Patent · US Expired

System and method for reporting available capacity in a data storage system with variable consumption characteristics

US5960451A · kind A · utility

57Cited by
4References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 16, 1997
Grant dateSep 28, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 16, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S360/902
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A data storage system has an administrator tool that presents an existing LUN arrangement composed of one or more types of LUNs and an available capacity for the existing LUN arrangement. The administrator tool provides a graphical user interface (UI) that allows the administrator to propose different configurations with one or more additional hypothetical LUNs, without in fact creating them. The UI provides a set of controls representative of the different LUN types. The administrator can graphically manipulate the controls to vary characteristics of the hypothetical LUNs. As the administrator manipulates the controls, the system dynamically computes available capacity assuming a LUN arrangement that includes both the existing LUNs and the hypothetical LUNs. The graphical UI reports the changing available capacity as a response to the administrator's manipulation so that the administrator can gain an appreciation of how the hypothetical LUNs might affect available capacity. Assuming there is sufficient available capacity, the administrator can direct the system to create new LUNs having the same characteristics of the hypothetical LUNs.

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