Abstract:
Aspects of the present invention provide a disk-to-disk-to-tape backup method and system responsive to a combined backup request to backup a dataset to a backup disk according to a disk backup schedule and then to backup the dataset from the backup disk to a backup tape according to a tape backup schedule. The combined backup method completes a backup of the dataset to the backup disk and then to a backup tape device in accordance with a resolved schedule that considers potential conflicts between the schedules. To restore, aspects of the invention receive a request to restore a backup of the dataset from a backup-tape and the resolved schedule derived from the tape backup schedule and the disk backup schedule. The restoration verifies that a backup tape holds the target dataset by matching a combined backup identifier from the request against a corresponding combined backup identifier held in storage.
Abstract:
A plurality of types of volumes are maintained, a volume being a logical arrangement of storage space on one or more data storage devices. A volume type field is used to designate the type of a particular volume, and a flexible volume paradigm is selected by the volume type field for interpreting data within a data structure written to a data storage device of the one or more data storage devices. A physical volume block number to virtual volume block number mapping pair (pvbn/vvbn pair) is designated by the volume type field, the pvbn/vvbn pair is used to translate a physical volume block number to a virtual volume block number. A request to write a data to a first block of the particular volume is received, a pvbn/vvbn pair is determined. The data is written to the physical block designated by the pvbn/vvbn pair.
Abstract:
A method implements a cache-policy switching module in a storage system. The storage system includes a cache memory to cache storage data. The cache memory uses a first cache configuration. The cache-policy switching module emulates the caching of the storage data with a plurality of cache configurations. Upon a determination that one of the plurality of cache configurations performs better than the first cache configuration, the cache-policy switching module automatically applies the better performing cache configuration to the cache memory for caching the storage data.
Abstract:
Methods and systems for predictive change management in a network are provided. A configuration change can be specified and pre-validated according to the access path policy, before the actual changes are implemented. The conformance of the implemented configuration change with the access path policy is validated after implementation, because of possible consequential effects of the configuration change. If a change in one or more access paths is specified, then associated component events can be simulated before implementation, so that root causes for resulting access path violations can be detected and remedied before the changes are made.
Abstract:
The present invention is a method for implementing a storage system. The storage system may include a disk array having a disk drive pair which includes a solid-state disk drive and a hard disk drive. The method may include the step of copying a data subset of a data set from the hard disk drive to a spare solid-state disk drive during a solid-state disk drive rebuild process. The data subset includes a first amount of data and the data set includes a second amount of data, where the first amount of data is less than the second amount of data. The method may further include the step of receiving a read request from a host server requesting the data subset. The method further includes the step of directing the read command to the spare solid-state disk drive. The method may further include the step of, prior to completion of copying of the data set from the hard disk drive to the spare solid-state disk drive, reading the data subset from the spare solid-state disk drive based upon the read command. Further, the disk array may be configured as a Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) configuration, such as a Level 1 RAID configuration (RAID 1 configuration) with the disk drive pair being a RAID disk drive pair, such as RAID 1 disk drive pair.
Abstract:
A system and method enhances performance of a log adapted for use with a storage system. The log is illustratively organized into a plurality of regions, wherein each region comprises one or more entries and wherein each region is allocated to a consistency collection. As used herein, a consistency collection is defined as a set of one or more data containers among which it is desired to maintain transaction consistency, i.e., atomicity of updates of a transaction to those containers. Each entry of the region is adapted to store an update of data from a source, e.g., an application executing on the storage system. Thus, the consistency collection may comprise multiple data containers associated with one or more applications configured to maintain the atomicity of transaction updates to the collection of containers.
Abstract:
Method and system is provided where PHY state change (PHY CHANGE) notifications from one or more PHYs in a storage infrastructure are monitored as a potential error condition. The rate of PHY CHANGE notifications is monitored to determine if the rate of PHY CHANGE notifications may cause a loss of service or degrade I/O performance. An excessive rate of PHY CHANGE notification that may cause a loss of service is detected by comparing a current PHY CHANGE count with a burst threshold value. The current PHY CHANGE count is also compared to an operational threshold value to detect if the rate of PHY CHANGE notification may result in degradation of overall I/O performance. If the PHY CHANGE count for a PHY equals or exceeds the burst threshold value or the operational threshold value, then the PHY is disabled.
Abstract:
In a method and apparatus for scalable deduplication, a data set is partitioned into multiple logical partitions, where each partition can be deduplicated independently. Each data block of the data set is assigned to exactly one partition, so that any two or more data blocks that are duplicates of each are always be assigned to the same logical partition. A hash algorithm generates a fingerprint of each data block in the volume, and the fingerprints are subsequently used to detect possible duplicate data blocks as part of deduplication. In addition, the fingerprints are used to ensure that duplicate data blocks are sent to the same logical partition, prior to deduplication. A portion of the fingerprint of each data block is used as a partition identifier to determine the partition to which the data block should be assigned. Once blocks are assigned to partitions, deduplication can be done on partitions independently.
Abstract:
In an embodiment of the invention, an apparatus uses a LUN (logical unit number) data type for storage allocation. The apparatus includes a storage appliance that specifies a LUN data type for a LUN. The storage appliance then allocates data blocks in the LUN based on the LUN data type. The storage appliance allocates data blocks in the LUN as contiguous data blocks or as non-contiguous data blocks, based on the LUN data type. The LUN data type may be, for example, database data type, user data type, or binary data type.
Abstract:
Remote office deduplication comprises calculating one or more fingerprints of one or more data blocks, sending the one or more fingerprints to one or more backup servers via a network interface, receiving from the one or more backup servers an indication of which one or more data blocks corresponding to the one or more fingerprints should be sent to the one or more backup servers, and if the indication indicates one or more data blocks to be sent to the one or more backup servers, sending the one or more data blocks to the one or more backup servers via the network interface.