Patent ID: 8725966
Filing Date: 2014-05-13
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: maintaining, by a controller, a plurality of storage subsystems that are coupled to the controller, wherein a first storage subsystem has a first plurality of storage devices and a second storage subsystem has a second plurality of storage devices, wherein at least two storage devices of the first plurality of storage devices have different storage capacities; generating, by the controller, a plurality of storage groups, wherein a selected storage group comprises a first set of storage devices selected from the first plurality of storage devices of the first storage subsystem, and a second set of storage devices selected from the second plurality of storage devices of the second storage subsystem, wherein the first set of storage devices is fewer in number than the first plurality of storage devices of the first storage subsystem, wherein the second set of storage devices is fewer in number than the second plurality of storage devices of the second storage subsystem, wherein a primary data set is maintained in the first set of storage devices and a backup data set is maintained in the second set of storage devices, and wherein the first set of storage devices that maintains the primary data set is different in number than the second set of storage devices that maintains the backup data set; and in response to data being written onto and read from the plurality of storage groups over a period of time, adjusting, by the controller, the plurality of storage groups, based on usage statistics of the data, wherein the usage statistics are stored in a log file, and properties and organization of the data stored in a plurality of data structures that comprise storage management system constructs that include a plurality of storage classes, a plurality of data classes, and a plurality of management classes, wherein the adjusting comprises at least one of changing an amount of storage space in the plurality of storage groups, and adding, removing, or replacing one or more selected storage devices in the plurality of storage groups, and wherein the method further comprises: generating the plurality of storage classes from the log file, wherein a storage class provides at least a first indicator that indicates whether the data is critical; generating the plurality of data classes from the log file, wherein a data class provides at least a second indicator that indicates whether the data is compressed; and generating the plurality of management classes from the log file, wherein a management class provides at least a third indicator that indicates whether the data is to be backed up.