Patent ID: 7899763
Filing Date: 2011-03-01
Classification: G06F,G06N

Abstract:
1. A computer implemented simulation-based method for generating a storage policy for a storage system, the method comprising: receiving a storage system target function that represents a measure of values associated with at least one of access rate, storage cost, power consumption, storage bandwidth and risk of data loss in the storage system; determining simulation results associated with a state of the storage system based on (a) the storage system simulated response to a set of simulated file-related storage operation requests generated based on one or more simulation rules, (b) the state of the storage system before responding to the set of simulated file-related storage operation requests, (c) the storage system target function; and (d) rules for simulating file-related storage operation requests, wherein the simulation rules are generated or update based on one or more storage policies generated by way a machine learning entity applying reinforced learning; generating a plurality of storage policies, by the machine learning entity, in response to analyzing the simulation results, wherein various simulation results represent various states of the storage system had a respective storage policy, from among said plurality of generated storage policies was implemented in response to the simulation results previously generated in response to the set of file-related storage operation requests as applied to a state of the storage system prior to a current simulation; and depending on a currently recognized state of the storage system, using the machine learning entity to select the storage policy that provides the best results according to multiple simulation results by simulating the application of each of the multiple evaluated storage policies by a storage system in view of the storage system target function, wherein the one or more storage policies derived from the simulation are applied within limits defined by one or more mandatory constraints or one or more preferential constraints set without regard to the generated simulation results.