Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for power management in a storage resource. The storage resource comprises at least one RAID array including a plurality of physical drives. The method comprises: determining a reduced number of physical drives within a RAID array upon which data is to be concentrated; moving data stored on said RAID array and/or targeting data written to said RAID array to one or more of said reduced number of physical drives such that said data is concentrated on said reduced number of physical drives in said RAID array; and selectively applying power management logic to enable, based on at least one power management criterion, one or more physical drives in said RAID array to be powered down or to be supplied with reduced power.

Abstract: There is provided a method of duplicating a logical drive. The method includes sequentially copying data from a source logical drive to a destination logical drive and determining whether a write request is received to a data area on the source logical drive which has not yet been copied to the destination logical drive. If a write request is detected, the data at the write-requested data area is copied to the destination logical drive prior to executing the write request. By providing such a method, the destination logical drive can be used as the change-data store while in the process of the duplication operation, removing the need for a snapshot logical drive in the duplication process. This results in improvements in duplication speed and reduces drive wear due to the reduced number of data reads/writes.

Abstract: There is provided a method of resynchronising a previous duplication, started at a first time, of a source logical drive on a destination logical drive. The method comprises tracking changes to the data on said source logical drive since said first time and starting a resynchronisation operation at a second time later than said first time. The resynchronisation operation comprises copying data from said source logical drive to said destination logical drive by copying only data which has changed since said first time. By providing such a method, the need to copy data which has not changed since the previous duplication operation is alleviated. This reduces the time and processing required to perform the resynchronisation operation by eliminating unnecessary transfer of data which has not changed since the earlier duplication.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for implementing a virtual mirror of a primary storage device (106) on a secondary storage device (108). The method comprises providing a map (124a) for translating primary data storage locations on said primary storage device (106) to secondary data storage locations on said secondary storage device (106) and utilizing said map (124a) to enable data stored on said secondary storage device (108) to mirror data stored on said primary storage device (106). By providing such a method, the requirements of the primary and secondary disks (106, 108) can be decoupled such that a smaller secondary disk (108) could be used with a larger primary (106) which will not be filled to capacity. This reduces the unused capacity on the secondary disk (108) which would otherwise be wasted.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for power management in a storage resource. The storage resource comprises at least one RAID array including a plurality of physical drives. The method comprises: determining a reduced number of physical drives within a RAID array upon which data is to be concentrated; moving data stored on said RAID array and/or targeting data written to said RAID array to one or more of said reduced number of physical drives such that said data is concentrated on said reduced number of physical drives in said RAID array; and selectively applying power management logic to enable, based on at least one power management criterion, one or more physical drives in said RAID array to be powered down or to be supplied with reduced power.

Abstract: There is provided a method of resynchronising a previous duplication, started at a first time, of a source logical drive on a destination logical drive. The method comprises tracking changes to the data on said source logical drive since said first time and starting a resynchronisation operation at a second time later than said first time. The resynchronisation operation comprises copying data from said source logical drive to said destination logical drive by copying only data which has changed since said first time. By providing such a method, the need to copy data which has not changed since the previous duplication operation is alleviated. This reduces the time and processing required to perform the resynchronisation operation by eliminating unnecessary transfer of data which has not changed since the earlier duplication.

Abstract: There is provided a method of duplicating a logical drive. The method includes sequentially copying data from a source logical drive to a destination logical drive and determining whether a write request is received to a data area on the source logical drive which has not yet been copied to the destination logical drive. If a write request is detected, the data at the write-requested data area is copied to the destination logical drive prior to executing the write request. By providing such a method, the destination logical drive can be used as the change-data store while in the process of the duplication operation, removing the need for a snapshot logical drive in the duplication process. This results in improvements in duplication speed and reduces drive wear due to the reduced number of data reads/writes.

