Abstract: Systems and methods for managing storage device commands are provided. A first storage device command is received. A first priority associated with the first storage device command is identified. A plurality of storage device commands that was received before the first storage device command is identified. Each of the plurality of storage device commands is stored in a buffer and organized in a sequence. A determination is made as to whether the first priority associated with the first storage device command is greater than a second priority associated with a second storage device command of the plurality of storage device commands. The first storage device command is added to the buffer at a first position in the sequence that is earlier than a second position of the second storage device command in response to determining the first priority is greater than the second priority.

Abstract: The present invention provides a technique to efficiently rearrange data in actual regions. A management system acquires load lumped region variation information (access distribution variation amount) indicative of a variation in the position of a virtual region in a virtual volume in a storage subsystem which region corresponds to a hot spot. Then, based on the load lumped region variation information, the management system determines a load position unvaried hour(s) indicative of a hour(s) in which the position of the virtual region corresponding to the hot spot is almost or perfectly unvaried (the hour(s) in which the position of the hot spot is stable). The management system then displays the load position unvaried hour(s) on a display device.

Abstract: In one aspect of the present description, in connection with storing a first deduplicated data object in a primary storage pool, described operations include determining the duration of time that the first data object has resided in the primary storage pool, and comparing the determined duration of time to a predetermined time interval. In addition, described operations include, after the determined duration of time meets or exceeds the predetermined time interval, determining if the first data object has an extent referenced by another data object, and determining whether to move the first data object from the primary storage pool to a secondary storage pool as a function of whether the first data object has an extent referenced by another data object after the determined duration of time meets or exceeds the predetermined time interval. Other features and aspects may be realized, depending upon the particular application.

Abstract: Techniques for selecting physical storage locations for storing data are provided. A technique involves determining usage statistics associated with a logical block in a file system, selecting a physical storage location, of a plurality of physical storage locations, to assign to the logical block based on (a) at least one attribute associated with the first physical storage location, and (b) the usage statistics associated with the logical block, and causing the logical block to be assigned to the first physical storage location.

Abstract: For efficiently storing and retrieving data and metadata in phases, in a first phase, metadata tokens, which are assigned to most active metadata-emitting entities, are used for storing the data and the metadata together in a single input/output operation while piggybacking the metadata of least active metadata-emitting entities onto one of the most active metadata-emitting entities having one of the metadata tokens. In a second phase, the metadata is re-written to a metadata delta journal for reclaiming the metadata tokens. In a third phase, the metadata journal is applied to a metadata structure containing the metadata of the storage system, the metadata delta journal is then cleared after successfully updating the main metadata structure with the metadata of the metadata journal. The metadata journal is swapped with an empty metadata journal for concurrently adding metadata while retaining the metadata journal until applying the metadata delta journal to the metadata structure.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a disk storage apparatus includes a disk, a detector, and a controller. The disk includes a first recording area for recording with a first track density, and a second recording area for recording with a second track density lower than the first track density. The detector is configured to detect a variation of an outside environment. The controller is configured to select a nonvolatile memory or the second recording area as a storage destination of write data transferred from a host, based on a content of the variation of the outside environment detected by the detector, and a state of capability or incapability of storage of the nonvolatile memory.

Abstract: A computing method includes accepting a definition of a computing task, which includes multiple Processing Elements (PEs) having execution dependencies. The computing task is compiled for concurrent execution on a multiprocessor device, by arranging the PEs in a series of two or more invocations of the multiprocessor device, including assigning the PEs to the invocations depending on the execution dependencies. The multiprocessor device is invoked to run software code that executes the series of the invocations, so as to produce a result of the computing task.

Abstract: A virtualized storage stack includes logical layers above the physical storage layer. Each logical layer allocates data blocks, and the data block allocation is propagated down to the physical storage layer. To facilitate contiguous storage, each layer of the virtualized storage stack maintains additional metadata associated with data blocks. For each data block, the metadata indicates whether the data block is free, provisioned and includes a tag that indicates when the data block was first written. Data blocks that were first written as part of the same write request share the same tag, and are mostly guaranteed to be physically co-located. Block allocations that reuse data blocks having the same tag are preferred. Such preference increases the likelihood of the blocks being contiguous in the physical storage as these blocks were allocated as part of the same first write.

