Managing Network Storage Objects › Storage Analysis Objects

Storage Analysis Objects

CA SRM collects storage data about file systems automatically and uses the information to populate a set of storage analysis reports for direct and indirect Windows computers, UNIX, and NetApp volumes.

The storage analysis reports are grouped under a Storage Analysis “object” in the Object Tree. To access the storage analysis reports, expand the Network Storage folder, then expand the Storage Analysis folder.

You can use the Storage Analysis reports to monitor your volume and file data. The reports calculate file-based statistics at the volume level and provide additional data about the distribution of the files on the volume. They also provide total data for all registered storage analysis objects, for example, NetApp filers, disk arrays.

The data collection traverses the files on each volume, starting at the root directory, and rolls each file into a number of condition-based groups. The data collection provides statistics for the following:

• Age or size distribution of files
• Aggregates on a file attribute, like ownership or file type (extension)
• Directory size totals
• Volume totals

A group is calculated for the following values:

• Size (sum of file sizes)
• Space (sum of space files occupy)
• Count (number of files in the group)
• Size percentage of the overall volume or share file size
• Count percentage of the overall number of files on the volume or share

The bucket sizes break down as follows:

Zero

Less than 1 byte

Tiny

Less than 32,768 bytes (8k)

Small

Less than 131,072 bytes (128k)

Medium

Less than 1,048,576 bytes (1 MB)

Large

Less than 16,777,216 bytes (16MB)

Huge

Less than 134,217,728 bytes (128 MB)

Gigantic

More than 134,217,727 bytes

The bucket ages break down as follows:

New

Less than 1 day

Current

Less than 7 days

Recent

Less than 30 days

Old

Less than 180 days

Mature

Less than 730 days

Ancient

More than 729 days

Each record statistic includes the following administrative attributes:

• Volume name
• Group name
• Server name

CA SRM saves the calculated statistics in the database in separate tables for each type of statistic. CA SRM creates these tables when you install the product. The tables have a fixed definition and function like other object tables.

The storage analysis reports are predefined. You cannot define new ones; however, you can define which statistics to collect.

Collecting data and calculating statistics can take time and load the computer; therefore, CA SRM does not collect all information by default. On Windows computers, you can use the change journal to expedite the process.