Abstract: A backup copy of a production device is used to quantify suitability of host application data for placement on individual managed drives and virtualized managed drives based on storage capabilities associated with those drives. A data analysis program on a data backup storage array may generate block backup statistics to indicate that a production device or certain chunks, blocks or volumes of host application data are highly compressible or reducible via deduplication. The block backup statistics are sent from the data backup storage array to the primary storage array. The primary storage array uses the block backup statistics to select a particular storage resource with suitable storage capabilities for the data. Highly compressible data may be stored on a storage virtualization storage array with data compression capability, and data that is neither highly compressible nor reducible with deduplication may be stored on local resources.

Abstract: Example embodiments of the present invention relate to methods, systems, and a computer program product for detecting and avoiding storage array performance degradation. The method includes anticipating an unpredictable performance state of a storage device in a storage array that degrades storage array functionality according to a performance profile for a storage device type of the storage device. In response, performance of the storage array may be adjusted to avoid the storage device entering the unpredictable performance state.

Abstract: Example embodiments of the present invention relate to a method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for mirroring data in a data storage system across a first storage device having a first latency and a second storage device having a second latency. The method includes receiving an I/O at the data storage system and controlling the I/O to the first storage device having the first latency or the second storage device having the second latency according to properties of the I/O and properties of the first storage device having the first latency and the second storage device having the second latency.

Abstract: A storage array uses both high endurance SSDs and low endurance SSDs for metadata paging. Wear cost values are calculated for each page of metadata in cache. The wear cost values are used to select pages for swapping out of the cache to the SSDs. The wear cost values may be calculated as a function of a first term that is indicative of whether the respective page of metadata will be written to high endurance or low endurance SSDs; a second term that is indicative of likelihood of data associated with the respective pages of metadata that will possibly be changed due to a write; and a third term that is indicative of age of the respective page of metadata in the cache since most recent use. The terms may be estimated and independently weighted. The portion of cache allocated for the metadata may be increased to avoid exceeding DWPD targets.

Abstract: A system, computer program product, and computer-executable method of balancing Input/Output (I/O) loads for cloud data storage systems including a plurality of hosts and a plurality of data storage arrays, the system, computer program product, and computer-executable method including monitoring, via a first host of the plurality of hosts, a status of a first data storage array of the plurality of data storage arrays, upon detecting a performance issue with the first data storage array, notifying a cloud manager of the first data storage array, wherein the cloud manager is in communication with each of the plurality of hosts and each of the plurality of data storage arrays, monitoring, via the cloud manager, the performance issue, and determining, via the cloud manager, whether to move at least one LUN from the first data storage array.

Abstract: Example embodiments of the present invention relate to a method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for directing I/Os for a chunk of data to a data storage system on which the chunk of data is stored. The host method includes receiving an I/O for a chunk of data, identifying to which data storage system the I/O should be sent to access the chunk of data, and sending the I/O for the chunk of data to the identified data storage system. Other example embodiments of the present invention relate to a method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for handling received I/Os during a migration of the chunk of data. The data storage system method includes migrating the chunk of data, queuing an I/O for the chunk of data received from a host during the migration, and rejecting the queued I/O as a result of the migration.

Abstract: Exemplary methods for data migration from a first storage system to a second storage system include maintaining a database containing deduplication information associated with a plurality of remote target storage systems. In one embodiment, the methods include identifying a plurality of storage devices of the first storage system as candidates to be migrated to the second storage system based on access patterns of the storage devices at the first storage system, and selecting one or more storage devices from the identified candidates to be migrated to a second one of the plurality of remote target storage systems that is selected based on the deduplication information of the database. In one embodiment, the methods further include migrating one or more datasets stored at the selected one or more storage devices to the second storage system.

Abstract: In a system in which a plurality of computing elements share a cache, each computing element owns a stripe of the cache. Each stripe contains cache objects that are accessible to all computing elements but managed only by the owning computing element. Each computing element maintains an LRU FIFO queue in local memory for the cache objects owned by that computing element. Each computing element also maintains a separate hash table in local memory for each other computing element. The hash tables indicate access to cache objects that are owned by those other computing elements. Each computing element updates its LRU FIFO queue when it accesses cache objects that it owns. The hash tables are periodically distributed by all computing elements via RDMA so that the LRU FIFO queues of all computing elements can be updated based on accesses to owned cache objects by other non-owner computing elements.

Abstract: Described are techniques for processing I/O operations. A read operation is received to read first data from a first location. It is determined whether the read operation is a read miss and whether non-location metadata for the first location is stored in cache. Responsive to determining that the read operation is a read miss and that the non-location metadata for the first location is not stored in cache, first processing is performed that includes issuing concurrently a first read request to read the first data from physical storage and a second read request to read the non-location metadata for the first location from physical storage.

