Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for managing access command transmitted to a storage controller during the period that a device coupled to the storage controller is undergoing a firmware update. The storage controller manages access commands directed to the storage controller so that the access command may be managed in a manner that does not disrupt the firmware update processor or the completion of the access command itself. The storage controller enters a guard mode in which the firmware of the storage controller intercepts commands directed to the device undergoing a firmware update. Depending on the characteristics of the access command, the data of the command may be generated from other drives in a redundant drive array or the command may be saved to a cache or journal for later processing.

Abstract: A method for policy based provisioning of shared boot images includes querying a storage name server for boot target that is in an accessible discovery domain. Boot target information about the boot target is received. A login request is sent to the boot target. The login request includes a flag specifying whether the login request is a first login request after a reboot.

Abstract: A method for single sign-one for operating system (OS) boot image provisioning and OS login based on user identity includes receiving authentication information from an information handling system (IHS) over a network. The authentication information is associated with a user. The authentication information is sent to network services. Boot image information is received from the network services. The boot image information is associated with a boot image and the authentication information. The boot image is provisioned to the IHS over the network, wherein the boot image includes an OS that is configured to read the authentication information from a shared memory region of the IHS and use the authentication information to auto-login the user to the OS.

Abstract: Systems and methods for input/output communication are disclosed. A method for communicating data may include communicating metadata from a storage array to a host device, the metadata comprising information regarding data stored on a plurality of storage nodes disposed in the storage array. The method may further include determining, from the metadata, individual I/O requests to be communicated to each of the plurality of storage nodes. The host device may communicate the individual I/O requests to the plurality of storage nodes. Each of the plurality of storage nodes may execute the I/O operations responsive to the individual I/O requests.

Abstract: A system and method for power management of storage enclosures are disclosed. A system may include a storage enclosure and a host communicatively coupled to the storage enclosure. The storage enclosure may include at least one storage resource and a management module. The host may be configured to: (a) communicate data to the at least one storage resource via a particular transmission protocol; (b) communicate a power down command via the particular transmission protocol to the storage enclosure, the power down command operable to transition the storage enclosure from a high-power state to a low-power state; and (c) communicate a power up command via the particular transmission protocol to the storage enclosure, the power up command operable to transition the storage enclosure from the low-power state to the high-power state.

Abstract: A system and method of recovering cached data can be used when a particular physical storage device becomes unsuitable for storing data. In one aspect, the method can include providing the information handling system including a logical volume and a cache. The cache includes data that is to be stored within a particular physical storage device. The method can also include persisting the data within a different physical storage device. In one embodiment, the different physical storage device can be used to temporarily store the data when a logical volume is inaccessible. After the particular physical storage device becomes suitable to persist the data, the logical volume can be restored. The method can further include persisting the data within the particular or a replacement physical storage device. In another aspect, a system can be configured to carry out the methods described herein.

Abstract: Systems and methods for communicating data in a storage network are disclosed. A method may include communicating, from a host to a storage array, a request for data having different portions stored in different storage nodes of the storage array. In response to the request, a first storage node of the storage array may communicate to the host a first portion of the requested data stored on the first storage node. The first storage node may communicate a message to the host indicating that a second portion of the requested data is stored on a second storage node of the storage array. The host may communicate a message to the second storage node indicating that the host is ready to receive the second portion of the requested data. The second storage node may communicate to the host a second portion of the requested data stored on the second storage node.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing latency on a remotely-booted information handling system are disclosed. A method may include remotely booting an information handling system having a local storage resource. The method may also include establishing, at the start of a session, an encryption key for the local storage resource for use during the session. Additionally, the method may include using the encryption key to encrypt data written to the local storage resource during the session. The method may further include permanently disabling access to the encrypted data written to the local storage resource at the end of the session.

Abstract: Systems and methods for deployment of a software image are disclosed. A system for deployment of a software image may include a host communicatively coupled to a first logical unit including a generic boot image and a software image, and to a second logical unit communicatively coupled to the first logical unit. The host may be operable to (a) boot from the generic boot image via a transport protocol; (b) copy the software image from the first logical unit to the second logical unit via the transport protocol; and (c) boot from the software image via the transport protocol.

Abstract: A fast rebuild mechanism that includes a background initialization mechanism. The fast rebuild mechanism allows a RAID controller to be made aware of what blocks are actually in use so that only those blocks are rebuilt after a disk drive failure. The fast rebuild mechanism also includes functionality for an IO controller (such as storage controller) to detect whether a block has stored data to indicate that the block has valid data when the block is accessed.