Abstract: A memory system of a embodiments includes a first storing area having physical blocks and a second storing area recording a logical to physical translation table and an erasure count table keeping data erasure count in physical blocks. The memory system of the embodiments includes a controller which, when a logical address for deletion is notified, obtains data erasure count of a deletion physical block including a deletion area specified by the physical address corresponding to the logical address, and when a physical block having a small erasure count not more than a predetermined rate of the data erasure count exists in the erasure count table, reads out valid data for the memory system in the physical block having a small erasure count onto the second storing area, writes the above data into the deletion area, and invalidates the valid data in the physical block having a small erasure count.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to a method for data management. An aspect includes a method for assigning storage types to data based on access frequency. Past or historical data associated with current data usage is also considered prior to assignment. Once data frequency access is determined, the current data is assigned to a first tier of a plurality of hierarchical ordered tiers, each tier corresponding to at least one class of storage. In one embodiment, there may be a condition that overrides the assignment with option to override it. The tier assignment may also be preserved the tier so that the current data can be appropriately assigned in the future.

Abstract: Various embodiments for improving data storage and retrieval performance, for a tiered storage environment having levels corresponding to storage performance, are provided. In one embodiment, by way of example only, reference count information of at least one data segment maintained in the tiered storage environment is used to determine which of the levels in the tiered storage environment the at least one data segment will be assigned. Those of the at least one data segment having higher reference counts are assigned to a higher performance level than those having lower reference counts.

Abstract: Techniques for managing data storage within storage tiers are disclosed. In one particular embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for managing data storage having the steps of assigning a storage class for each of a plurality of storage tiers, defining at least one rule for storing data in the plurality of storage tiers, determining whether performance assisted tier migration is requested, monitoring the plurality of storage tiers when it is determined that the performance assisted tier migration is requested, determining whether to redefine the storage class of one of the plurality of storage tiers based on the monitoring, and determining whether to migrate the data based on the monitoring.

Abstract: A storage system is configured to manage a pool to which multiple virtual volumes (VVOLs) are associated, assign a real area (RA) from any tier in an available tier pattern associated with a write-destination VVOL to a write-destination virtual area (VA), and carry out a reassignment process for migrating data inside the RA to an RA of a different tier, based on an access status of the RA. A management system is configured to assume a specified tier has been removed from the available tier pattern of a target VVOL, predict performance of all VVOLs associated with the pool to which the target VVOL is associated, determine whether there is a VVOL for which predicted performance is lower than a required performance, and when such a VVOL does not exist, instruct the storage system to remove the specified tier from the available tier pattern of the target VVOL.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to a system and computer program product for data management. An aspect includes a method for assigning storage types to data based on access frequency. Past or historical data associated with current data usage is also considered prior to assignment. Once data frequency access is determined, the current data is assigned to a first tier of a plurality of hierarchical ordered tiers, each tier corresponding to at least one class of storage. In one embodiment, there may be a condition that overrides the assignment with option to override it. The tier assignment may also be preserved so that the current data can be appropriately assigned in the future.

Abstract: An approach to efficient space reclamation in multi-layered thinly provisioned systems. A parent storage volume is thinly provisioned, and uses one or more child storage volumes that are also thinly provisioned for storage. A reclamation command sent to the device providing the parent thinly provisioned storage volume identifies that data has been released, and that the physical storage storing that data can be placed in a free pool and used to satisfy future write requests in the parent storage volume. An identify module identifies which child storage volumes supporting the parent storage volume are thinly provisioned. The data is released at the level of the parent storage volume, and the reclamation command is sent to the child storage volumes supporting the parent storage volume and that are themselves thinly provisioned. The storage is thus released by all affected thinly provisioned storage volumes, and not just the parent storage volume that received the reclamation command.

Abstract: A system for performing storage operations using hierarchically configured storage operation cells. The system includes a first storage manager component and a first storage operation cell. The first storage operation cell has a second storage manager component directed to performing storage operations in the first storage operation cell. Moreover, the first storage manager component is programmed to instruct the second storage manager regarding performance of storage operations in the first storage operation cell.

