Abstract: Each node of a storage cluster determines its capabilities and advertises the set of capabilities along with respective capability weights to other nodes of the storage cluster. Nodes monitor their systems for capability changes and, as capabilities of the nodes dynamically change, the dynamic changes to the node capabilities are similarly advertised. The advertised capabilities are passed to a cluster service manager which creates capabilities groups based on the advertised capabilities of the nodes. When a service is deployed to the storage cluster or moved within the cluster, the cluster service manager determines the set of required capabilities associated with the service, and uses the capabilities groups to identify nodes of the storage cluster for implementation of the service. Where more than one node has advertised the required sets of capabilities, the weights are used in an election process to determine which node should be used to implement the service.

Abstract: Each node of a storage cluster determines its capabilities and advertises the set of capabilities along with respective capability weights to other nodes of the storage cluster. Nodes monitor their systems for capability changes and, as capabilities of the nodes dynamically change, the dynamic changes to the node capabilities are similarly advertised. The advertised capabilities are passed to a cluster service manager which creates capabilities groups based on the advertised capabilities of the nodes. When a service is deployed to the storage cluster or moved within the cluster, the cluster service manager determines the set of required capabilities associated with the service, and uses the capabilities groups to identify nodes of the storage cluster for implementation of the service. Where more than one node has advertised the required sets of capabilities, the weights are used in an election process to determine which node should be used to implement the service.

Abstract: A unique identifier is stored in shared data storage that is accessible to at least a first virtual storage processor and a second virtual storage processor within a virtual storage appliance. The unique identifier is generated when the virtual storage appliance is first started up, and then used by the first virtual storage processor to obtain at least one Internet Protocol (IP) address for use by a management stack that initially executes in the first virtual storage processor. In response to failure of the first virtual storage processor, the unique identifier is used by the second virtual storage processor to obtain, for use by the management stack while the management stack executes in the second virtual storage processor after the failure, the same IP address obtained by the first virtual storage processor.

Abstract: A virtual storage appliance having multiple storage processors is installed in a virtualized execution environment. Each one of the multiple virtual storage processors is a virtual machine that executes in the virtualized execution environment. At the time the virtual storage appliance is installed, properties of virtual resources provided by the virtualized execution environment to the virtual storage processors are obtained. The virtual resources provided by the virtualized execution environment to the virtual storage processors are consumed by the virtual storage processors while processing Input/Output (I/O) requests that are received by the virtual storage processors from at least one consumer application. The virtual storage processors are automatically configured in response to the properties of the virtual resources provided by the virtualized execution environment that are obtained at the time the virtual storage appliance is installed.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for generating, via a computing device, a virtual storage appliance template file. The virtual storage appliance template file may be duplicated to generate a plurality of virtual storage appliance configuration files. A plurality of virtual storage appliance nodes may be deployed, via a hypervisor, with the plurality of virtual storage appliance node configuration files. Each of the plurality of virtual storage appliance node configuration files may be configured for a respective virtual storage appliance node of the plurality of virtual storage appliance nodes.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computer system for identifying, by a computing device, a current persisted value of a reclamation pool. A default value of the reclamation pool may be identified. The current persisted value may be compared with the default value to determine which is a higher value. The current persisted value may be selected as a minimum memory operating state of the reclamation pool when the current persisted value is higher than the default value. The default value may be selected as the minimum memory operating state of the reclamation pool when the default value is higher than the current persisted value plus a multiplier defining a threshold size.

Abstract: A method comprising: allocating a first memory pool and a second memory pool, the first memory pool being allocated to a first application, and the second memory pool being allocated to a second application; receiving a first request for additional memory, the first request being submitted by the second application; assigning a portion of the first memory pool to the second application, the portion of the first memory pool including a set of memory chunks that are part of the first memory pool, the assigning of the portion including updating a first data structure portion to associate the second application with set of memory chunks; and notifying the second application that the portion of the first memory pool has been assigned to the second application.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computer system for identifying, by a computing device, a current persisted value of a reclamation pool. A default value of the reclamation pool may be identified. The current persisted value may be compared with the default value to determine which is a higher value. The current persisted value may be selected as a minimum memory operating state of the reclamation pool when the current persisted value is higher than the default value. The default value may be selected as the minimum memory operating state of the reclamation pool when the default value is higher than the current persisted value plus a multiplier defining a threshold size.

Abstract: A method comprising: allocating a first memory pool and a second memory pool, the first memory pool being allocated to a first application, and the second memory pool being allocated to a second application; receiving a first request for additional memory, the first request being submitted by the second application; assigning a portion of the first memory pool to the second application, the portion of the first memory pool including a set of memory chunks that are part of the first memory pool, the assigning of the portion including updating a first data structure portion to associate the second application with set of memory chunks; and notifying the second application that the portion of the first memory pool has been assigned to the second application.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for generating, via a computing device, a virtual storage appliance template file. The virtual storage appliance template file may be duplicated to generate a plurality of virtual storage appliance configuration files. A plurality of virtual storage appliance nodes may be deployed, via a hypervisor, with the plurality of virtual storage appliance node configuration files. Each of the plurality of virtual storage appliance node configuration files may be configured for a respective virtual storage appliance node of the plurality of virtual storage appliance nodes.

