Abstract: Synthesized backup set catalogs are created to more efficiently create synthetic full backups of a data volume or to more efficiently restore a data object of the data volume. In one embodiment, the synthesized backup set catalog comprises n entries corresponding to n data objects, respectively, of a data volume being backed up. The synthesized backup set catalog can be created with the creation of an incremental backup of the data volume. Each entry of the synthesized backup set catalog may contain a backup identification (ID), wherein each backup ID identifies at least one of two backup sets of the data volume.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a graphical display report. The method includes representing a plurality of events as one or more icons; and positioning the icons inside two or more concentric circles defining at least an outer circle and an inner circle disposed inside the outer circle. The inner circle is configured to contain icons corresponding to events having a first status. The outer circle is configured to contain icons corresponding to events having a second status. The outer circle defines a plurality of tick marks disposed at a periphery of the outer circle, wherein the tick marks represent an attribute.

Abstract: A log-structured temporal shadow store may comprise a logical storage aggregation including a plurality of blocks, a log-structured storage device, and shadow management software. The log-structured storage device may include a plurality of log entries, where each log entry includes one or more modified blocks of the logical storage aggregation and an index to the modified blocks. In response to a new batch of changes to the logical storage aggregation, the shadow management software may be configured to append a new log entry to the log-structured storage device, including newly modified blocks and an index to the newly modified blocks. The index may be organized as a modified B+ tree, and the log-structured storage device may be a logical volume, such as a mirrored logical volume.

Abstract: A system for loosely coupled temporal storage management includes a logical storage aggregation including a plurality of data blocks, a data producer, one or more data consumers, and a temporal storage manager. The temporal storage manager may be configured to maintain a producer shadow store including entries stored in a log-structured logical volume, where each entry is indicative of one or more data blocks of the logical storage aggregation that have been modified by the data producer. The temporal storage manager may also be configured to maintain a repository containing a baseline version of the logical storage aggregation, and to provide the data consumers with read-only access to the producer shadow store and the repository.

Abstract: Systems and methods for I/O fencing in a shared storage environment are provided. Prior to initiating an I/O request, when feasible, the current time from a local timer is compared to the current state of an interval obtained for the target device. As a result, a device reset occurring while the interval is viable does not arbitrarily end a multiphase I/O operation. However, a device reset occurring once the lease has expired results in a delay or termination of the multiphase I/O operation. As a result, multiphase I/O operations from initiating hosts that have lost contact with the shared storage environment are not allowed to corrupt the shared storage devices.

Abstract: A system and method for single instance backup. In one embodiment, a method may comprise storing a plurality of duplicate messages on a mail server, where each of the messages includes a copy of an attachment, and storing a copy of each of the plurality of duplicate messages and one or more copies of the attachment to a backup medium, where the number of copies of the attachment stored on the backup medium is less than the number of duplicate messages stored on the backup medium. For example, only a single copy of the attachment may be stored on the backup medium. In one embodiment storing a copy of each of the plurality of duplicate messages and one or more copies of the attachment may comprise extracting metadata from each of the messages, storing the metadata in an attachment index, storing the metadata with each message on the backup medium, and storing the metadata with the copies of the attachment on the backup medium.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a computer accessible medium comprises instructions which, when executed, check a first storage from which a computer system is configured to boot for a block identified in a read request. The block is included within an image of a set of software resources to be provisioned on the computer system. If the block is stored in the first storage, the instructions supply the block from the first storage in response to the read request. Otherwise, the instructions: fetch the block from an image repository system that stores the image; store the block in the first storage; and supply the block in response to the read request. In another embodiment, the instructions store a block identified in a write request to the first storage. The instructions record that the block is modified in the first storage with respect to the image stored in an image repository system.

Abstract: An apparatus or method that tracks the identity of stripe units or group of stripe units from which data has been previously read by an application program running on a computer system. In one embodiment, the present invention stores the identity of previously read stripe units or groups of stripe units in a table. If the application program requests data of one of stripe unit or groups of stripe units whose identity is stored in the table, the requested data is regenerated from parity data and data of the stripe or stripes other than the requested data. This generated data is returned to the application program rather then the existing data stored in the stripe unit groups of stripe units.

Abstract: System and method for policy-based decision-making using a combination of two or more inference approaches or techniques. Embodiments may provide a policy evaluation mechanism that evaluates policies using two or more inference techniques, including inference techniques that support “fuzzy” concepts, to generate a “yes/no” answer and a confidence level in the answer. In some embodiments, the policy evaluation mechanism may be a component of a decision engine that provides policy-based automation in a system or network environment. In one embodiment, a hierarchy of decision engines may be implemented that may include a central decision engine to administer system-wide policies and one or more local decision engines to administer component-level policies. Some embodiment may use a decision support language, such as FRIL (Fuzzy Relational Inference Language) or FRIL++, to express policy rules and to resolve uncertainty in policy rules using multiple AI inference techniques.

