Patent ID: 9684471
Date: 2017-06-20
CPC Classifications: G06F

Claim:
1. A method for priority based depopulation of ranks in a computing storage environment by a processor device, comprising: prioritizing a plurality of ranks selected for depopulation; marking at least one of the plurality of ranks as highest priority ranks and selecting the highest priority ranks for the depopulation; marking at least one of the plurality of ranks as lower priority ranks and selecting the lower priority ranks for the depopulation; placing in a queue according to an order of priority those of the plurality of ranks marked as the lower priority ranks, wherein the queue is a priority array; migrating an extent of the one of the lower priority ranks to another one of the plurality of ranks not selected for depopulation in response to a write operation to an extent of one of lower priority ranks that are placed in a queue; selecting the one of the lower priority ranks with newer data for executing a read operation in response to a read operation to one of the lower priority ranks that are placed in the queue; depopulating at least one of the plurality of ranks marked as a highest priority rank to at least one of a plurality of targeted ranks; and leaving the highest priority rank as unassigned to one of the plurality of targeted ranks following the depopulating until determining if the highest priority rank is to be assigned the one of the plurality of targeted ranks.