Storage network data allocation

Abstract

A method of allocating data to a storage block included in a storage network may include determining a plurality of characteristics associated with a storage block included in a storage network. The plurality of characteristics may include storage capacity of the storage block, available storage space of the storage block, likelihood of loss of data stored on the storage block, availability of the storage block with respect to the storage network, and use of the storage block. The method may further include allocating data to the storage block based on the plurality of characteristics.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of allocating data to a storage block included in a storage network, the method comprising:
 determining a plurality of characteristics associated with a storage block included in a storage network, the plurality of characteristics including storage capacity of the storage block, available storage space of the storage block, likelihood of loss of data stored on the storage block, availability of the storage block with respect to the storage network, and use of the storage block; and   allocating data to the storage block based on the plurality of characteristics and based on one or more of: a type of the storage block, a health of the storage block, a device type of a device associated with the storage block, use of the device, a likelihood of loss of the device, a health of the device, a location of the device, connectivity of the device with the storage network, a cost of connectivity of the device with the storage network, and a reliability of the device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a target redundancy of the data;   determining a redundancy role of the storage block for the data based on the plurality of characteristics; and   allocating the data to the storage block based on the redundancy role of the storage block.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising assigning the storage block as a primary repository of the data based on the plurality of characteristics. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising assigning the storage block as a secondary repository of the data based on the plurality of characteristics. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising allocating the data to the storage block based on a data characteristic of the data. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the data characteristic includes one or more of: data type, frequency of use of the data, target redundancy for the data, size of the data, information included in the data, time of addition of the data to the storage block, time of addition of the data to the storage network, origination of the data, and a user preference with respect to the data. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising allocating the data to the storage block based on the data characteristic as the data characteristic relates to one or more of the plurality of characteristics. 
     
     
         8 . A method of storing data on a storage agent of a storage network, the method comprising:
 communicating, to a storage network manager, a plurality of characteristics associated with a storage block included in a storage network, the plurality of characteristics including storage capacity of the storage block, available storage space of the storage block, likelihood of loss of data stored on the storage block, availability of the storage block with respect to the storage network, and use of the storage block;   receiving, from the storage network manager, a storage command for storing data on the storage block based on the plurality of characteristics;   storing the data on the storage block in response to the storage command; and   removing the data from the storage block based on one or more of the plurality of characteristics.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising storing the data on the storage block based on a data characteristic of the data. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the data characteristic includes one or more of: data type, frequency of use of the data, target redundancy for the data, size of the data, a ranking of the data, information included in the data, time of addition of the data to the storage agent, time of addition of the data to the storage network, origination of the data, and a user preference with respect to the data. 
     
     
         11 . A method of allocating data to a storage block included in a storage network, the method comprising:
 determining a plurality of characteristics associated with a storage block included in a storage network, the plurality of characteristics including storage capacity of the storage block, available storage space of the storage block, likelihood of loss of data stored on the storage block, availability of the storage block with respect to the storage network, and use of the storage block; and   allocating data to the storage block based on the plurality of characteristics and based on a data characteristic of the data.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining a target redundancy of the data;   determining a redundancy role of the storage block for the data based on the plurality of characteristics; and   allocating the data to the storage block based on the redundancy role of the storage block.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising assigning the storage block as a primary repository of the data based on the plurality of characteristics. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising assigning the storage block as a secondary repository of the data based on the plurality of characteristics. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising allocating the data to the storage block based on one or more of: a type of the storage block, a health of the storage block, a device type of a device associated with the storage block, use of the device, a likelihood of loss of the device, a health of the device, a location of the device, connectivity of the device with the storage network, a cost of connectivity of the device with the storage network, and a reliability of the device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the data characteristic includes one or more of: data type, frequency of use of the data, target redundancy for the data, size of the data, information included in the data, time of addition of the data to the storage block, time of addition of the data to the storage network, origination of the data, and a user preference with respect to the data. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising allocating the data to the storage block based on the data characteristic as the data characteristic relates to one or more of the plurality of characteristics. 
     
     
         18 . A computer-readable storage medium including instructions that cause a system to perform operations to allocate data to a storage agent of a storage network, the operations comprising:
 determining a plurality of characteristics associated with a storage block included in a storage network, the plurality of characteristics including storage capacity of the storage block, available storage space of the storage block, likelihood of loss of data stored on the storage block, availability of the storage block with respect to the storage network, and use of the storage block;   determining a target redundancy of the data;   determining a redundancy role of the storage block for the data based on the plurality of characteristics; and   allocating data to the storage block based on the plurality of characteristics and based on the redundancy role of the storage block.   
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise allocating the data to the storage block based on one or more of: a type of the storage block, a health of the storage block, a device type of a device associated with the storage block, use of the device, a likelihood of loss of the device, a health of the device, a location of the device, connectivity of the device with the storage network, a cost of connectivity of the device with the storage network, and a reliability of the device 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise assigning the storage block as a primary repository of the data based on the plurality of characteristics.