Abstract: A system and method for block-based restarts are described. A data storage system interfaces with one or more nodes of a network file system on which a volume is provided in order to read data stored on the volume on a block-by-block basis. Backup data sets capable of recreating the data on the volume are generated from the data blocks read from the volume. The system can interface with a backup memory resource and write the backup data sets to the backup memory resource in a sequential order. As the backup data sets are generated and written to the backup memory resource, restart checkpoints for the data set are also regularly generated and stored for use in restarting the backup process in the event of a recoverable failure in the transfer.

Abstract: A service level objective (SLO) subsystem that includes an SLO engine in a network storage system that allows new degrees of freedom to be added to the SLO subsystem, without requiring any modification of an associated SLO engine or the system's existing SLOs, and without requiring the SLO engine to have any a priori knowledge of the new degrees of freedom. In certain embodiments, the system has a modular design which includes the SLO engine and one or more SLO modules that interface with the SLO engine. Each SLO module corresponds to a different degree of freedom. Each SLO module evaluates SLO compliance and determines what specific action(s) within its corresponding degree of freedom should be taken to comply with an SLO.

Abstract: Methods and systems for a storage system are provided. The methods include maintaining a logical object associated with a resource of a storage system by a management console; creating a first policy associated with the logical object; selecting an annotation category associated with the logical object and assigning a value to the annotation category, where the annotation category defines an attribute associated with the logical object; providing a duration for generating an alert when the first policy is violated; assigning a threshold value for first policy violation; and setting an indicator for foregoing an alert associated with a second policy, when the first policy is violated.

Abstract: Data objects can be migrated, while live, to virtualized clustered storage arrays in an efficient manner to allow for efficient transition from non-clustered storage to the virtualized clustered storage arrays. A data migration specification indicates data objects to be migrated and parameters for the migration. The parameters include a source of a data object, a destination of the data object in the virtualized clustered storage arrays, and a transfer space. A migration engine validates and parses the data migration specification. For each unique association of source, destination, and transfer space, the migration engine instantiates a migration process that drives and monitors migration of the corresponding data object. The migration processes operate in parallel for migration of the specified data objects into the virtualized clustered storage arrays.

Abstract: A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and archive node computing device that receives an indication of each of a plurality of archived files required to service a job from one of a plurality of compute node computing devices of an analytics tier. An optimized schedule for retrieving the archived files from one or more archive storage devices of an archive tier is generated. The optimized schedule is provided to the one of the plurality of compute node computing devices. Requests for the archived files received from the one of the plurality of compute node computing device and at least one other of the plurality of compute node computing devices, wherein the requests are sent according to the optimized schedule.

Abstract: A system and method for recognizing data access patterns in large data sets and for preloading a cache based on the recognized patterns is provided. In some embodiments, the method includes receiving a data transaction directed to an address space and recording the data transaction in a first set of counters and in a second set of counters. The first set of counters divides the address space into address ranges of a first size, whereas the second set of counters divides the address space into address ranges of a second size that is different from the first size. One of a storage device or a cache thereof is selected to service the data transaction based on the first set of counters, and data is preloaded into the cache based on the second set of counters.

Abstract: Systems and methods for analyzing the service and performance levels associated with virtual machines in a storage network environment for compliance with a resource capacity policy are provided. Component configuration and connectivity information from components in the network environment is collected without using host agents on the virtual machines. Access paths defining end-to-end access relationships between an application on a virtual machine and storage data objects associated with the virtual machine in the network environment are derived. Access paths comprise sequences of components configured to enable information flow between an application residing on a virtual machine and a data object on a respective storage device. Access path resource consumption is computed and virtual machines with resource consumptions that violate the resource capacity policy are identified.

Abstract: Embodiments herein are directed to efficient crash recovery of persistent metadata managed by a volume layer of a storage input/output (I/O) stack executing on one or more nodes of a cluster. Volume metadata managed by the volume layer is organized as a multi-level dense tree, wherein each level of the dense tree includes volume metadata entries for storing the volume metadata. When a level of the dense tree is full, the volume metadata entries of the level are merged with the next lower level of the dense tree. During a merge operation, two sets of generation IDs may be used in accordance with a double buffer arrangement: a first generation ID for the append buffer that is full (i.e., a merge staging buffer) and a second, incremented generation ID for the append buffer that accepts new volume metadata entries. Upon completion of the merge operation, the lower level (e.g., level 1) to which the merge is directed is assigned the generation ID of the merge staging buffer.

Abstract: System and method for construction, fault isolation, and recovery of cabling topology in a storage area network (SAN) is disclosed. In one embodiment, in a method for construction, fault isolation, and recovery of cabling topology in a SAN, subsystem information associated with each subsystem in the SAN is obtained. Then, an IP port and zoning information associated with connections of each subsystem is obtained. Component information associated with each component is also obtained. Any other relevant information associated with each subsystem and each component is obtained from users. The obtained subsystem information, IP port and zoning information, component information, and any other relevant information are compiled. Test packets are then sent from end-to-end in SAN using compiled information. The sent test packets are tracked via each component in each subsystem in the SAN. The cabling topology of the SAN is then outputted based on the outcome of the tracking.

