Patents by Inventor Michael T. Benhase

Michael T. Benhase has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Apparatus and method for sharing resources between storage devices
    Patent number: 9201598
    Abstract: A method for allocating resources of a storage system including at least a first and second group of storage devices. The method identifies a first set of resources to be reserved for use by the first group of storage devices, identifies a second set of resources to be reserved for use by the second group of storage devices, and identifies a third set of resources The method then allocates resources from the third set of resources to the first group of storage devices or the second group of storage device according to an allocation algorithm, and restricts use of the first set of resources to the first group of devices and use of the second set of resources to the second group of devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Matthew J. Kalos, Karl A. Nielsen
  • ASSIGNING DEVICE ADAPTORS TO USE TO COPY SOURCE EXTENTS TO TARGET EXTENTS IN A COPY RELATIONSHIP
    Publication number: 20150339074
    Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for assigning device adaptors to use to copy source extents in source ranks to target extents in target ranks in a copy relation. A determination is made of an order of the target ranks in the copy relation. Target ranks in the copy relation are selected according to the determined order. For each selected target rank, indication is made in a device adaptor assignment data structure of a source device adaptor and target device adaptor of the device adaptors to use to copy the source rank to the selected target rank indicated in the copy relation, wherein indication is made for the selected target ranks according to the determined order. The source ranks are copied to the selected target ranks using the source and target device adaptors indicated in the device adaptor assignment data structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Theresa M. Brown, Lokesh M. Gupta, Carol S. Mellgren
  • FUZZY COUNTERS FOR NVS TO REDUCE LOCK CONTENTION
    Publication number: 20150339182
    Abstract: A system for data management in a computing storage environment includes a processor device, operable in the computing storage environment, that divides a plurality of counters tracking write and discard storage operations through Non Volatile Storage (NVS) space into first, accurate, and second, fuzzy, groups where the first, accurate, group is one of updated on a per operation basis, while the second, fuzzy, group is one of updated on a more infrequent basis as compared to the first, accurate group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin J. ASH, Michael T. BENHASE, Lokesh M. GUPTA, Kenneth W. TODD
  • Replicating tracks from a first storage site to a second and third storage sites
    Patent number: 9195403
    Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for replicating tracks from a first storage to a second and third storages. A determination is made of a track in the first storage to transfer to the second storage as part of a point-in-time copy relationship and of a stride of tracks including the target track. The stride of tracks including the target track is staged from the first storage to a cache according to the point-in-time copy relationship. The staged stride is destaged from the cache to the second storage. The stride in the cache is transferred to the third storage as part of a mirror copy relationship. The stride of tracks in the cache is demoted in response to destaging the stride of the tracks in the cache to the second storage and transferring the stride of tracks in the cache to the third storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Lokesh M. Gupta, Brian D. Hatfield, Gail A. Spear
  • Synchronous and asynchronous discard scans based on the type of cache memory
    Patent number: 9195598
    Abstract: A computational device maintains a first type of cache and a second type of cache. The computational device receives a command from the host to release space. The computational device synchronously discards tracks from the first type of cache, and asynchronously discards tracks from the second type of cache.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Lokesh M. Gupta
  • Synchronous and asynchronous discard scans based on the type of cache memory
    Patent number: 9189401
    Abstract: A computational device maintains a first type of cache and a second type of cache. The computational device receives a command from the host to release space. The computational device synchronously discards tracks from the first type of cache, and asynchronously discards tracks from the second type of cache.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Lokesh M. Gupta
  • Assigning device adaptors to use to copy source extents to target extents in a copy relationship
    Patent number: 9182919
    Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for assigning device adaptors to use to copy source extents in source ranks to target extents in target ranks in a copy relation. A determination is made of an order of the target ranks in the copy relation. Target ranks in the copy relation are selected according to the determined order. For each selected target rank, indication is made in a device adaptor assignment data structure of a source device adaptor and target device adaptor of the device adaptors to use to copy the source rank to the selected target rank indicated in the copy relation, wherein indication is made for the selected target ranks according to the determined order. The source ranks are copied to the selected target ranks using the source and target device adaptors indicated in the device adaptor assignment data structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Theresa M. Brown, Lokesh M. Gupta, Carol S. Mellgren
