Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a technique to model applications and storage used thereby. An aspect of the present invention is directed to a method for managing a computer system which includes at least one host computer and at least one storage system which are connected via a network, the at least one host computer having an application running thereon. The method comprises modeling an application running on a host of a computer system as an application object, which includes associating storage utilized by the application with the application object; tracking operation of the storage associated with the application object as a service being delivered by the storage to the application; and presenting result on the service being delivered by the storage to the application based on tracking the operation of the storage.

Abstract: A method for providing flexible reporting for applications which utilize storage in at least one storage system comprises presenting a plurality of business views which aggregate application storage characteristics for a plurality of applications according to a reporting structure which is defined by a user, each of the business views being a hierarchical folder structure of the applications and a plurality of folders, wherein at least one folder in the hierarchical folder structure contains at least one of an application or another folder; for each of the business views, presenting the applications and folders as a plurality of nodes which are selectable by the user; and in response to a selection of one of the nodes from the plurality of business views and a report type specified by the user, generating a report based on the report type of the selected node, the report aggregating any of the application storage characteristics for the selected node according to the report type.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a technique to model applications and storage used thereby, and to monitor application service level objectives. An aspect is directed to a method for managing a computer system which includes at least one host computer and at least one storage system which are connected via a network, the at least one host having an application running thereon. The method comprises modeling an application running on a host of a computer system as an application object, which includes associating storage utilized by the application with the application object; monitoring one or more application-based storage service level objectives for the storage utilized by the application, each service level objective being defined by a user to be threshold specific to the application; and alerting the user when any of the one or more service level objectives being monitored is violated.

Abstract: A method, medium and apparatus for managing storage in a thin-provisioning storage device. The method includes ceasing to use storage on thinly provisioned storage delivered by a thin-provisioning storage device and notifying the thin-provisioning storage device of the unused storage. The method may further include reclaiming the unused storage in response to the notification. Alternatively, the notification may include recognizing the storage being freed and communicating the recognition to the storage device. In another form, the invention is a method, medium and apparatus for managing storage in a thin-provisioning storage device. This method includes delivering thinly provisioned storage and receiving notification that part of the thinly provisioned storage is no longer in use. The method may further include reclaiming that part of the thinly provisioned storage in response to the notification. Between receiving and reclaiming, the method may wait for a time to pass.

Abstract: A feature automation process defines step-by-step instructions for involving automation engineers, defining, implementing and reviewing software test automation during the development of a feature or product. This process seamlessly integrates the roles of automation engineers and other resources into the software development life cycle (SDLC). An enterprise first creates a dedicated automation team. The feature automation team preferably works with a product/feature team to enable the latter team to better understand the roles of the automation engineers and to further facilitate transparency into the product/feature requirements, design and implementation activities. The feature automation process enables a quality assurance (QA) team to offload (to the feature automation team) the responsibility of writing test scripts, and for creating an automation framework, test designs, and for implementing and maintaining test code.

Abstract: A method for write protection in a storage system using both the “file-level WORM function” and the “block-level WORM function”. The block-level WORM function has two modes: the first mode is to prohibit both file access and block access, and the second mode is to prohibit block access only. When a user uses the file-level WORM function to prohibit write access to a file in a volume, a file access invokes the first mode of the block-level WORM function to prohibit write access to the volume where the write prohibited file resides.

Abstract: A cluster recovery process is implemented across a set of distributed archives, where each individual archive is a storage cluster of preferably symmetric nodes. Each node of a cluster typically executes an instance of an application that provides object-based storage of fixed content data and associated metadata. According to the storage method, an association or “link” between a first cluster and a second cluster is first established to facilitate replication. The first cluster is sometimes referred to as a “primary” whereas the “second” cluster is sometimes referred to as a “replica.” Once the link is made, the first cluster's fixed content data and metadata are then replicated from the first cluster to the second cluster, preferably in a continuous manner. Upon a failure of the first cluster, however, a failover operation occurs, and clients of the first cluster are redirected to the second cluster.