Abstract: Cloud storage services can be used to facilitate secondary backup and disaster data recovery without the need for specialized backup servers at the secondary location or cloud storage service. Backup data streams are transferred to a cloud storage service. In addition to the backup data streams, backup metadata is generated for each backup data stream. The backup metadata is adapted to configure a backup server to retrieve and access data in the backup data stream. The backup metadata is also transferred to the cloud storage service. To access data from the backup data stream, a recovery backup system is connected with the cloud storage service. Backup metadata is transferred from the cloud storage service to the recovery backup system. The recovery backup system is updated with the backup metadata, which configures the recovery backup system to retrieve and access data in the backup data stream.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide techniques for managing VM migrations that use relatively simple and uncomplicated commands or APIs that can be executed through scripts or applications. Configuration and preparation for the conversion may be addressed by one set of command-lets or APIs, while the conversion itself is handled by a separate set of command-lets or APIs, which allows the conversion command-lets to be uncomplex and to require little input. Moreover, the architecture-specific commands can be largely abstracted away, so that the configuration and conversion processes can be carried out through straightforward general commands, which automatically cause an interface (e.g., at the conversion server) to call upon any necessary architecture-specific functionality.

Abstract: The present application provides exemplary methods, mediums, and systems for converting a virtual machine from management by one type of hypervisor to management by a second, different type of hypervisor. The exemplary method involves: (1) discovering information about the source VM; (2) making a backup copy of the source VM data (3) storing the information in the source VM; (4) copying the source VM data using cloning; (5) starting the destination VM with the cloned data by attaching the copied disks to the destination VM; (6) restoring the source VM to its original state; and (7) starting the destination VM and applying the saved system configuration to a destination guest OS. In some embodiments, the first type of hypervisor (the source hypervisor) may be a Hyper-V hypervisor, and the second type to hypervisor (the destination hypervisor) may be a VMware hypervisor.

Abstract: Techniques for managing the migration of data from one virtual machine to another using volume snapshotting and sub-file cloning are described. According to exemplary embodiments, data including a header and content is stored on a storage volume associated with a first virtual machine. The header is converted to be compatible with a second virtual machine, and the storage volume is snapshotted to provide a read-only representation of the storage volume at the time that the snapshot was created. New data is created using the converted header and a pointer to the location of the data inside the volume snapshot. Using the exemplary techniques described herein, data can be migrated from one virtual machine to another in constant time, and data access is more robust because the pointer refers to the volume snapshot.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments described herein relate to a destination path for use with multiple different types of VMs, and techniques for using the destination path to convert, copy, or move data objects stored in one type of VM to another type of VM. The destination path represents a standardized (canonical) way to refer to VM objects from a proprietary VM. A destination location may be specified using the canonical destination path, and the location may be converted into a hypervisor-specific destination location. A source data object may be copied or moved to the destination location using a hypervisor-agnostic path.

Abstract: Various embodiments are generally directed to techniques for handling errors affecting the at least partially parallel performance of data access commands between nodes of a storage cluster system. An apparatus may include a processor component of a first node, an access component to perform a command received from a client device via a network to alter client device data stored in a first storage device coupled to the first node, a replication component to transmit a replica of the command to a second node via the network to enable performance of the replica by the second node at least partially in parallel, an error component to retry transmission of the replica based on a failure indicated by the second node and a status component to select a status indication to transmit to the client device based on the indication of failure and results of retrial of transmission of the replica.

Abstract: Technology is disclosed for performing background initialization on protection information enabled storage volumes or drives. In some embodiments, a storage controller generates multiple I/O requests for stripe segments of each drive (e.g., disk) of multiple drives of a RAID-based system (e.g., RAID-based disk array). The I/O requests are then sorted for each of the drives according to a pre-determined arrangement and initiated in parallel to the disks while enforcing the pre-determined arrangement. Sorting and issuing the I/O requests in the manner described herein can, for example, reduce drive head movement resulting in faster storage subsystem initialization.

Abstract: Techniques for opportunistic data storage are described. In one embodiment, for example, an apparatus may comprise a data storage device and a storage management module, and the storage management module may be operative to receive a request to store a set of data in the data storage device, the request indicating that the set of data is to be stored with opportunistic retention, the storage management module to select, based on allocation information, storage locations of the data storage device for opportunistic storage of the set of data and write the set of data to the selected storage locations. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Methods and systems for storing data at a storage device of a storage system are provided. The data is first temporarily stored at a first write cache and an input/output request for a persistence storage device used as a second write cache is generated, when an I/O request size including the received data has reached a threshold value. The data from the first cache is transferred to the persistence storage device and a recovery control block with a location of the data stored at the persistence storage device is updated. An entry is added to a linked list that is used to track valid data stored at the persistence storage device and then the data is transferred from the persistence storage device to the storage device of the storage system.

Abstract: A system including a first array of storage drives in communication with a storage controller, the storage controller providing virtualized storage with the first array of storage drives; an application server running a storage warehouse application and communicatively coupled to a host device and the storage controller; and a communication port expander providing expansion slots to a first enclosure, wherein the first array of storage drives, the application server, and the communication port expander are contained in the first enclosure separate from the controller, further wherein the controller controls the first array of storage drives and is in communication with the first array of storage drives through the communication port expander.

Abstract: One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for performing host side deduplication. Host side deduplication may be performed upon writeable data within a write request received at a host computing device configured to access data stored by a storage server. The host side deduplication may be performed at the host computing device to determine whether the writeable data is already stored by the storage server based upon querying a host side cache comprising data stored by a storage server and/or a data structure comprising unique signatures of data stored by the storage server. If the writeable data is stored by the storage server, then a deduplication notification excluding the writeable data may be sent to the storage server, otherwise a write command comprising the writeable data may be sent. Accordingly, unnecessary network traffic of redundant data already stored by the storage server may be reduced.