Abstract: A method for performing file lookups based on tags indicative of file characteristics may involve: a file system storing an association between a tag and a file, where the tag is indicative of a characteristic of the file; the file system storing an additional association between the tag and an additional file that also has the characteristic; the file system searching for files having the tag; and in response to searching, the file system returning identifiers of both files associated with the tag. The returned identifiers may include the files' pathnames or inode identifiers of the files' inodes.

Abstract: System and method for implementing a file system across different storage classes in a storage system. Embodiments may define multiple classes of storage and automatically and transparently migrate data in the storage classes within the same file system to meet the usage needs of the business. Embodiments may transparently adapt the cost of storage to the usage patterns of data on the storage, thereby reducing the amount that customers need to spend for their storage. In embodiments, storage devices may be classified into different classes of storage to implement a multi-class file system. Embodiments may provide a multi-class storage mechanism for managing and implementing user-defined policies for assigning and migrating data within the multi-class file system. The multi-class storage mechanism may determine where to initially place data, and may transparently migrate data to other storage classes according to the policies. Migrated data remains online within the file system.

Abstract: Various embodiments of systems and methods for providing external device support for a device driver abstraction layer are disclosed. Some embodiments of a method may involve: accessing attribute information associating each of several keys with a respective device attributes, where each of the keys identifies a respective device; and configuring an interface to a device driver for communication with a device dependent on which device attributes the attribute information associates with the key that identifies the device. Configuring the interface may configure the interface to include one or more of interface features. Each of the interface features may support a respective device attribute.

Abstract: A system allowing a target machine to be booted up from a disk image stored in memory. Instead of reading the boot-up information from a disk drive or other physical device the data is read from memory. No modification is necessary to native operating system, input/output subsystem, bootstrap code, etc., since the invention modifies characteristics, such as vectors used by the operating system, to make the disk image in memory appear to be the same as a standard external device.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and system that enable automated creation of operating system handles in response to storage access control changes. A determination is made of the storage array LUNs to which a host has access control permission. Those storage array LUNs and the array port WWN are provided to the host so that the host can efficiently create an OS handle. Each LUN is associated with a target assigned by the host. Configuration information for the host is automatically changed to include the association between the LUN and the target. The host is re-initialized using the configuration information such that an operating system handle is created for the association.

Abstract: A method and system of providing a write-accessible storage checkpoint is disclosed. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a first writable storage checkpoint is associated with a first storage checkpoint of a storage checkpoint chain where the storage checkpoint chain is independent of the first writable storage checkpoint and a write operation is then performed utilizing the first writable storage checkpoint.

Abstract: A first computer system may be configured to execute a first application in a first virtual machine. A second computer system may be coupled to the first computer system. In response to a failure, the first computer system is configured to failover the first virtual machine to the second computer system. A carrier medium comprises first instructions which, when executed, initiate a failover of a first virtual machine. An application executes on the first virtual machine. The failover occurs from a first computer system on which a failure occurs to a second computer system.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for creating a virtual network identity, by using a virtual IP address and hostname, in a software application for the express purpose of making the application node-independent (where node is defined as a particular machine running a given operating system at a specific moment in time) is disclosed. By virtualizing the IP address and hostname, a running software application can be moved from one node to another within a computer network, allowing for process migration and the reallocation of system resources.

Abstract: A cluster comprises a plurality of computer systems, wherein each of the plurality of computer systems is configured to execute one or more virtual machines. Each of the plurality of computer systems comprises hardware and a plurality of instructions. The plurality of instructions, when executed on the hardware, migrates at least a first virtual machine executing on a first computer system of the plurality of computer systems to a second computer system of the plurality of computer systems. The plurality of instructions migrates the first virtual machine responsive to a first load of the first computer system prior to the migration exceeding a second load of the second computer system prior to the migration.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatus and software can make use of separated I/O processors and strategy processors (implemented in hardware and/or software) to perform virtual device I/O operations. I/O processors operating on cluster nodes, storage appliance ports, or other devices can receive I/O operation requests directed to virtual devices, e.g., volumes or virtual logical units. Information about the request is forwarded to a strategy processor, operating independently or as part of larger volume management software where corresponding physical device I/O operations are determined. The physical device I/O operations can include additional information about the operations, e.g., tag information and summary information, for use in processing the virtual device I/O request. The physical device I/O operations are sent back to the I/O processor which executes the operations and/or passes the operation on to the appropriate storage device.

Abstract: An overlay filesystem is described. The overlay filesystem is capable of accessing files from a first layer or a second layer based on one or more criteria. The overlay filesystem is also capable of saving changes made to any files in a different layer while preserving the original files in the original layer.