  • Promotion of partial data segments in flash cache
    Patent number: 9176884
    Abstract: For efficient track destage in secondary storage in a more effective manner, for temporal bits employed with sequential bits for controlling the timing for destaging the track in a primary storage, a preference of movement to lower speed cache level is implemented based on at least one of an amount of holes and a data heat metric. If a first bit has at least one of a lower amount of holes and a hotter data heat metric, it is moved to the lower speed cache level ahead of a second bit that has at least one of a higher amount of holes and a cooler data heat. If the first bit has a hotter data heat and greater than a predetermined number of holes, the first bit is discarded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Stephen L. Blinick, Evangelos S. Eleftheriou, Lokesh M. Gupta, Robert Haas, Xiao-Yu Hu, Matthew J. Kalos, Ioannis Koltsidas, Karl A. Nielsen, Roman A. Pletka
  • Performing staging or destaging based on the number of waiting discard scans
    Patent number: 9176892
    Abstract: A controller receives a request to perform staging or destaging operations with respect to an area of a cache. A determination is made as to whether more than a threshold number of discard scans are waiting to be performed. The controller avoids satisfying the request to perform the staging or the destaging operations or a read hit with respect to the area of the cache, in response to determining that more than the threshold number of discard scans are waiting to be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Lokesh M. Gupta, Matthew J. Kalos
  • Performing staging or destaging based on the number of waiting discard scans
    Patent number: 9176893
    Abstract: A controller receives a request to perform staging or destaging operations with respect to an area of a cache. A determination is made as to whether more than a threshold number of discard scans are waiting to be performed. The controller avoids satisfying the request to perform the staging or the destaging operations or a read hit with respect to the area of the cache, in response to determining that more than the threshold number of discard scans are waiting to be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Lokesh M. Gupta, Matthew J. Kalos
  • REPLICATING TRACKS FROM A FIRST STORAGE SITE TO A SECOND AND THIRD STORAGE SITES
    Publication number: 20150309747
    Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for replicating tracks from a first storage to a second and third storages. A determination is made of a track in the first storage to transfer to the second storage as part of a point-in-time copy relationship and of a stride of tracks including the target track. The stride of tracks including the target track is staged from the first storage to a cache according to the point-in-time copy relationship. The staged stride is destaged from the cache to the second storage. The stride in the cache is transferred to the third storage as part of a mirror copy relationship. The stride of tracks in the cache is demoted in response to destaging the stride of the tracks in the cache to the second storage and transferring the stride of tracks in the cache to the third storage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Lokesh M. Gupta, Brian D. Hatfield, Gail A. Spear
  • PREFERENTIAL CPU UTILIZATION FOR TASKS
    Publication number: 20150301855
    Abstract: In a distributed server storage environment, a set of like tasks to be performed is organized into a first group, and a last used processing group associated with the like tasks is stored. Upon a subsequent dispatch, the last used processing group is compared to other processing groups and the tasks are assigned to a processing group based upon a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin J. ASH, Michael T. BENHASE, Lokesh M. GUPTA, Trung N. NGUYEN
  • PREFERENTIAL CPU UTILIZATION FOR TASKS
    Publication number: 20150301862
    Abstract: A set of like tasks to be performed is organized into a first group, and a last used processing group associated with the like tasks is stored. Upon a subsequent dispatch, the last used processing group is compared to other processing groups and the tasks are assigned to a processing group based upon a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin J. ASH, Michael T. BENHASE, Lokesh M. GUPTA, Trung N. NGUYEN
  • Selective space reclamation of data storage memory employing heat and relocation metrics
    Patent number: 9158706
    Abstract: Space of a data storage memory of a data storage memory system is reclaimed by determining heat metrics of data stored in the data storage memory; determining relocation metrics related to relocation of the data within the data storage memory; determining utility metrics of the data relating the heat metrics to the relocation metrics for the data; and making the data whose utility metric fails a utility metric threshold, available for space reclamation. Thus, data that otherwise may be evicted or demoted, but that meets or exceeds the utility metric threshold, is exempted from space reclamation and is instead maintained in the data storage memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Evangelos S. Eleftheriou, Lokesh M. Gupta, Robert Haas, Xiao-Yu Hu, Matthew J. Kalos, Ioannis Koltsidas, Roman A. Pletka