Abstract: A unique identifier is stored in shared data storage that is accessible to at least a first virtual storage processor and a second virtual storage processor within a virtual storage appliance. The unique identifier is generated when the virtual storage appliance is first started up, and then used by the first virtual storage processor to obtain at least one Internet Protocol (IP) address for use by a management stack that initially executes in the first virtual storage processor. In response to failure of the first virtual storage processor, the unique identifier is used by the second virtual storage processor to obtain, for use by the management stack while the management stack executes in the second virtual storage processor after the failure, the same IP address obtained by the first virtual storage processor.

Abstract: A virtual storage appliance having multiple storage processors is installed in a virtualized execution environment. Each one of the multiple virtual storage processors is a virtual machine that executes in the virtualized execution environment. At the time the virtual storage appliance is installed, properties of virtual resources provided by the virtualized execution environment to the virtual storage processors are obtained. The virtual resources provided by the virtualized execution environment to the virtual storage processors are consumed by the virtual storage processors while processing Input/Output (I/O) requests that are received by the virtual storage processors from at least one consumer application. The virtual storage processors are automatically configured in response to the properties of the virtual resources provided by the virtualized execution environment that are obtained at the time the virtual storage appliance is installed.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for automatically identifying and recovering storage objects. A storage system includes a plurality of storage objects associated with storage resources in communication with the storage system, and a storage processor. The storage processor initiates a recovery process in response to a first state of the storage processor and determines a status for each of the plurality of storage objects. The storage processor identifies one or more storage objects requiring recovery based on the status of each of the storage objects and determines a first storage object to recover based on a predetermined hierarchy of storage objects. The predetermined hierarchy is based on a dependency between one or more of the storage objects. The storage processor determines a recovery operation to recover the first storage object and initiates the recovery operation on the first storage object.

Abstract: Described are licensing techniques that may include: receiving a license specifying a maximum limit of a resource where the maximum limit denotes a maximum allowable consumption amount of the resource; providing the maximum limit to one or more software components; and enforcing, by the one or more software components, consumption of the maximum limit of the resource whereby an actual amount of the resource consumed is not allowed to exceed the maximum limit. The maximum limit may be a maximum storage capacity limit in connection with a virtualized storage system or appliance as well as a non-virtualized storage system or appliance. Software components may enforce the maximum limit, or a dependent limit derived therefrom, on the control path and data path. Limits specified in the license, or a dependent limit determined therefrom, may denote a maximum or minimum limit.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for defining a registry file for a data storage system. A boot operation mode is executed on the data storage system. The registry file is processed during the boot operation mode. A normal operation mode is executed on the data storage system. The registry file is processed during the normal operation mode.

Abstract: A method of initializing a computing device is provided. The method includes (a) powering up the computing device, (b) initially setting a flag to indicate no need to reboot the computing device, (c) sequentially starting a set of computing components operating on the computing device, (d) in response to one component of the set making a configuration change to the computing device, setting a flag to indicate a need to partially reboot the computing device, and (e) upon all components of the set of components completing to load, partially restarting the computing device conditioned on the flag indicating the need to partially reboot, partially restarting including sequentially restarting the set of computing components without powering up the computing device again. An apparatus, system, and computer program product for performing a similar method are also provided.

Abstract: While providing a storage service to a client system, a storage system maintains a complete set of storage service metadata for the service on the same storage device that stores the user data received from the client system. When an event is detected that requires the storage service to be moved to a new storage system, the storage service can be moved to a new storage system by moving the storage device containing both the user data and the storage service metadata to the new storage system. The new storage system detects the storage device that has been moved, and detects the storage service metadata and user data. The new storage system then uses the storage service metadata and user data from the storage device to immediately reestablish the storage service with the client system, without having to perform a separate step of copying the storage service metadata from the previous storage system.

Abstract: A method of controlling startup of a virtual storage appliance includes obtaining resource information about virtual resources (e.g., hardware resources) available in a virtual-computing environment of the host computer, and comparing the resource information with resource profiles describing sets of virtual resources compatible with resource needs of the virtual storage appliance. A comparison result is used to selectively enable or disable remaining startup of the virtual storage appliance, the remaining startup being enabled when the resource information matches one of the resource profiles, and being disabled when resource information does not match any of the resource profiles. A user may be notified using a reporting mechanism, and the virtual machine may be placed into a service mode that includes facilities for examining configuration and other information to determine the cause of a mismatch.

Abstract: An installation image of a virtual storage appliance (VSA) is protected by initiating VSA installation from an archive image establishing a pre-installation operating state. The archive image includes an installation image with a lockbox storing a first key for accessing the installation image. The lockbox is encrypted using a second key derived from a stable system value (SSV), such as data for device partitioning, obtainable from an execution environment in the pre-installation operating state. During installation, the SSV is obtained and used in decrypting the lockbox to retrieve the first key and use the installation image to install the VSA. The VSA is installed in a manner establishing a post-installation operating in which the SSV is no longer obtainable from the execution environment, e.g., due to changing the device partition information. An SSV obtained from the partition information post-installation does not yield the key for decrypting the lockbox, protecting the installed image.

Abstract: A method of establishing a platform-specific configuration of a virtual machine functioning as a virtual storage appliance includes, in a deployment operation, creating a virtual platform on host computer(s), the virtual platform being a collection of virtualized hardware resources having a selected configuration from among multiple possible configurations. A description of the selected configuration of the virtual platform is stored in a record accessible to the virtual machines during a later virtual-machine initialization process. The virtual machines are instantiated and their operation initiated, and the virtual machines perform the virtual-machine initialization process to (1) read the record to obtain the stored description of the selected configuration of the virtual platform and (2) use the description of the selected configuration of the virtual platform to self-configure into the platform-specific configuration for operation compatible with the virtual platform.