Patent attributes
A method and apparatus for dynamically balancing the loading of data storage facilities is described. A listing is acquired of locations and loading of all segments of a requested data object including all copies of the segments of the requested data object. Those storage devices containing copies of each segment of the data object having a least loading is selected. If the loading of the storage devices is greater than the maximum loading for the storage devices, the segment is designated to be copied. The presence of all segments of the requested data object is determined. If there are missing segments of the requested data object, each of those missing segments is assigned a file identification and file location, such that those missing segments are assigned to data storage devices having the least loading. The missing segments are retrieved from a back-up storage device.