Abstract: There is provided a method of, and apparatus for, duplicating a logical drive. The method includes sequentially copying data from a source logical drive to a destination logical drive, and determining whether a write request to the source logical drive is received during the sequential copying. If so, the step of copying data in the write-requested data area to an additional storage area is carried out prior to executing the write request. It is further specified that the data in the write-requested data area is to be ignored and not copied during the sequential copying. The method further includes copying, upon completion of the sequential copying, data from the additional storage area to the destination logical drive.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for implementing a virtual mirror of a primary storage device (106) on a secondary storage device (108). The method comprises providing a map (124a) for translating primary data storage locations on said primary storage device (106) to secondary data storage locations on said secondary storage device (106) and utilising said map (124a) to enable data stored on said secondary storage device (108) to mirror data stored on said primary storage device (106). By providing such a method, the requirements of the primary and secondary disks (106, 108) can be decoupled such that a smaller secondary disk (108) could be used with a larger primary (106) which will not be filled to capacity. This reduces the unused capacity on the secondary disk (108) which would otherwise be wasted.

Abstract: A system for space-optimized backup set conversion may include a backup converter and a first sequence of backup images of a data source. Each backup image may be of a particular backup image type, such as a full image, a differential image, or an incremental image. The backup converter may be configured to convert the first sequence of backup images into a second sequence of backup images by converting a particular backup image of the first sequence into a transformed backup image of a different backup type. For example, a full image may be converted into either a differential image or an incremental image, and a differential image may be converted into an incremental image.

Abstract: A system and method for low impact backup. In one embodiment, a method may comprise monitoring utilization of a system resource and a data management process selectively performing I/O operations dependent upon the monitored utilization of the system resource. The data management process may include functionality to backup desired data from a storage medium to a backup medium. In one particular implementation, the I/O operations may be allowed to be performed in response to the utilization of the system resource falling below a predetermined threshold. In another embodiment a method may comprise performing a plurality of I/O operations to complete a data management process executed by an application. The application separates said plurality of I/O operations with intermittent delays to achieve time-slicing of the data management process with respect to one or more other applications.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for optimizing storage library operations. In one embodiment a method may comprise storing a plurality of efficiency values indicative of relative efficiencies of storage targets in a storage library, and executing a storage library operation based on the plurality of efficiency values. Efficiency values may include, for example, information on a physical layout of the storage library. In one embodiment storage targets may include at least the following classes: a slot class, a portal class, a drive class, a picker class, and a media class. In one embodiment, executing a storage library operation based on the plurality of efficiency values may comprise selecting one or more storage targets to implement the storage library operation based on the plurality of efficiency values. For example, a drive closest to a given media unit may be selected to read the media unit.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer-accessible medium for centralized backup of a plurality of virtual machines are disclosed. Each virtual machine comprises at least one virtual volume. The plurality of virtual volumes are accessed through a central computer system. The central computer system is used to backup data from the plurality of virtual volumes in a manner substantially independent of execution of the plurality of virtual machines.

Abstract: A system for space optimized backup repository grooming includes a backup converter and a primary backup repository comprising a first backup sequence including two or more backup images of a data source. Each backup image may be of a particular backup image type, such as a full image, a differential image, or an incremental image. Upon an occurrence of a triggering event, the backup converter may be configured to convert the first sequence of backup images into a second sequence of backup images by converting a particular backup image of the first sequence into a transformed backup image of a different backup type. The triggering event may, for example, be an expiration of an interval specified in a schedule, a reception of an administrative command, or a detection that a condition specified in a backup sequence conversion policy has been met.

Abstract: A system and method for low impact backup. In one embodiment, a method may comprise monitoring utilization of a system resource and a data management process selectively performing I/O operations dependent upon the monitored utilization of the system resource. The data management process may include functionality to backup desired data from a storage medium to a backup medium. In one particular implementation, the I/O operations may be allowed to be performed in response to the utilization of the system resource falling below a predetermined threshold. In another embodiment a method may comprise performing a plurality of I/O operations to complete a data management process executed by an application. The application separates said plurality of I/O operations with intermittent delays to achieve time-slicing of the data management process with respect to one or more other applications.