Abstract: A multi-level cache comprises a plurality of cache levels, each configured to cache I/O request data pertaining to I/O requests of a different respective type and/or granularity. A cache device manager may allocate cache storage space to each of the cache levels. Each cache level maintains respective cache metadata that associates I/O request data with respective cache address. The cache levels monitor I/O requests within a storage stack, apply selection criteria to identify cacheable I/O requests, and service cacheable I/O requests using the cache storage device.

Abstract: Various embodiments for improving data storage and retrieval performance, for a tiered storage environment having levels corresponding to storage performance, are provided. In one embodiment, by way of example only, reference count information of at least one data segment maintained in the tiered storage environment is used to determine which of the levels in the tiered storage environment the at least one data segment will be assigned. Those of the at least one data segment having higher reference counts are assigned to a higher performance level than those having lower reference counts.

Abstract: Modified tracks for write requests to a sequential access storage medium in a sequential access storage device are cached in a non-volatile storage, which is a faster access device than the sequential access storage medium. A request queue includes destage requests to destage the modified tracks in the non-volatile storage device to the sequential access storage medium and read requests to access read requested tracks from the sequential access storage medium. A comparison is made of a current position of a read/write mechanism with respect to physical locations on the sequential access storage medium of the tracks subject to the destage requests indicated in the request queue. A determination is made of one of the destage requests to process based on the comparison. The modified track for the determined destage request is written from the non-volatile storage device to the sequential access storage medium.

Abstract: A cache line allocation method, wherein the cache is coupled to a graphic processing unit and the cache comprising a plurality of cache lines, each cache line stores one of a plurality of instructions the method comprising the steps of: putting the plurality of instructions in whole cache lines; locking the whole cache lines if an instruction size is less than a cache size; locking a first number of cache lines when the instruction size is larger than the cache size and a difference between the instruction size and the cache size is less than or equal to a threshold; and locking a second number of cache lines when the instruction size is larger than the cache size and a difference between the instruction size and the cache size is large than the threshold; wherein the first number is greater than the second number.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a system for scheduling memory accesses for one or more memory devices. This system includes a set of queues configured to store memory access requests, wherein each queue is associated with at least one memory bank or memory device in the one or more memory devices. The system also includes a set of hierarchical levels configured to select memory access requests from the set of queues to send to the one or more memory devices, wherein each level in the set of hierarchical levels is configured to perform a different selection operation.

Abstract: Technologies relating to efficient memory management for parallel synchronous computing systems are disclosed. Parallel synchronous computing systems may include, for example, a host, a memory management subsystem, and an array of processing units adapted to execute in parallel. Memory management may be implemented at least in part via the memory management subsystem. A memory management subsystem may include one or more memory subsystem layers deployed between the host and the array of processing units. Each memory subsystem layer may have a local memory accessible by entities (whether the host or another layer) above the memory subsystem layer; and a memory controller adapted to manage communications between the entities (whether another layer or the processing units in the array) below the memory subsystem layer.

Abstract: A data storage system includes a plurality of non-volatile memory devices arranged in one or more sets, a main controller and one or more processors. The main controller is configured to accept commands from a host and to convert the commands into recipes. Each recipe includes a list of multiple memory operations to be performed sequentially in the non-volatile memory devices belonging to one of the sets. Each of the processors is associated with a respective set of the non-volatile memory devices, and is configured to receive one or more of the recipes from the main controller and to execute the memory operations specified in the received recipes in the non-volatile memory devices belonging to the respective set.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for addressing data in a hierarchical graphics processing unit cluster. A hierarchical address is constructed based on the location of a storage circuit where a target unit of data resides. The hierarchical address comprises a level field indicating a hierarchical level for the unit of data and a node identifier that indicates which GPU within the GPU cluster currently stores the unit of data. The hierarchical address may further comprise one or more identifiers that indicate which storage circuit in a particular hierarchical level currently stores the unit of data. The hierarchical address is constructed and interpreted based on the level field. The technique advantageously enables programs executing within the GPU cluster to efficiently access data residing in other GPUs using the hierarchical address.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising an array controller and a cache. The array controller may be configured to read/write data to a first array of drives of a first drive type in response to one or more input/output requests. The cache may be configured to (i) receive said input/output requests from the array controller, (ii) temporarily store the input/output requests, and (iii) read/write data to a second array of drives of a second drive type in response to the input/output requests. The first array of drives may be configured to copy the data directly to/from the second array of drives during a cache miss condition such that the array controller retrieves the data stored in the first array of drives through the second array of drives without writing the data to the cache.

