Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for selective write control in accordance with the present description. In one aspect, a write operation which is associated with a read operation, may be selectively discarded if write operations have been disabled and if the write operation is directed to update a designated write operation acceptance area such as metadata associated with the target data set, for example. As a result, the read operation may be permitted to proceed and will not fail because the associated write operation was discarded rather than attempting to commit the write operation to the designated write operation acceptance area, thereby avoiding an error condition for a storage unit such as a volume, in which write operations have been disabled. Accordingly, applications which seek to perform read operations may be permitted to access data stored on such a volume. Other aspects are described.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for data unit classification in accordance with one embodiment of the present description, in which in response to a data processing command, a storage controller classifies data units of a storage unit as either allocated to a data set or as unallocated to any data set. If allocated to a data set, the storage controller can further classify data set-allocated data units as either containing client data or metadata or as empty. In accordance with one aspect of the present description, the storage controller may bypass data processing of the data units which have not been allocated to any data set or otherwise do not contain client data or metadata. Other aspects of data unit classification in accordance with the present description are described.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing traffic alerts includes a distance module, analysis module, transmission module, and signaling module. The distance module measures the distance between a vehicle and an object in front of the vehicle. The analysis decides whether to signal a presence of the object that comprises determining that the measured distance is equal to or less than a threshold distance. The transmission module transmits an alert in response to the analysis module deciding to signal a presence of the object. The signaling module transmits a visual signal to one or more vehicles behind the vehicle in response to receiving the alert from the transmission module. The visual signal has one or more characteristics.

Abstract: Embodiments for scanning data within and between distributed computing components by a processor. Data scanning functionality is allocated through an object storlet located at a local node of the distributed computing components. The data scanning functionality is performed using computational components of the object storlet on local data contained within the local node to alleviate transfer of the local data outside of the local node to be scanned.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for data unit classification in accordance with one embodiment of the present description, in which in response to a data processing command, a storage controller classifies data units of a storage unit as either allocated to a data set or as unallocated to any data set. If allocated to a data set, the storage controller can further classify data set-allocated data units as either containing client data or metadata or as empty. In accordance with one aspect of the present description, the storage controller may bypass data processing of the data units which have not been allocated to any data set or otherwise do not contain client data or metadata. Other aspects of data unit classification in accordance with the present description are described.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for selective write control in accordance with the present description. In one aspect, a write operation which is associated with a read operation, may be selectively discarded if write operations have been disabled and if the write operation is directed to update a designated write operation acceptance area such as metadata associated with the target data set, for example. As a result, the read operation may be permitted to proceed and will not fail because the associated write operation was discarded rather than attempting to commit the write operation to the designated write operation acceptance area, thereby avoiding an error condition for a storage unit such as a volume, in which write operations have been disabled. Accordingly, applications which seek to perform read operations may be permitted to access data stored on such a volume. Other aspects are described.

Abstract: A computer program product for defragmenting volumes in a mirrored system is provided. The computer program product includes program instructions for suspending one or more updates from being mirrored from a first set of tracks on a first server to a second set of tracks on a second server. A defragmenting process is performed on the second server. The defragmentation process stores a before and after mapping of the second set of tracks, wherein the before and after mapping includes information identifying at least one track of the second set of tracks and a corresponding first location of the respective track before the defragmenting and a second location of the respective track after the defragmenting. The computer program product further includes program instructions for, upon defragmenting, relocating at least one track of the first set of tracks on the first server according to the stored before and after mapping.

Abstract: A computer system for defragmenting volumes in a mirrored system is provided. The computer system includes program instructions for suspending one or more updates from being mirrored from a first set of tracks on a first server to a second set of tracks on a second server. A defragmenting process is performed on the second server. The defragmentation process stores a before and after mapping of the second set of tracks, wherein the before and after mapping includes information identifying at least one track of the second set of tracks and a corresponding first location of the respective track before the defragmenting and a second location of the respective track after the defragmenting. The computer system further includes program instructions for, upon defragmenting, relocating at least one track of the first set of tracks on the first server according to the stored before and after mapping.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes receiving a request for a hypervisor to run a virtual machine; determining, using a processor, whether the virtual machine is authorized to run using a data structure having metadata about properties of the virtual machine; determining, using the processor, whether the hypervisor is authorized to run the virtual machine using a digital signature of the data structure; and running the virtual machine on a computer system using the hypervisor in response to determining that the virtual machine is authorized to be run and that the hypervisor is authorized to run the virtual machine. Other systems, methods, and computer program products are described in additional embodiments.

Abstract: A method for caching reads in a data replication environment is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method includes receiving a read request at a primary site of a data replication environment. The method executes the read request at the primary site. In the event data associated with the read request is not already cached at the primary site, the method stores the data in cache at the primary site. The method also notifies a secondary site of the read request at the primary site. This notification may be sent synchronously or asynchronously as time and resources allow. In the event the data is not already cached at the secondary site, the method stores the data in cache at the secondary site. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for data unit classification in accordance with one embodiment of the present description, in which in response to a data processing command, a storage controller classifies data units of a storage unit as either allocated to a data set or as unallocated to any data set. If allocated to a data set, the storage controller can further classify data set-allocated data units as either containing client data or metadata or as empty. In accordance with one aspect of the present description, the storage controller may bypass data processing of the data units which have not been allocated to any data set or otherwise do not contain client data or metadata. Other aspects of data unit classification in accordance with the present description are described.

