Prediction of Critical Filling of a Storage Area Network by Machine Learning Methods

Abstract

The introduction of digital technologies into the activities of companies is based on software and hardware systems, which must function reliably and without interruption. The forecasting of the completion of storage area networks (SAN) is an essential tool for ensuring the smooth operation of such systems. The aim of this study is to develop a system of the modelling and simulation of the further loading of SAN on previously observed load measurements. The system is based on machine learning applied to the load prediction problem. Its novelty relates to the method used for forming input attributes to solve the machine learning problem. The proposed method is based on the aggregation of data on observed loading measurements and the formalization of the problem in the form of a regression analysis problem. The artificial dataset, synthesized stochastically according to the given parameter intervals and simulating SAN behavior, allowed for more extensive experimentation. The most effective algorithm is CatBoost (gradient boosting on decision trees), which surpasses other regression analysis algorithms in terms of R2 scores and MAE. The selection of the most significant features allows for the simplification of the prediction model with virtually no loss of accuracy, thereby reducing the number of confessions used. The experiments show that the proposed prediction model is adequate to the situation under consideration and allows for the prediction of the SAN load for the planning period under review with an R2 value greater than 0.9. The model has been validated on a series of real data on SAN.