Abstract: Methods and systems for a storage environment are provided. For example, one method includes receiving a request from a storage server at an offload engine for reconstructing data lost due to a failed storage device of a parity group having a plurality of storage devices; retrieving data and parity by the offload engine from the parity group storage devices that are operational; determining by the offload engine XOR of the retrieved data and parity; presenting XOR of data and parity by the offload engine to the storage server with context information associated with the retrieved data; and reconstructing lost data by the storage server using the XOR of data and parity and the context information provided by the offload engine.

Abstract: Methods and systems for a storage environment are provided. For example, one method includes receiving a request from a storage server at an offload engine for reconstructing data lost due to a failed storage device of a parity group having a plurality of storage devices; retrieving data and parity by the offload engine from the parity group storage devices that are operational; determining by the offload engine XOR of the retrieved data and parity; presenting XOR of data and parity by the offload engine to the storage server with context information associated with the retrieved data; and reconstructing lost data by the storage server using the XOR of data and parity and the context information provided by the offload engine.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for performing an expansion of a disk array. Upon the failure of a disk in the disk array, the failed disk may be rebuilt stripe by stripe in the spare units distributed among other disks in the disk array. Upon repairing or replacing the failed disk with a spare disk, the repaired or spare disk may be rebuilt stripe by stripe using the data from the spare units. Upon receiving a write request to a stripe unit that has been rebuilt in the repaired or spare disk during expansion, the data of the request may be written in the stripe unit requested. Further, the data written may be mirrored, i.e., copied and stored, in the spare unit corresponding to the stripe unit requested. By mirroring the data to the corresponding spare unit, tracking each stripe that was updated during expansion may be eliminated.

Abstract: A method and system for managing data in a data storage system including a plurality of physical storage devices is disclosed. The method and system comprises providing a plurality of modules, where each of the plurality of modules includes at least one child. Each module receives an input command related to the data from a source, where the source is transparent to the module. The module decides to which one of its children to pass the input command, and passes the input command to that child for processing the data accordingly.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for performing an expansion of a disk array. Upon the failure of a disk in the disk array, the failed disk may be rebuilt stripe by stripe in the spare units distributed among other disks in the disk array. Upon repairing or replacing the failed disk with a spare disk, the repaired or spare disk may be rebuilt stripe by stripe using the data from the spare units. Upon receiving a write request to a stripe unit that has been rebuilt in the repaired or spare disk during expansion, the data of the request may be written in the stripe unit requested. Further, the data written may be mirrored, i.e., copied and stored, in the spare unit corresponding to the stripe unit requested. By mirroring the data to the corresponding spare unit, tracking each stripe that was updated during expansion may be eliminated.

Abstract: A method and system for managing data in a data storage system including a plurality of physical storage devices is disclosed. The method and system comprises providing a plurality of modules, where each of the plurality of modules includes at least one child. Each module receives an input command related to the data from a source, where the source is transparent to the module. The module decides to which one of its children to pass the input command, and passes the input command to that child for processing the data accordingly.

Abstract: A method and system for indexing adapters within a data processing system where the data processing system contains multiple existing adapters, where each of the multiple existing adapters is identified by particular indexing data. All adapters within the data processing system are scanned. A determination of whether or not any additional adapters have been added to the data processing system in addition to the multiple existing adapters is made. Particular indexing data is assigned to any additional adapters in response to determining that additional adapters have been added to the data processing system, where any additional adapters added to the data processing system are indexed into the data processing system without changing the particular indexing data of each of the multiple existing adapters.