Abstract: When a storage drive used as part of a redundant storage system is rebuilt, a drive controller obtains information for the rebuild process from an operating system (OS) specific agent. The information may include a bitmap, which indicates portions of a logical unit being used by the operating system. The bitmap is provided to a controller specific agent, which manipulates the bitmap into a form indicating which physical portions of the storage drive correspond to the portions of the logical unit being used by the operating system. The storage controller uses the bitmap to rebuild those portions of the physical storage drive being used by the operating system prior to rebuilding other portions of the physical storage device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for data storage and backup are disclosed. A system for data storage and backup may include a storage array comprising one or more storage resources and an agent running on a host device, the agent communicatively coupled to the storage array. The agent may be operable to automatically allocate one or more storage resources for the storage of data associated with a backup job of the hose device and communicate the data associated with the backup job to the allocated storage resources.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for the automatic assignment, or reassignment, of shared storage resources to blade computers in a blade server environment. A chassis manager is implemented as a processing entity on the mid-plane of a blade server chassis to provide, independently or in conjunction with other systems and/or attached storage devices, management of shared storage resources. Management of these resources includes, but is not limited to, creation of logical units, assignment of logical units to predetermined blade server chassis slots, and deletion of logical units. Host-based software is not required to assign shared resources to a computer blade, only its presence in a predetermined slot of a blade server chassis. Logical unit numbers (LUNs) are assigned by the chassis manager based on blade server slot IDs while host-unique identifiers, such as world wide names (WWNs) are used by one or more shared storage controllers for internal LUN addressing.

Abstract: A fast rebuild mechanism by which a RAID controller is made aware of what blocks are actually in use so that only those blocks are rebuilt after a disk drive failure. The fast rebuild mechanism uses data stored in the disk metadata to indicate whether a virtual disk supports a fast rebuild and on every block to indicate whether the block has valid user data. The fast rebuild mechanism also includes functionality for an IO controller (such as storage controller) to detect whether a block has stored data to indicate that the block has valid data when the block is accessed.

Abstract: A system and method for managing the multipath failover protocol of a storage area network that includes storage systems that include multiple ports and multiple storage controllers. A number of available storage paths between each server and each storage unit of the storage system are identified. A storage path is selected. In the event that the storage path becomes inoperable, an alternate storage path is selected in replacement of the inoperable storage path. The alternate storage path will be selected so that it does not include a storage controller that was part of the inoperable storage path.

Abstract: A computer-readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions for performing a method comprising detecting presence of a SATA device in the process of spinning up, and creating a target which comprises default information relating to the SATA device.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for the automatic assignment, or reassignment, of shared storage resources to blade computers in a blade server environment. A chassis manager is implemented as a processing entity on the mid-plane of a blade server chassis to provide, independently or in conjunction with other systems and/or attached storage devices, management of shared storage resources. Management of these resources includes, but is not limited to, creation of logical units, assignment of logical units to predetermined blade server chassis slots, and deletion of logical units. Host-based software is not required to assign shared resources to a computer blade, only its presence in a predetermined slot of a blade server chassis. Logical unit numbers (LUNs) are assigned by the chassis manager based on blade server slot IDs while host-unique identifiers, such as world wide names (WWNs) are used by one or more shared storage controllers for internal LUN addressing.

Abstract: A method of managing storage device resets in a system using shared storage is provided. A reset instruction is received at a shared storage device from a first node. In response, the storage device is at least partially reset, including aborting one or more queued I/O commands including a first I/O command received from a second node. A reset notification timer is started. If an I/O command is received from the second node during the reset notification timer, in response to receiving the I/O command the second node is notified of the storage device reset such that the second node can determine that the first I/O command was aborted. If no I/O command is received from the second node during the reset notification timer, at the expiration of the timer, the second node is notified of the storage device reset such that the second node can determine that the first I/O command was aborted.

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for failure recovery and communications in a shared storage system. The shared storage system includes at least two host nodes, each of which includes two ports. Each of the ports of each of the nodes is coupled to input ports of a storage enclosure. The input ports of the storage enclosures are in turn coupled to one another to form communications links between each of the host nodes. When the communications links between the host nodes fail, the host nodes are able to pass configuration information to each other by saving configuration information to a central location in a shared storage, such as a dedicated location in one of the storage drives of the storage enclosure that is directly coupled to both host nodes. The host nodes are able to force their peer nodes to read configuration changes before accessing possibly corrupted data from a previous configuration.

Abstract: A method, software and system are disclosed for enabling multi-path error recovery of failed communicators with sequential storage device systems. In one embodiment, an information handling system (IHS) coupled to a sequential storage device via first and second communication paths is provided. Information exchanges between the IHS and the sequential storage device are monitored for communication path failure. In response to a failure event on a primary communication path, status of the halted information exchange is maintained by a host bus adapter and its supporting software on the IHS and in a fibre channel interface module of the sequential storage device. Status information regarding the halted information exchange is communicated to a fail-over host bus adapter of the IHS. The information exchange is completed on the fail-over communications path beginning from the point of failure such that data of the sequential information exchange is maintained in order.