Abstract: A computer-executable method, system, and computer program product for managing a flash cache module in a data storage system, wherein the data storage system is in communication with a data storage array, the computer-executable method comprising receiving a request to write a first data block to the flash cache module; analyzing the flash cache module to determine if there is a free portion of memory on the flash cache module for the first data block; and upon a negative determination, writing the first data block to a used portion of memory on the flash cache module.

Abstract: Described are techniques for caching metadata. At least a portion of the cached metadata may be stored persistently on flash-based storage. A data movement granularity size may be determined in accordance with one or more values including M denoting a number of storage units, or more generally metadata objects, having associated metadata stored in a single cached metadata page. At least a portion of the associated metadata is stored on the flash-based storage. A first data portion selected for data movement may have a size equal to the data movement granularity size. The first data portion has first metadata stored on the flash-based storage. The first metadata may include location metadata updated in connection with data movements performed. In accordance with data movement of the first data portion, the first metadata is updated. In a single write operation, the updated first metadata may be written to the flash-based storage.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for processing one or more data chunks on a host server. The one or more data chunks are destined for storage within a portion of a data array coupled to the host server. The one or more data chunks are stored within a host cache system included within the host server. Storage criteria concerning the portion of a data array is reviewed. The storage criteria includes an array bandwidth allotment that defines a maximum bandwidth between the host server and the portion of the data array. The one or more data chunks are written to the portion of the data array based, at least in part, upon the storage criteria.

Abstract: Described are techniques for processing I/O operations. A read operation is received to read first data from a first location. It is determined whether the read operation is a read miss and whether non-location metadata for the first location is stored in cache. Responsive to determining that the read operation is a read miss and that the non-location metadata for the first location is not stored in cache, first processing is performed that includes issuing concurrently a first read request to read the first data from physical storage and a second read request to read the non-location metadata for the first location from physical storage.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for storing a plurality of frontend data chunks within a cache system. The plurality of frontend data chunks correspond to a plurality of backend data chunks stored within a data array. A device weight is determined for each of the plurality of backend data chunks. The device weight is indicative of the type of storage device upon which each of the plurality of backend data chunks is stored within the data array. A deletion score is assigned to each of the plurality of frontend data chunks. Each deletion score is based, at least in part, upon the device weight determined for its corresponding backend data chunk.

Abstract: Described are techniques for storing data. A data access pattern is identified for accessing a first set of data portions of a first logical device, wherein the data access pattern includes a time-ordered list of consecutively accessed logical addresses of the first logical device. The first set of data portions are arranged on a second logical device. The first set of data portions have corresponding logical addresses on the second logical device and such corresponding logical addresses have a consecutive sequential ordering based on the data access pattern. The first set of data portions are stored at physical device locations mapped to the corresponding logical addresses of the second logical device.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method to backup a file includes reading a signature corresponding to a portion of a file stored in a first storage location using a read signature command, searching for the signature in a second storage location, saving the portion of the file as a pointer to the data with the same signature if signature exists and saving the data and the signature in the second storage location if the signature does not exist in the second storage.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for processing one or more data chunks on a host server. The one or more data chunks are destined for storage within a portion of a data array coupled to the host server. The one or more data chunks are stored within a host cache system included within the host server. Storage criteria concerning the portion of a data array is reviewed. The storage criteria includes an array bandwidth allotment that defines a maximum bandwidth between the host server and the portion of the data array. The one or more data chunks are written to the portion of the data array based, at least in part, upon the storage criteria.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for processing one or more data chunks on a host server. The one or more data chunks are destined for storage within a portion of a data array coupled to the host server. The one or more data chunks are stored within a host cache system included within the host server. Storage criteria concerning the portion of a data array is reviewed. The storage criteria includes an array bandwidth allotment that defines a maximum bandwidth between the host server and the portion of the data array. The one or more data chunks are written to the portion of the data array based, at least in part, upon the storage criteria.

Abstract: A host-based memory is maintained for a host computing device. Data obtained from a storage array in response to one or more read requests is stored in the host-based memory. The storage array includes an array-based memory and is configured to perform one or more data pre-fetch operations. The host computing device monitors for the occurrence of a set of sequential read requests. The set of sequential read requests is sent from the host computing device to the storage array when one or more read requests of the set of sequential read requests match data stored in the host-based memory. Thus, the storage array is enabled to perform one or more data pre-fetch operations in accordance with the array-based memory and the set of sequential read requests.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for defining a portion of a frontend cache system for use as a data array cache portion. One or more cache slots included within a backend cache system are identified that are going to be overwritten with hot cache data and are currently filled with cold cache data. The cold cache data included within the one or more cache slots included within the backend cache system is written to one or more cache slots included within the data array cache portion.