Abstract: An exposed Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) target of a backup repository is defined as a source of, and a storage volume to be recovered as a target of, a mirrored pair of storage resources. The iSCSI target represents a point-in-time backup snapshot. Data from the iSCSI target is synchronized to the storage volume. The mechanisms of the illustrated embodiments leverage iSCSI with Instant Restore to reduce a Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and provide a secure transport when recovering a volume over a WAN.

Abstract: An exposed Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) target of a backup repository is defined as a source of, and a storage volume to be recovered as a target of, a mirrored pair of storage resources. The iSCSI target represents a point-in-time backup snapshot. Data from the iSCSI target is synchronized to the storage volume. The mechanisms of the illustrated embodiments leverage iSCSI with Instant Restore to reduce a Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and provide a secure transport when recovering a volume over a WAN.

Abstract: Techniques for adjusting the frequency of data backups and initiating event-driven backups in a storage system are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a self-adjusting backup frequency, known as a “Change Rate Objective,” is defined to conduct or delay backups for one or more volumes in the storage system on the basis of an associated policy value. The Change Rate Objective may be tied to one or more business or data activity events, such as the amount and type of data changes since a last backup. The storage system may also be tailored to conduct or delay full or incremental backups on the basis of a Change Rate Objective that measures whether a full or incremental or differential backup is more appropriate. Various data or system failures, or data or business events may also be used to adjust the retention periods of continuous data protection (CDP) data and delay a rollup of CDP data.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for restoring objects in a client-server environment. An entry is added to an index for each chunk identifier. Each index entry includes one of the chunk identifiers and a reference to the chunk of data in the target storage from which the chunk identifier was calculated. A request is transmitted to a server recovery agent to recover an object from the storage server. Chunk identifiers of chunks of data in the requested object to recover are received from the server recovery agent. A determination is made from the index of whether the received chunk identifiers for the requested object matches the chunk identifiers indicated in the index. A request is made of the chunks from the server recovery agent for the received chunk identifiers not matching chunk identifiers in the index entries.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for restoring objects in a client-server environment. An entry is added to an index for each chunk identifier. Each index entry includes one of the chunk identifiers and a reference to the chunk of data in the target storage from which the chunk identifier was calculated. A request is transmitted to a server recovery agent to recover an object from the storage server. Chunk identifiers of chunks of data in the requested object to recover are received from the server recovery agent. A determination is made from the index of whether the received chunk identifiers for the requested object matches the chunk identifiers indicated in the index. A request is made of the chunks from the server recovery agent for the received chunk identifiers not matching chunk identifiers in the index entries.

Abstract: Novel storage area networks (SANs) and methods of operation thereof utilize a plurality of hosts coupled via an interconnect with one or more storage units. A manager device, process or other functionality in communication with a plurality of agent processes, devices or other functionality, each of which is associated with a host. The agents identify attributes of (i) their associated hosts, (ii) interconnect to which that host is coupled, and/or (iii) storage units to which that host is coupled via the interconnect. The manager responds to these attributes identified by the agents to manage the SAN. The manager can be implemented on a first digital data processor and the hosts on further digital data processors. These digital data processors can be coupled via a first network, e.g., an IP or other network, to support communications between the manager and the agents. A second network, e.g.

Abstract: A network system supports multiple network communication protocols. An Ethernet component gateway in a Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) initiator system converts FCoE data packets from host devices to Fiber Channel over Internet Protocol (FCIP) data packets for transmission to a Storage Area Network (SAN) target system. The SAN target system may include a target Fiber Channel (FC) storage device and a SAN component gateway. The SAN component gateway converts FCIP data packets to SAN data packets for use by the target FC storage device. The SAN data packets may be either FC protocol data packets or FCoE protocol data packets. The SAN target system may provide for discovery of target FC storage device adapter information.

Abstract: An exposed Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) target of a backup repository is defined as a source of, and a storage volume to be recovered as a target of, a mirrored pair of storage resources. The iSCSI target represents a point-in-time backup snapshot. Data from the iSCSI target is synchronized to the storage volume. The mechanisms of the illustrated embodiments leverage iSCSI with Instant Restore to reduce a Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and provide a secure transport when recovering a volume over a WAN.

Abstract: A system according to one embodiment includes at least one processor configured to: receive a request to perform a snapshot of data associated with an application running on multiple servers; instruct I/O Freezers on different servers to freeze data requests from instances of the application running on the servers; and instruct the I/O Freezers to initiate snapshot processing on the data associated with the application so that the I/O Freezers perform the snapshot processing within the same window of synchronization.

Abstract: Various embodiments are provided for restoration of data by a processor. In one embodiment, by way of example only, an exposed Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) target of a backup repository is defined as a source of, and a storage volume to be recovered as a target of, a mirrored pair of storage resources. The iSCSI target represents a point-in-time backup snapshot. Data from the iSCSI target is synchronized to the storage volume. The mechanisms of the illustrated embodiments leverage iSCSI with Instant Restore to reduce a Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and provide a secure transport when recovering a volume over a WAN.