  • Use of differing granularity heat maps for caching and migration
    Patent number: 9158673
    Abstract: For data processing in a computing storage environment by a processor device, the computing storage environment incorporating at least high-speed and lower-speed caches, and tiered levels of storage, groups of data segments are migrated between the tiered levels of storage such that uniformly hot ones of the groups of data segments are migrated to utilize a Solid State Drive (SSD) portion of the tiered levels of storage, while sparsely hot ones of the groups of data segments are migrated to utilize the lower-speed cache.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Lokesh M. Gupta, Cheng-Chung Song
  • Replicating tracks from a first storage site to a second and third storage sites
    Patent number: 9158471
    Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for replicating tracks from a first storage to a second and third storages. A determination is made of a track in the first storage to transfer to the second storage as part of a point-in-time copy relationship and of a stride of tracks including the target track. The stride of tracks including the target track is staged from the first storage to a cache according to the point-in-time copy relationship. The staged stride is destaged from the cache to the second storage. The stride in the cache is transferred to the third storage as part of a mirror copy relationship. The stride of tracks in the cache is demoted in response to destaging the stride of the tracks in the cache to the second storage and transferring the stride of tracks in the cache to the third storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Lokesh M. Gupta, Brian D. Hatfield, Gail A. Spear
  • EFFICIENT PROCESSING OF CACHE SEGMENT WAITERS
    Publication number: 20150286572
    Abstract: Various embodiments for cache management in a distributed computing storage environment are provided. In one embodiment, a processor device, for a plurality of input/output (I/O) operations, initiates a process, separate from a process responsible for data segment assembly, for waking a predetermined number of waiting I/O operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin J. ASH, Michael T. BENHASE, Lokesh M. GUPTA, David B. WHITWORTH
  • MANAGEMENT OF PARTIAL DATA SEGMENTS IN DUAL CACHE SYSTEMS
    Publication number: 20150286580
    Abstract: For movement of partial data segments within a computing storage environment having lower and higher levels of cache by a processor, a whole data segment containing one of the partial data segments is promoted to both the lower and higher levels of cache, including considering an Input/Output Performance (IOP) metric, a bandwidth metric, and a garbage collection metric, and a whole data segment is promoted containing the one of the partial data segments to both the lower and higher levels of cache.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael T. BENHASE, Stephen L. BLINICK, Evangelos S. ELEFTHERIOU, Lokesh M. GUPTA, Robert HAAS, Xiao-Yu HU, Matthew J. KALOS, Ioannis KOLTSIDAS, Roman A. PLETKA
  • TIERED CACHING AND MIGRATION IN DIFFERING GRANULARITIES
    Publication number: 20150286418
    Abstract: For data processing in a distributed computing storage environment by a processor device, the distributed computing environment incorporating at least high-speed and lower-speed caches, and managed tiered levels of storage, groups of data segments and clumped hot ones of the data segments are migrated between the tiered levels of storage such that uniformly hot ones of the groups of data segments are migrated to use a Solid State Drive (SSD) portion of the tiered levels of storage; uniformly hot groups of data segments are determined using a first, largest granulated, heat map for a selected one of the group of the data segments; and a second heat map, which is smaller than the first and having the largest granularity of the first heat map, is used to determine the clumped hot groups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael T. BENHASE, Lokesh M. GUPTA, Cheng-Chung SONG
  • Adaptive prestaging in a storage controller
    Patent number: 9141525
    Abstract: In one aspect of the present description, at least one of the value of a prestage trigger and the value of the prestage amount, may be modified as a function of the drive speed of the storage drive from which the units of read data are prestaged into a cache memory. Thus, cache prestaging operations in accordance with another aspect of the present description may take into account storage devices of varying speeds and bandwidths for purposes of modifying a prestage trigger and the prestage amount. Still further, a cache prestaging operation in accordance with further aspects may decrease one or both of the prestage trigger and the prestage amount as a function of the drive speed in circumstances such as a cache miss which may have resulted from prestaged tracks being demoted before they are used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael T. Benhase, Nedlaya Y. Francisco, Binny S. Gill, Lokesh M. Gupta, Suguang Li