Abstract: When a method for relocating data to a preferable storage area based on access frequency is applied to virtual machines, it takes a long time for determining volumes that are not accessed, and the access performance is deteriorated. The present invention provides a system and method in which a utilization status of a virtual machine is checked by the storage system, and pages used by virtual machines not being utilized are relocated promptly to lower tiers and pages used by virtual machines being utilized are relocated promptly to higher tiers, according to which the performance of the system is improved.

Abstract: Some embodiments are directed to an object addressable storage (OAS) system that stores a plurality of objects, a method for use in an OAS system and at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with instruction that, when performed by a computer perform a method for use in an OAS system. Each object may include a plurality of portions. A tiered storage environment comprising a plurality of storage tiers may be used. In response to a command a storage tier may be selected for each portion of the object. The OAS system may store at least one of the plurality of portions in a respective selected storage tier such that the object is stored in the OAS system with each of the portions being stored in its respective selected storage tier.

Abstract: A data protection program for protecting data to be processed by an application, and a computer including volatile storage means and nonvolatile storage means performs a volatile file unpack function of writing, to the nonvolatile storage means, data corresponding to a data file to be read or written by the application so that the data is associated with the data file; and a volatile file repackage function of outputting the data file corresponding to the data written to the volatile storage means.

Abstract: A storage subsystem combining solid state drive (SSD) and hard disk drive (HDD) technologies provides low access latency and low complexity. Separate free lists are maintained for the SSD and the HDD and blocks of file system data are stored uniquely on either the SSD or the HDD. When a read access is made to the subsystem, if the data is present on the SSD, the data is returned, but if the block is present on the HDD, it is migrated to the SSD and the block on the HDD is returned to the HDD free list. On a write access, if the block is present in the either the SSD or HDD, the block is overwritten, but if the block is not present in the subsystem, the block is written to the HDD.

Abstract: Data management for a storage device which includes a disk for storing data and a non-volatile memory (NVM) for storing a translation table. The data on the disk is associated with a plurality of logical block addresses (LBAs) and the translation table stored in the NVM maps each of the plurality of LBAs to a respective physical block address (PBA) identifying a physical location on the disk storing the data associated with the LBA. Data associated with at least one LBA is written on the disk and the at least one LBA is added to the translation table with a PBA identifying a physical location on the disk storing the written data.

Abstract: Data is placed in tiered storage with a suitable granularity according to application characteristics. The storage apparatus comprises a controller for managing storage areas, provided by storage media of a plurality of types of varying performance, as pools, and for assigning the storage areas in page units to a virtual volume from any tiered storage among a plurality of types of tiered storage which the pool comprises in response to a data write request from the host computer, wherein, for specific data which is managed by the host computer, the controller specifies an area with a high referencing frequency among the specific data on the basis of organization information of the specific data, and moves this area to another of the tiered storage with a higher performance than an already assigned tiered storage.

Abstract: The invention provides a memory device. In one embodiment, the memory device comprises a flash memory, a memory, and a controller. The flash memory comprises a plurality of blocks for data storage. The memory stores an address mapping table recording relationships between logical addresses and physical addresses of the blocks therein. The controller divides the address mapping table stored in the memory to a plurality of mapping table units, updates relationships between the logical addresses and the physical addresses stored in the mapping table units, determines whether data access performed to the flash memory fulfills the conditions of a first specific requirement, and when the data access fulfills the conditions of the first requirement, the controller selects a target mapping table unit from the mapping table units, and stores the target mapping table unit and a corresponding time stamp as a mapping table unit data to the flash memory.

Abstract: A processor 6 is provided with a plurality of hardware resources, such as performance monitors 12 and context pointers 18. Boundary indicating circuitry 14, 20 stores a boundary value which is programmable and which indicates a boundary position dividing the hardware resources into a first portion and a second portion. Resource control circuitry 16, 22 controls access to the hardware resources such that when program execution circuitry 8 is executing a first program it is responsive to a query as to how many off said plurality of hardware resources are present to return a first value whereas when the program execution circuitry is executing a second program it responds to such a query by returning a value corresponding to those hardware resources within the second portion.

