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  System and method for analyzing input/output activity on local attached storageUSPTO Application #: 20080010370Title: System and method for analyzing input/output activity on local attached storage Abstract: A system, method and computer program product for analyzing file I/O activity on local attached storage devices within a computer network is provided. In an embodiment, a software agent executes on one or more servers within the network, and monitors the I/O activity on the network's local attached storage (e.g., SAN, NAS, and IDE and SCSI disks). A management interface is also provided for monitoring I/O activity-related data and for receiving reports on such I/O activity. In an embodiment, collected I/O-related data and any predefined I/O metrics are stored in a central repository (e.g., a relational database). The system, method and computer program product provide accurate metrics to assists system administrators in deciding, justifying and validating resource purchases for and allocations within the network. (end of abstract) Agent: Meyertons, Hood, Kivlin, Kowert & Goetzel, P.C. - Austin, TX, US Inventors: William Peake, Colleen McLaughlin, Daniel B. Kyler USPTO Applicaton #: 20080010370 - Class: 709223000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Electrical Computers And Digital Processing Systems: Multicomputer Data Transferring, Computer Network Managing The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080010370. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/357,828, filed Feb. 21, 2002. The entirety of that provisional application is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates generally to computer network storage subsystems (i.e., integrated collections of storage controllers and/or host bus adapters; storage devices such as disks, CD ROMs, tapes, etc.; and control software), and more particularly to systems and methods for monitoring and reporting on the input/output activity on local attached storage devices. [0004] 2. Related Art [0005] Within a computer system, file performance is a crucially important part of application performance and is often forgotten. Much of the performance bottlenecks involve file input/output (I/O) performance due to extremely frequent access to files. [0006] Because application performance is essential to a computer system's performance, and file I/O performance is an important metric of overall application performance, then effective performance measurement must include file performance. Consequently, if file I/O performance can be increased--given that it is often the performance bottleneck--then better overall application performance will result. [0007] One can simply assume that, for instance, employing a faster disk storage device will increase file I/O performance (i.e., faster file communications). However, there is no way of measuring how much faster, if at all, employing such a storage device will result. That is, there is no way of providing accurate and precise numbers to prove the assumption that employing a faster disk storage device will increase file I/O performance. Thus, system administrators and the like have no way of deciding, justifying or validating whether the added costs of these faster storage devices have any affect. Because better performance usually commands a premium price, it is necessary to have empirical numbers when system administrators have to take such action. [0008] Therefore, given the foregoing, what is needed is a system, method and computer program product for analyzing I/O activity. The system, method and computer program product should be able to monitor I/O activity on local attached storage, provide a management interface to monitor and receive reports on such I/O activity, and thereby allow system administrators to have access to accurate metrics for system resource decision making. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0009] The present invention meets the above-identified needs by providing a system, method and computer program product for analyzing I/O activity on storage devices (e.g., local attached storage). [0010] The system of the present invention, in an embodiment, includes a repository for storing a list of the managed objects to be monitored within the network, thresholds establishing a limit for I/O metrics for each managed object, and corresponding threshold actions to be executed when an established threshold is exceeded. The system further includes a collector engine capable of collecting, for a pre-determined time interval, I/O metrics for each managed object, and a service process capable of determining, after the pre-determined time interval, whether any of the thresholds have been exceeded for any of the managed objects. The service process is also capable of executing the appropriate threshold action when a threshold has been determined to be exceeded. [0011] In an embodiment, the system also includes a graphical user interface capable of causing reports to be generated that identify any thresholds which have been exceeded for any of the managed objects. [0012] The method and computer program product of the present invention, in an embodiment, include the steps of having a system administrator identify managed objects to be monitored within the network, and define thresholds establishing a limit related to at least one I/O metric for each managed object and threshold actions to be taken when a threshold is exceeded. The method and computer program product further includes the steps of collecting, for a pre-determined time interval, I/O metrics for each of the managed objects, determining, after the pre-determined time interval, whether any thresholds have been exceeded, and executing the appropriate threshold action when any thresholds have been exceeded. [0013] An advantage of the present invention is that it provides I/O performance analysis which allow system and database administrators to identify problematic storage devices or files, isolates I/O problems to a specific managed object, indicates the cause of any I/O problems and suggests a set of solutions for each identified I/O problem. [0014] Another advantage of the present invention is that it supports any local attached storage which may be in the form of a storage area network (SAN), network attached storage (NAS), Small Computer Interface System (SCSI) disks, Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) disks or the like. [0015] Another advantage of the present invention is that it provides a facility for allowing a user to establish limits for selected I/O metrics for selected managed objects, and proactively alerts the user if these certain I/O metrics deviate from the limits for a managed object. The present invention also allows a user to establish actions to be taken when a managed object deviates from established limits (i.e., thresholds) and then takes the predefined actions when certain I/O metrics for a managed object deviate from the predefined thresholds. [0016] Yet another advantage of the present invention is that--given today's IT environment where system and database administrators are overloaded and do not have time to do be assaulted by unnecessary information--users are only alerted when something will go awry in the near future before it is actually a problem at the level system end-users would normally be aware of. [0017] Yet another advantage of the present invention is that it allows users to be able to create custom reports on I/O performance and view and analyze such reports on computers which may or may not be separate from where the data collection took place and where a central repository of collected data is stored. [0018] Further features and advantages of the invention as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES [0019] The features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. Additionally, the left-most digit of a reference number identifies the drawing in which the reference number first appears. [0020] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the physical architecture of a computer network in which the present invention, according to an embodiment, would operate. [0021] FIG. 2 is a flowchart depicting an embodiment of the operational process of the system of the present invention. Continue reading... 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