Abstract: A disaster recovery technique for computer systems obtains backup copies of data by arranging recording devices like direct-access disk devices into copy pairs of primary and secondary devices. Management of the device copy pairs within a single system and across multiple systems is facilitated by constructing maps of device information that provide a cross-reference between I/O subsystem device numbers and hardware addresses. Information structures are constructed from the maps and used to facilitate defining and managing groups of device copy pairs.

Abstract: A method for operating a storage system includes providing a primary storage device and a secondary storage device. Data from a first storage volume is copied to a second storage volume using an internal mirror operation, the first and second storage volumes being provided within the primary storage device. The data received from the first volume is copied from the second storage volume to a third storage volume using a remote copy operation, the third storage volume being provided in the secondary storage device. The second storage volume is used for the remote copying to reduce the IO impact on the first volume. The third storage volume copies the data received from the second volume to a fourth storage volume using an internal mirror operation, the fourth storage volume being provided within the secondary storage device.

Abstract: In a computer system, the controller of one or more primary data recording devices sends update information to the controller of one or more secondary data recording devices to maintain a remote copy of data stored on the primary data recording devices. The primary controller receives a command from a computer that specifies a prospective suspend time after which remote copy operation is to be suspended. After the suspend time passes, the primary controller stops sending the update information to the secondary controller and begins storing indicators of the updated information in cache memory. The primary controller may resume remote copy operation in response to a command received from the computer by first entering into a pending mode of operation in which cached indicators are used to identify update information that must be sent to the secondary controller to resynchronize the remote copy. When the information for all cached indicators has been sent, normal remote copy operation may be resumed.

Abstract: In a computer system, the controller of one or more primary data recording devices sends update information to the controller of one or more secondary data recording devices to maintain a remote copy of data stored on the primary data recording devices. The primary controller receives a command from a computer that specifies a prospective suspend time after which remote copy operation is to be suspended. After the suspend time passes, the primary controller stops sending the update information to the secondary controller and begins storing indicators of the updated information in cache memory. The primary controller may resume remote copy operation in response to a command received from the computer by first entering into a pending mode of operation in which cached indicators are used to identify update information that must be sent to the secondary controller to resynchronize the remote copy. When the information for all cached indicators has been sent, normal remote copy operation may be resumed.

Abstract: A standardized test environment assists identifying problematic instances of instructions in computer programs that produce erroneous results. A standardized production environment takes corrective action for selected instructions by intercepting instruction processing during instruction fetch, instruction decode or instruction execution and modifying one or more values such that the instructions achieve correct results. In one embodiment of a test environment, a computer system collects diagnostic information for designated instructions such as subtraction operations that produce negative results. In one embodiment of a production environment, a computer system intercepts instruction processing for instructions at specified locations in a program and takes corrective action according to information obtained from a table of control information.

Abstract: A cryptographic protocol establishes shared secrets such as encryption/decryption keys by exchanging public signals generated from transformations of private signals and one or more authentication factors including "what you know," "what you have" and "what you are" factors. A novel use of the authentication factors provides resistance against various types of cryptanalysis including dictionary attacks and man-in-the-middle attacks, allows detection of prior occurrences of unauthorized parties successfully masquerading as an authorized party, and provides enhanced security in cryptosystems that rely on "what you know" authentication factors such as passwords which are often weak in a cryptographic sense.

Abstract: A standardized test environment assists identifying problematic instances of instructions in computer programs that produce erroneous results caused by dates having years expressed in a truncated form. A standardized production environment takes corrective action for specified instances of instructions by modifying one or more values such that the instructions achieve correct results. In one embodiment of a test environment, a computer system collects diagnostic information for instances of subtraction operations that produce negative results. In one embodiment of a production environment, a computer system intercepts execution of a computer program at specified locations and takes corrective action according to information obtained from a table of control information.