Patent ID: 7251691

Claim:
A method for a first peer and a second peer to maintain an optimized balance of a plurality of data transfers to one or more storage devices, where said method comprises the steps of: ( 303 ) calculating a number of transfers, N(L), for each of said one or more storage devices; ( 304 ) calculating a first average latency, AL 1 (L), for each of said one or more storage devices for said first peer; ( 305 ) calculating a second average latency, AL 2 (L), for each of said one or more storage devices for said second peer; ( 307 ) calculating an absolute value of the difference of said first average latency and said second average latency for each of said one or more storage devices; ( 315 ) assigning as equal latency storage devices those of said one or more storage devices that have said absolute value less than or equal to a latency threshold; ( 325 ) assigning those of said one or more storage devices to said first peer that have said second average latency more than the sum of said first average latency and said latency threshold; ( 330 ) assigning those of said one or more storage devices to said second peer that have said first average latency more than the sum of said second average latency and said latency threshold; ( 340 ) calculating a first peer latency, T 1 , for said those of said one or more storage devices assigned to said first peer; ( 343 ) calculating a second peer latency, T 2 , for said those of said one or more storage devices assigned to said second peer; ( 345 ) calculating a equal latency, Teq, for said those of said one or more storage devices assigned as equal latency storage devices; ( 350 ) calculating a latency difference, Td, between said first peer latency, T 1 , and said second peer latency, T 2 , and calculating an absolute value of said latency difference, Td; ( 355 ) in response to said absolute value of said latency difference being greater than said equal latency, Teq, reassigning said those of said one or more storage devices assigned to said first peer and said those of said one or more storage devices assigned to said second peer to said first peer and said second peer so that said absolute value of said latency difference when recalculated with said reassignment of said those of said one or more storage devices assigned to said first peer and said those of said one or more storage devices assigned to said second peer to said first peer and said second peer is less than or equal to said equal latency, Teq; ( 357 ) reassigning said those of said one or more storage devices assigned as equal latency storage devices to said first peer and said second peer to minimize said absolute value of said latency difference, Td; and ( 360 ) transferring all data from said first peer to said one or more storage devices assigned to said first peer and transferring all data from said second peer to said one or more storage devices assigned to said second peer.