Abstract: A method, according to one embodiment, includes receiving a request for a hypervisor to run a virtual machine, determining using a processor whether the virtual machine is authorized to run using a data structure having metadata about properties of the virtual machine, determining using a processor whether the hypervisor is authorized to run the virtual machine using a digital signature of the data structure, receiving a decryption key from a key authority when it is determined that the virtual machine is authorized to be run and it is determined that the hypervisor is authorized to run the virtual machine, unlocking and/or decrypting the virtual machine using the decryption key, and running the virtual machine on a computer system. Other systems, methods, and computer program products are described in additional embodiments.

Abstract: A method for releasing storage space in a space-efficient volume is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method includes maintaining, for a space-efficient volume, a bitmap comprising a bit for each track in the space-efficient volume. A host system indicates whether a track is one of used and unused by marking the corresponding bit in the bitmap. A storage controller reads the bitmap and frees tracks from the space-efficient volume that the bitmap indicates are unused. In certain embodiments, the bitmap is stored on the space-efficient volume. For example, the bitmap may be appended to a volume table of contents (VTOC) stored on the space-efficient volume. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.

Abstract: A computer system for defragmenting volumes in a mirrored system is provided. The computer system includes program instructions for suspending one or more updates from being mirrored from a first set of tracks on a first server to a second set of tracks on a second server. A defragmenting process is performed on the second server. The defragmentation process stores a before and after mapping of the second set of tracks, wherein the before and after mapping includes information identifying at least one track of the second set of tracks and a corresponding first location of the respective track before the defragmenting and a second location of the respective track after the defragmenting. The computer system further includes program instructions for, upon defragmenting, relocating at least one track of the first set of tracks on the first server according to the stored before and after mapping.

Abstract: Various embodiments for monitoring safety by a processor. A presence of a living thing is detected inside an enclosed environment to be monitored. The enclosed environment is capable of motion. The presence of the living thing is monitored in combination with at least one environmental factor in the enclosed environment. If the at least one environmental factor exceeds a predetermined threshold, an alert notification to indicate a current status of the environmental factor is provided to a user.

Abstract: A computer program product for defragmenting volumes in a mirrored system is provided. The computer program product includes program instructions for suspending one or more updates from being mirrored from a first set of tracks on a first server to a second set of tracks on a second server. A defragmenting process is performed on the second server. The defragmentation process stores a before and after mapping of the second set of tracks, wherein the before and after mapping includes information identifying at least one track of the second set of tracks and a corresponding first location of the respective track before the defragmenting and a second location of the respective track after the defragmenting. The computer program product further includes program instructions for, upon defragmenting, relocating at least one track of the first set of tracks on the first server according to the stored before and after mapping.

Abstract: A method for defragmenting volumes in a mirrored system. The method includes suspending one or more updates from being mirrored from a first set of tracks on a first server to a second set of tracks on a second server. A defragmenting process is performed on the second server. The defragmentation process stores a before and after mapping of the second set of tracks, wherein the before and after mapping includes information identifying at least one track of the second set of tracks and a corresponding first location of the respective track before the defragmenting and a second location of the respective track after the defragmenting. The method further includes, upon the defragment process completion, relocating at least one track of the first set of tracks on the first server according to the stored before and after mapping of the corresponding second set of tracks on the second server.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and for data activity tracking in accordance with the present description, in which metadata is read from a storage unit data structure for a storage unit storing data of a plurality of data sets in a plurality of data units of the storage unit. Based upon read metadata, a data set of the storage unit may be classified as one of active and inactive, and if classified as inactive, data units containing data of the inactive classified first data set may be selected. The data of the inactive classified data set may be migrated from the selected data units of a first storage performance tier to a second storage performance tier having a lower level of storage performance than the first storage performance tier. Other aspects of data activity tracking and migration in accordance with the present description are described.

Abstract: Various embodiments for management of object-based storage by a processor. A relationship-based analysis of attributes of an object in the storage is performed. A repository of the attributes is maintained, and a modification to the object insofar as any of the attributes change, is tracked. An object-based storage architecture is organized for the object using the attributes and their relationships.

Abstract: An apparatus for migrating data in a tiered storage architecture includes one or more processors and one or more memory devices coupled to the processors and storing instructions for execution by the processors. The instructions cause the one or more processors to: track temperature (i.e., frequency of access) of data blocks in a tiered storage architecture; generate heat maps indicating the temperature of the data blocks across different time intervals; process the heat maps using an image processing algorithm; compress the heat maps to reduce the size of the heat maps; compare the heat maps from the time intervals to identify temperature patterns occurring over time; predict, from the temperature patterns, when selected data blocks will change in temperature; and migrate the selected data blocks between tiers of the tiered storage architecture in anticipation of their changes in temperature.