Patent ID: 7281106

Claim:
A method of improving performance of a storage system having a plurality of storage devices on which logical volumes are stored, the method comprising repeated executions of an optimization dispatch process and an optimization analysis process on a processing platform, each execution of the optimization analysis process including a search for a corresponding best swap of logical volumes among an identified set of the storage devices according to a predetermined performance criteria, each execution of the optimization dispatch process comprising: (A) identifying a set of M storage devices for which the optimization analysis process is to be executed, including (i) obtaining respective sets of candidate storage devices from a plurality of identification algorithms employing mutually distinct identification criteria, and (ii) merging the sets of candidate storage devices; (B) dispatching the optimization analysis process to be executed for the set of M storage devices until an earlier of (i) a successful completion upon which the best swap has been identified, and (ii) a stop condition upon which the optimization analysis process has used a predetermined quota of processing resources of the processing platform; and (C) adjusting M for a subsequent execution of the optimization dispatch and optimization analysis processes based on whether the successful completion or the predetermined stop condition occurs, M being adjusted such that over time a desired rate of successful completions is achieved.