Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions are provided for storage provisioning automation in a data center. A storage manager is provided in the present invention to facilitate end-to-end deployment of storage resources for a server in the data center. The storage manager includes functionalities of a volume manager, file system, and physical volumes. In addition, a hierarchical structure is provided by the present invention to specify configuration data for a volume container. The hierarchical structure includes volume container settings, which includes physical volume settings and logical volume settings linked through data partition settings. For SAN volumes, storage multipath settings and data path settings are included in the structure. File system settings and mounting settings are also included to mount a file system once it is created.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer instructions are provided for storage provisioning automation in a data center. A storage manager is provided in the present invention to facilitate end-to-end deployment of storage resources for a server in the data center. The storage manager includes functionalities of a volume manager, file system, and physical volumes. In addition, a hierarchical structure is provided by the present invention to specify configuration data for a volume container. The hierarchical structure includes volume container settings, which includes physical volume settings and logical volume settings linked through data partition settings. For SAN volumes, storage multipath settings and data path settings are included in the structure. File system settings and mounting settings are also included to mount a file system once it is created.

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.