Abstract: A storage apparatus includes storage devices of a plurality of types of varying performance, and a control unit which manages each of storage areas provided by the storage devices of the plurality of types by means of storage tiers of a plurality of different types, and assigns the storage areas in page units to a virtual volume from any of the storage tiers among the storage tiers of the plurality of types. If the data I/O request is received from the host, the control unit assigns storage areas in page units from the uppermost storage tier to the target areas of the virtual volume corresponding to the I/O request. The control unit changes the page unit storage area assignment to predetermined areas of the virtual volume from an upper storage tier to a lower storage tier in accordance with the speed of processing of the data I/O request.

Abstract: A method for resilvering a storage pool includes determining whether any of a first plurality of blocks in the storage pool, comprising metadata, require resilvering, determining whether any of a second plurality of blocks in the storage pool, comprising data, require resilvering, resilvering all of the first plurality of blocks that require resilvering, and resilvering all of the second plurality of blocks that require resilvering, wherein all of the first plurality of blocks that require resilvering are resilvered prior to resilvering any of the second plurality of blocks.

Abstract: A device and method for controlling a removable storage medium to prevent data leakage are provided. The device includes a storage medium determination unit, a storage medium policy acquisition unit, and a storage medium control unit. The storage medium determination unit determines whether a connected storage medium is a removable storage medium. If the storage medium is the removable storage medium, the storage medium policy acquisition unit acquires hierarchical storage medium policies having a hierarchical structure for the storage medium. The storage medium control unit controls the storage medium by switching between a storage medium connection state and a storage medium usage state using the acquired hierarchical storage medium policies.

Abstract: Described are techniques for performing data storage optimizations. A data storage optimizer on a first data storage system connected to a set of other data storage systems receives performance classification information. The first data storage system includes a first set of storage devices of a first performance classification. The set of other data storage systems includes a second set of storage devices of a second performance classification different from the first performance classification. A write operation is received from the host to write first data to a target address of a virtually provisioned device. It is determined that physical storage is not currently allocated for the target address of the virtually provisioned device. A first portion of physical storage is allocated for storing the first data. The first portion of physical storage is included in a storage device of the second set having the second performance classification.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus 2 includes a plurality of transaction sources 8, 10 each including a local cache memory. A shared cache memory 16 stores cache lines of data together with shared cache tag values. Snoop filter circuitry 14 stores snoop filter tag values tracking which cache lines of data are stored within the local cache memories. When a transaction is received for a target cache line of data, then the snoop filter circuitry 14 compares the target tag value with the snoop filter tag values and the shared cache circuitry 16 compares the target tag value with the shared cache tag values. The shared cache circuitry 16 operates in a default non-inclusive mode. The shared cache memory 16 and the snoop filter 14 accordingly behave non-inclusively in respect of data storage within the shared cache memory 16, but inclusively in respect of tag storage given the combined action of the snoop filter tag values and the shared cache tag values.

Abstract: Some embodiments are directed to an object addressable storage (OAS) system that stores a plurality of objects, a method for use in an OAS system and at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with instruction that, when performed by a computer perform a method for use in an OAS system. Each object may include a plurality of fragments. A tiered storage environment comprising a plurality of storage tiers may be used. A policy for performing a storage operation a fragment of a stored object using the OAS system may be generated. Generating the policy may include receiving a user input. The input may include a first parameter specifying metadata criteria for metadata of the fragment. The input may also include a second parameter specifying a capability of a target storage tier. Information specifying an association between these two parameters is stored in a data structure.

Abstract: Sequential write operations to a unit of compressed memory, known as a compression tile, are examined to see if the same compression tile is being written. If the same compression tile is being written, the sequential write operations are coalesced into a single write operation and the entire compression tile is overwritten with the new data. Coalescing multiple write operations into a single write operation improves performance, because it avoids the read-modify-write operations that would otherwise be needed.

Abstract: According to the prior art storage system, in order to add a storage device to a pool after a storage system has been operated for a certain period of time, the performance may be varied significantly according to the access performance of the application using the pool, and it was not possible to realize an optimum allocation corresponding to the operation form if the storage device is set to be included in a pool of a given tier based on the type of the storage device. Therefore, the present invention provides a system in which a performance test is performed in accordance with an access tendency of the application using the pool to thereby compute the tier capable of having the storage device added thereto, based on which the storage device can be allocated to an appropriate pool.

