Abstract: An archival blockchain system is disclosed that includes a cache-tier storage level where data is stored before it has met a first aging criteria, a disk-tier storage level where the data is migrated to and stored within archival blockchain blocks after it has met the first aging criteria. When the archival blockchain blocks containing the data meet a second aging criteria they are migrated to a tape-tier storage level where the disk-tier archival blockchain blocks are stored within another archival blockchain block stored on the tape-tier. This archival blockchain system also includes a blockchain appliance in digital data communication with the cache-tier, disk-tier, and tape-tier storage levels that maintains a ledger that stores data pointers to the data stored on the cache-tier, disk-tier, and tape-tier storage levels to logically link them into a contiguous data set.

Abstract: A storage system may manage I/O communications between the storage system and other components on a storage network based on the state information of transceivers (e.g., SFPs) along I/O paths between the storage system and other network components. A storage system may send one or more queries to a switch of a data storage network. The query may request the state information of transceivers within any port on any I/O path through the switch between the storage system and another component on the storage network, for example, a host system or another storage system. The storage system may receive the requested transceiver state information in one or more responses, and manage I/O communications between the storage system and the other network component based on the received transceiver state information. The received state information may include, for each transceiver, an RX power level and/or a TX Power level for the transceiver.

Abstract: A mapped RAID system with a protection group of physical data storage drives calculates an affinity value for each pair of physical data storage drives in the protection group that is equal to a total number of RAID extents to which at least one drive extent is allocated from each of the physical data storage drives in the pair. A change from a previous level of RAID protection to a new level of RAID protection provided by one of the RAID extents is detected. The new level of RAID protection provided by the RAID extent uses fewer drive extents than the previous level of RAID protection provided by the RAID extent. The disclosed technology selects one of the drive extents previously allocated to the RAID extent for deallocation such that the range of the affinity values is minimized after deallocation of the drive extent.

Abstract: A system for adaptive storage device utilization is provided. The system is configured to: determine a new workload request for a data structure comprising layers in a stack configured for storing data objects; analyze resource usage patterns of the layers of the data structure, the resource usage patterns comprising a rate and volume of resource consumption; simulate a change in a data storage resource demand for each of the layers of the data structure based on the new workload request by constructing a simulated model of the data structure under the new workload; calculate an adaptive data storage resource configuration based on the resource usage patterns of the layers and the constructed model; and deploy the adaptive data storage resource configuration for the data structure at a data storage location, wherein storage resources of the data storage location are allocated based on the adaptive data storage resource configuration.

Abstract: Garbage collection is performed for a virtualized storage system whose virtual address space is addressed in extents. Valid data in source extents is copied via a cache into destination extents. Once all valid data in a source extent is copied into one or more destination extents, the source extent may be reused. A source extent is released for reuse only after the one or more destination extents that received the valid data copied from the source extent are determined to be full, and the valid data copied from the source extent to the destination extent via the cache is flushed out of the cache.

Abstract: A distributed data storage system can have a plurality of data storage devices connected to a host via a network controller. Receipt of a data access request from the host with the network controller can result in passing the data access request to a predetermined data storage device of the plurality of data storage devices with the network controller without processing the data access request. The data access request may then be satisfied with a device controller of the predetermined data storage device.

Abstract: Replicas of content can be managed in storage systems. In one example, a storage system can determine an amount of load on the storage system based on values for performance metrics indicating a performance of the storage system. Next, the storage system can determine that the storage system is to have a target number of replicas of content based on the amount of load on the storage system. The storage system can then adjust itself to have the target number of replicas of the content.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for receiving a plurality of updates to one or more metadata pages of a storage system, where the plurality of updates include one or more bulk updates and one or more delta updates. A transaction record may be defined. The delta updates may be written to a non-volatile log. The bulk updates may be written to a first metadata store position. The bulk updates may be written to a second metadata store position in response to writing the bulk updates to the first metadata store position. A status indicator for the transaction record may be set based upon, at least in part, writing the delta updates to the non-volatile log and one or more of writing the bulk updates to the first metadata store position and writing the bulk updates to the second metadata store position.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to a memory protocol. An example apparatus can execute a read command that includes a first chunk of data and a second chunk of data by assigning a first read identification (RID) number to the first chunk of data and a second RID number to the second chunk of data, sending the first chunk of data and the first RID number to a host, and sending the second chunk of data and the second RID number to the host. The apparatus can be a non-volatile dual in-line memory module (NVDIMM) device.

Abstract: Data protection operations based on direct storage access. Data protection operations that involve large data transfers are optimized or improved by transferring the data using a communication path that includes direct access to disks of a storage array. This avoids latencies associated with transferring data through the layers of the storage array. The locations of the data to be transferred are identified and provided to an appliance. The appliance can then read and transfer the data over a communication path that includes direct disk access.

