume will maintain the maximum number of unused channel paths. The optimal volume is selected as the next volume to be processed. The monitored load on each channel path is then updated to include the load associated with the newly selected volume, assuming that the load associated with processing the volume is distributed evenly across the respective connected channel paths. The selection of the following volume is then based on the updated load information and the method continues cyclically during subsequent selection of the remaining volumes for p…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.