Abstract: A method and computer program product for defining a multicast group within a local area network. The multicast group includes a storage initiator device and a plurality of mirrored targets. Each mirrored target includes a plurality of storage targets. A write request for storing a data segment within the multicast group is received on the storage initiator device. The data segment is multicast to the plurality of mirrored targets included within the multicast group. A unique data chunk of the data segment is stored on each of the plurality of mirrored targets.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided comprising a physical memory sub-system including a first memory of a first memory class and a second memory of a second memory class, the second memory being communicatively coupled to the first memory. The apparatus is configured such that the first memory and the second memory are capable of receiving instructions via the memory bus. A system and method are also provided for circuit cooperation. The system includes a first semiconductor platform including at least one first circuit, and at least one additional semiconductor platform stacked with the first semiconductor platform and including at least one additional circuit. Furthermore, the system is operable such that the at least one first circuit and the at least one additional circuit cooperate to carry out at least one task.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for caching media data to thereby enhance media data read and/or write functionality and performance. A multimedia apparatus, comprises a cache buffer configured to be coupled to a storage device, wherein the cache buffer stores multimedia data, including video and audio data, read from the storage device. A cache manager coupled to the cache buffer, wherein the cache buffer is configured to cause the storage device to enter into a reduced power consumption mode when the amount of data stored in the cache buffer reaches a first level.

Abstract: Some embodiments are directed to an object addressable storage (OAS) system that stores a plurality of objects, a method for use in an OAS system and at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with instruction that, when performed by a computer perform a method for use in an OAS system. Each object may include a plurality of fragments. A tiered storage environment comprising a plurality of storage tiers may be used. In response to a command, metadata associated with the fragment and a policy may be accessed. A storage tier may be selected for one or more fragments of the object based on the policy and the metadata associated with the fragment.

Abstract: Provided are a storage apparatus and data management method with which the usage ratio of each of the storage tiers is determined beforehand for each virtual volume and data can be managed by being migrated between storage tiers within a range of predetermined usage ratios. A storage apparatus 5, comprising storage devices 30 of a plurality of types of varying performance; and a controller 31 which manages each of storage areas provided by the storage devices 30 of a plurality of types by means of storage tiers ST of a plurality of different types respectively, and which assigns the storage areas in page units to virtual volumes VVOL from any storage tier among the storage tiers ST of a plurality of types, the controller 31 managing usage ratios of the storage tiers ST of a plurality of types and assigning the storage areas in page units to the virtual volumes VVOL based on the usage ratio managed.

Abstract: In a data-processing method, first result data may be obtained using a plurality of configurable coarse-granular elements, the first result data may be written into a memory that includes spatially separate first and second memory areas and that is connected via a bus to the plurality of configurable coarse-granular elements, the first result data may be subsequently read out from the memory, and the first result data may be subsequently processed using the plurality of configurable coarse-granular elements. In a first configuration, the first memory area may be configured as a write memory, and the second memory area may be configured as a read memory. Subsequent to writing to and reading from the memory in accordance with the first configuration, the first memory area may be configured as a read memory, and the second memory area may be configured as a write memory.

Abstract: Described are techniques for performing data storage system management. The data storage system is divided into a plurality of virtual partitions. A plurality of policy sets are specified where each of the policy sets includes one or more policies. One of the plurality of policy sets is assigned to each of the plurality of virtual partitions. Each of the plurality of policy sets includes an access control policy that assigns a portion of data storage of the data storage system as a resource for exclusive use in one of the plurality of virtual partitions that is assigned said each policy set.

Abstract: A storage tiered that satisfies desired performance is configured by recognizing the type and capacity of storage media of a storage apparatus, which are held by a user, and using the storage media.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for an application to provide data attributes to a storage manager to use to select a storage tier to use for a data set management operation. Each storage tier has storage devices with different storage attributes. The storage manager receives information on data attributes for one of the data sets for which a data set management operation is to be performed for an application, wherein the data attributes are based on the application intended usage of the data set and receives a data set management command to perform the data set management operation. The storage manager selects one of the storage tiers having storage attributes that map to the data attributes and performs the data set management operation with respect to the selected storage tier.