Abstract: A data storage system performs updating of a set of global counters stored in persistent storage accessible to a plurality of processing nodes of a data storage system, the global counters storing respective global count values describing associated units of data storage shared by the processing nodes for performing data storage operations. The updating includes, by each processing node, using a respective set of in-memory delta counters storing respective delta count values to track changes to respective global count values due to data storage operations performed by the processing node with respect to the units of data storage. A summarization process is regularly executed to merge the delta count values of the delta counters of all processing nodes into the respective global counters.

Abstract: A memory system having multiple memory layers includes a first memory layer comprising a volatile memory, a second memory layer comprising a first sub-memory and a second sub-memory. In response to a reference failure that occurred in the first memory layer, to which a read reference failed data and a write reference failed data are respectively loaded from a lower level memory layer.

Abstract: Provided herein is a memory system and a method of operating the memory system. The memory system may include: a memory device including a plurality of memory blocks; and a controller configured to control the memory device to perform a read operation in response to a host command, and configured to control a read reclaim operation based on a read count of each of the plurality of memory blocks. During the read reclaim operation, the controller may select a program mode of a target memory block depending on the amount of valid data read from a victim memory block, and control the memory device to store the valid data in the target memory block based on the selected program mode.

Abstract: A method for execution by a computing device includes determining a set of actor parties required to authorize a change of protection status of a stored resource from a protected status to an unprotected status. A minimum quorum is determined for each of the set of actor parties. A plurality of authorizations to change the protection status of the resource to the unprotected status are received from a plurality of requestors via the network. A plurality of subsets of the plurality of requestors corresponding to the set of actor parties are identified. The protection status of the resource is set to the unprotected status in response to determining, for every one of the set of actor parties, that a number of requestors in a corresponding one of the plurality of subsets is greater than or equal to the minimum quorum for the one of the set of actor parties.

Abstract: A method for execution by a computing device includes determining a set of actor parties required to authorize a change of protection status of a stored resource from a protected status to an unprotected status. A minimum quorum is determined for each of the set of actor parties. A plurality of authorizations to change the protection status of the resource to the unprotected status are received from a plurality of requestors via the network. A plurality of subsets of the plurality of requestors corresponding to the set of actor parties are identified. The protection status of the resource is set to the unprotected status in response to determining, for every one of the set of actor parties, that a number of requestors in a corresponding one of the plurality of subsets is greater than or equal to the minimum quorum for the one of the set of actor parties.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods for buffer reset commands for write buffers. An example apparatus includes a memory and a controller coupled to the memory. The memory can include an array of resistance variable memory cells configured to store data corresponding to a managed unit across multiple partitions each having a respective write buffer corresponding thereto. The controller can be configured to update the managed unit by providing, to the memory, a write buffer reset command followed by a write command. The memory can be configured to execute the write buffer reset command to place the write buffers in a reset state. The memory can be further configured to execute the write command to modify the content of the write buffers based on data corresponding to the write command and write the modified content of the write buffers to an updated location in the array.

Abstract: A backup apparatus includes a hardware processor that selects one of a plurality of devices, the devices being communicably connected to each other and each including a storage apparatus and a connection I/F to connect to an external storage apparatus, and collectively makes a backup of backup target data held by the plurality of devices into the external storage apparatus connected to the connection I/F of a selected device, wherein the hardware processor selects one of the plurality of devices on a basis of a predetermined selection condition including an amount of data of backup target data held by each of the devices.

Abstract: A method for dynamically altering logical storage capacity within multiple storage drives is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method monitors, within a storage environment, characteristics (e.g., age, wear, etc.) of multiple storage drives. Each storage drive has an amount of overprovisioning associated therewith. Based on the characteristics, the method periodically modifies a logical storage capacity of the storage drives in order to alter the amount of overprovisioning. The method then reorganizes the storage drives within various storage groups (e.g., RAID arrays, storage tiers, workloads, etc.) based on their logical storage capacity. For example, the method may place, as much as possible, storage drives of the same logical storage capacity within the same storage groups. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.

Abstract: A memory device may include memory cells configured to establish multiple levels of charge distributions; and a memory controller configured to perform operations on the memory cells. The operations may include recording a bit count number for a highest level of charge distributions within a set of memory cells, recording a bit count number for a lowest level of charge distributions within the set of memory cells, counting bits for the highest level of charge distributions within the set of memory cells, counting bits in the lowest level of charge distributions within the set of memory cells, comparing the counted bits for the highest level to the recorded bit count number for the highest level, and comparing the counted bits for the lowest level to the recorded bit count number for the lowest level.

Abstract: An apparatus is configured to identify a storage volume to be added to a consistency group for replication from a source storage system (“source”) to a target storage system (“target”), to generate a snapshot of the storage volume, to create a dummy volume on the target, to copy the snapshot to the dummy volume, and to add the storage volume to the consistency group. In conjunction with replication of the consistency group from the source to the target, a determination is made for each of a plurality of data pages of the storage volume whether or not the data page already exists in the target as part of the dummy volume. For at least one data page that already exists in the target as part of the dummy volume, a reference count is incremented in the target for that data page instead of copying that data page from the source.