Abstract: Techniques for adjusting the frequency of data backups and initiating event-driven backups in a storage system are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a self-adjusting backup frequency, known as a “Change Rate Objective,” is defined to conduct or delay backups for one or more volumes in the storage system on the basis of an associated policy value. The Change Rate Objective may be tied to one or more business or data activity events, such as the amount and type of data changes since a last backup. The storage system may also be tailored to conduct or delay full or incremental backups on the basis of a Change Rate Objective that measures whether a full or incremental or differential backup is more appropriate. Various data or system failures, or data or business events may also be used to adjust the retention periods of continuous data protection (CDP) data and delay a rollup of CDP data.

Abstract: Embodiments for data tagging in a computing environment are provided. A write operation in an operating system (OS) file system level storage layer is intercepted. A set of signatures in a sub-chunk level is calculated. The set of signatures are aligned to the beginning of an OS file system-level object and stored in a memory location, such as a cache, along with file system information relating to the write operation and to the file system-level object that the data is written into. Following file system processing, and as the data is written into storage in blocks, the write operation is intercepted in the block level storage layer. A secondary set of signatures in a sub-block level is calculated using a common algorithm used to create the original set of signatures. The sets of signatures are compared against each other, and blocks of the data having matching signatures are tagged with the file system information stored in the memory location.

Abstract: Estimating a recovery time for a data asset is provided. A request is received to project a recovery time for a data asset that uses a repository. A determination is made as to whether there are one or more existing recovery times for other data assets and other repositories that have characteristics similar to the data asset and the repository of the request. The recovery time for the data asset is projected using the one or more existing recovery times in response to an existence of the one or more existing recovery times.

Abstract: Embodiments for data tagging in a computing environment are provided. A write operation in an operating system (OS) file system level storage layer is intercepted. A set of signatures in a sub-chunk level is calculated. The set of signatures are aligned to the beginning of an OS file system-level object and stored in a memory location, such as a cache, along with file system information relating to the write operation and to the file system-level object that the data is written into. Following file system processing, and as the data is written into storage in blocks, the write operation is intercepted in the block level storage layer. A secondary set of signatures in a sub-block level is calculated using a common algorithm used to create the original set of signatures. The sets of signatures are compared against each other, and blocks of the data having matching signatures are tagged with the file system information stored in the memory location.

Abstract: A network system supports multiple network communication protocols. An Ethernet component gateway in a Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) initiator system converts FCoE data packets from host devices to Fibre Channel over Internet Protocol (FCIP) data packets for transmission to a Storage Area Network (SAN) target system. The SAN target system may include a target Fibre Channel (FC) storage device and a SAN component gateway. The SAN component gateway converts FCIP data packets to SAN data packets for use by the target FC storage device. The SAN data packets may be either FC protocol data packets or FCoE protocol data packets. The SAN target system may provide for discovery of target FC storage device adapter information.

Abstract: Estimating a recovery time for a data asset is provided. A request is received to project a recovery time for a data asset that uses a repository. A determination is made as to whether there are one or more existing recovery times for other data assets and other repositories that have characteristics similar to the data asset and the repository of the request. The recovery time for the data asset is projected using the one or more existing recovery times in response to an existence of the one or more existing recovery times.

Abstract: A method and system for integrating migration level two (ML2) and backup tape processing provide for the backup, archival, and/or restoration of ML2 tape files without the use of tape mounts. In this manner, the amount of data movement required to recover from data loss is significantly reduced. Tape files may be recovered to their original status, even if the file has migrated to ML2. The status of the data is preserved after such a recovery operation. In this manner, data movement is reduced because no remigration of data is required after a recovery.

Abstract: A first file system to assist in the storage management of a second file system not able to store its own management classes and management attributes. A repository file space in the first file system is used to accomplish the storage of some or all of the management classes or attributes for the files of the second file system. For each file in the second file system an empty file is created in the repository file space of the first file system. The creation of an empty file in the repository file space causes a management class to be selected for the file and stored in the catalog of the first file system as would be done for any file in the first file system. A naming convention is used to link each file in the repository file space with its associated file in the second file system. The additional files in the first file system are left empty as no other information need be stored for storage management purposes.

Abstract: A data storage hierarchy which inherently allows for a level 1 storage file to be uniquely identified across an entire network is disclosed. A directory naming convention is employed which includes an internal identifier and a name for each subdivision of the network. Because each file can be uniquely identified across the network, a single level 1 storage space in a file space, or a directory therein, can be used for the entire network. Also, because of the inherent uniqueness of the naming system, common DASD control files otherwise required to map between level 1 storage files and their level 0 source files can be eliminated.