Abstract: A method, system and computer-readable medium for providing rapid failback of a computer system is described. The method, which operates during failback of a secondary computer to a primary computer, accesses a map to determine a location of a latest version of data corresponding to a read request, where the location may be within either a primary data storage or a secondary data storage. The system comprises a primary computer coupled to a primary data storage and a secondary computer coupled to a secondary data storage. The primary computer maintains a write log and the secondary computer maintains a map. The computer-readable medium contains instructions, which, when executed by a processor, performs the steps embodied by the method.

Abstract: A centralized Storage Area Network (SAN) management system based on a distributed client-server architecture. The SAN management system may include a SAN management server and a browser client. In one embodiment, the browser client may be a “thin” client that may make minimal use of web technologies on the client side. The SAN management server may gather SAN information, render the SAN information into images in an image format suitable for display by the browser client, and provide the images to the browser client for display. The SAN management system, through the browser client, may provide views into a SAN based on host, device, fabric, and/or storage groups, as well as alerts to diagnose and avoid outages. In one embodiment, the browser client may provide an interface to access features of the SAN management system to perform SAN management functions.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically reorganizing files to avoid the problem of file fragmentation. At an appropriate time, such as when an I/O request to write to a file is received, the file may be marked as possibly being in need of reorganization. The system may later determine that the file was marked for possible reorganization and may examine the file to determine whether the file is actually in need of reorganization, i.e., whether the file is fragmented. If so, then the file may be automatically reorganized to eliminate the fragmentation. In another embodiment, files may first be checked to determine whether they are actually in need of reorganization before being marked. The method may benefit a computer system by automatically detecting and reorganizing fragmented files on an individual file basis.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a computer accessible medium stores a plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed: track dependencies among a plurality of assets; and responsive to an identification of an asset for potential recovery (the “selected asset”), identify an asset dependency set corresponding to the selected asset. The asset dependency set comprises at least a subset of the plurality of assets, wherein each asset in the subset has a dependency with the selected asset. In some embodiments, one or more of the following may be provided: tracking asset dependencies and presenting the asset dependency set to the user; pruning the asset dependency set to a recovery set identifying the asset dependency set; generating the recovery order (optionally optimized); initiating the recovery according to the recovery order; performing recovery steps; generating the recovery plan and/or executing recovery plans.

Abstract: Redirecting a data object such as a file block extent. The data object can be redirected from a first memory block to a second memory block, wherein the second memory block includes a copy of modified data of the first memory block. The redirection may occur in response to a request to modify data of the data object. Redirection preserves the prior version of the data object stored in the first memory block to enable restoration of the data object if needed. In one embodiment, a first data object is mapped to a first memory block. A copy of data contents of the first memory block is created. Thereafter, data contained within the copy is modified in accordance, for example, with a request to write data to the first data object. The modified copy is stored in a second memory block, and the first data object is mapped to the second memory block.

Abstract: Various methods and systems for synchronizing replicas using a single change map are disclosed. One method involves detecting a write to a first region of a volume, while synchronization of the volume with a replica volume is ongoing. If the first region is unsynchronized with respect to a corresponding region of the replica volume, replication of the write is inhibited. Otherwise, the write is replicated. Writes for which replication is inhibited will be applied to the replica volume at a later time as part of the ongoing synchronization.

Abstract: A computer system and method for updating a software product. A computer system includes at least one client coupled to a server. The server obtains updates of a software product and associates the updates with ports. The server receives a query from a client including a request for a software product update via a first port. In response to receiving the update query, the server opens a connection to the client via the first port and determines if an update is associated with the first port. If an update is associated with the first port, the server conveys a response to the client including an update that is associated with the first port. If an update is not associated with the first port, the server closes the connection. Ports are sequentially numbered. The server maps updates to ports based on timestamps associated with the updates.

Abstract: A computer system that implements a method for creating a virtual snapshot of a first storage object. A first storage object such as a data volume is created, wherein creating the first storage object includes creating a first storage object description. This first storage object description relates the first storage object to underlying first storage objects or first physical memory regions. After creating the first storage object, a virtual copy of the first storage object is created as a second storage object. Creating the second storage object includes creating a second storage object description, wherein the second storage object description relates the second storage object to the first storage object. The first storage object is transmitted to a first computer system, and the second storage object description is transmitted to a second computer system.

