Patent ID: 7831566

Claim:
A method of adjusting future filter policies in a data storage system managed by a global storage management server, the method comprising: sampling, prior to a time T 0 , at least some of the data storage resources performing a certain storage operation, wherein the sampling determines data transfer loads on the data storage resources; determining, at time T 0 , a job usage factor for each of the data storage resources using the determined data transfer loads, wherein the job usage factor relates to storage performance of a data storage resource during the certain storage operation; identifying, at a time T 1 later than T 0 : a future storage operation currently associated with a first filter policy; and a second, different filter policy; wherein the future storage operation is to be performed under the first filter policy and at a time that is later than T 1 ; and wherein, the first filter policy and the second filter policy each define at least two of the following: when to perform data storage operations, how often to perform data storage operations, a data storage location to use during a data storage operation, a relationship between components to use during a data storage operation, accessible datapipes for use during data storage operations, data storage retention schemes, data compression or encryption requirements, and a network pathway to use for a storage operation; and, wherein the identifying is performed at least in part by analyzing at least two iob usage factors in order to determine that performing the future storage operation in accordance with the first filter policy would result in a higher mean number of jobs in the data storage system than if the future storage operation were performed in accordance with the second, different filter policy; associating the identified future storage operation with the second, different filter policy instead of the first filter policy; and performing, at a time T 2 that is subsequent to T 1 , the identified storage operation in accordance with the second filter policy.