Abstract: A method, system, computer system, and computer-readable medium for maintaining up-to-date, consistent copies of primary data without the need to replicate modified data when the data were modified as a result of an operation that is not an application-driven write operation captured during replication. Selected storage management operations are performed on the primary and secondary data stores at points in time when the data are the same to ensure that the data stored within the data stores remain consistent. These selected storage management operations include operations that produce modified data stored in the primary data store, where a portion of the modified data are not replicated to a secondary node. Other types of storage management operations are selected to be performed on both the primary and secondary data stores, where the operations do not directly change data in the primary data store, but may affect data stored in the primary data store.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium to maintain consistent, up-to-date copies of primary data. Primary data is maintained on a primary node, and point-in-time snapshots of the primary data are maintained on a secondary or remote node. Read operations can be directed to read some or all data from the remote node. When part of the data on the primary node becomes unavailable due to corruption, device failure, or communication failure, unavailable data can be read from the secondary node. When the determination is made that an unavailable portion of the data exists, a third data storage accessible by the first host can be created. Each subsequent change to the data in the first data storage can be written only to the third data storage. If an updated portion of the data is to be read, the updated portion can be read from the third data storage.

Abstract: A method involves generating a business rule; the business rule indicates whether a file should be included in a backup operation. Data is accumulated in a file history database, and the data represents one or more associations of the file. A result is determined, indicating whether the business rule indicates the file should be included in the backup operation. The result is based, at least in part, on the data in the file history database. The result is reported.

Abstract: A method and system of providing replica files within a fileset is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method is provided which comprises associating a source file and a replica file of the source file within a fileset, wherein the replica file of the source file comprises a virtual copy of the source file. In another embodiment wherein the source file comprises a metadata file system object and the replica file of the source file comprises a replica metadata file system object, the associating comprises generating a reference within the replica metadata file system object to the metadata file system object.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product for setting and implementing a policy to compress the history of data on a temporal volume is described.

Abstract: A system and method for directing query traffic. In one embodiment, the system may include a plurality of query servers, each configured to evaluate queries, and a query traffic director. The query traffic director may be configured to receive a given query formulated in a query language for evaluation, to parse the given query, to identify a dataset targeted by the given query dependent upon parsing the given query, and to convey the given query to a particular query server dependent upon the identified dataset.

Abstract: System and method for refreshing databases. A refresh mechanism may allow a data warehouse to remain available to users while the data is being refreshed. Embodiments may be used to perform low impact off-host data loading for databases including, but not limited to, data warehouses and to reduce the data loading window. A checkpoint of the production database may be generated. A database clone may be generated from the checkpoint. In one embodiment, the generated database clone includes references to data in the production database and not the data itself, and is thus storage space-efficient. Data may be loaded to the database clone. The checkpoint may then be switched to be the entry point to the production database after the loading is complete.

Abstract: A method involves detecting that a first storage device is inaccessible. The information stored on the first storage device is a synchronized copy of information stored on a second storage device. In response to detecting that the first storage device is inaccessible, modification logging is initiated. Modification logging involves detecting modifications to information stored on the second storage device and storing information that indicates an order in which the modifications occur to the second storage device. The stored information can indicate the order explicitly (e.g., by including a timestamp or sequence number) or indirectly (e.g., the order of entries stored in a log can indicate the order of the modifications represented by those entries). The stored information can also include the new values generated by the modifications. The stored information can then be used to resynchronize the information stored on the first and second storage devices.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer readable medium for asynchronously processing write operation on a volume having copy-on-write snapshots. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of: updating a normal mirror with write data associated with a write operation for the volume; asynchronously copying the write data from an asynchronous mirror to at least one copy-on-write snapshot; and, once the at least one copy-on-write snapshot is updated, updating the asynchronous mirror with the write data from the normal mirror.

Abstract: Various embodiments of methods and systems for assigning symbolic names to data streams within a file are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method involves receiving a request to access a file that includes multiple data streams and then selecting one of the data streams to be accessed, based on the symbolic name. In response to identifying that one of the data streams is associated with the symbolic name, that data stream is accessed.

Abstract: Various embodiments of methods and systems for dynamically switching to a new coordinator resource are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method involves receiving information identifying a new coordinator resource for use by a cluster; detecting whether each of the nodes within the cluster is committing to use the new coordinator resource; and switching from an existing coordinator resource to the new coordinator resource, in response to detecting that each of the nodes within the cluster is committing to use the new coordinator resource. This method can be performed concurrently with normal cluster operations, and thus the cluster need not be disabled to perform the switchover.

Abstract: A system for space-optimized backup set conversion may include a backup converter and a first sequence of backup images of a data source. Each backup image may be of a particular backup image type, such as a full image, a differential image, or an incremental image. The backup converter may be configured to convert the first sequence of backup images into a second sequence of backup images by converting a particular backup image of the first sequence into a transformed backup image of a different backup type. For example, a full image may be converted into either a differential image or an incremental image, and a differential image may be converted into an incremental image.