Abstract: Technical solutions are described that shift wearout of an array of storage disks in a storage system. In an aspect, a method includes receiving a request to write data to the storage system. The method also includes generating checksum data corresponding to the data and dividing the checksum data into portions of distinct sizes. The method also includes writing each portion of the checksum data onto a respective storage disk in the array.

Abstract: Technical solutions are described that shift wearout of an array of storage disks in a storage system. In an aspect, a method includes receiving a request to write data to the storage system. The method also includes generating checksum data corresponding to the data and dividing the checksum data into portions of distinct sizes. The method also includes writing each portion of the checksum data onto a respective storage disk in the array.

Abstract: An information handling system (IHS) includes a processor with a cache memory system. The processor includes a processor core with an L1 cache memory that couples to an L2 cache memory. The processor includes an arbitration mechanism that controls load and store requests to the L2 cache memory. The arbitration mechanism includes control logic that enables a load request to interrupt a store request that the L2 cache memory is currently servicing. When the L2 cache memory finishes servicing the interrupting load request, the L2 cache memory may return to servicing the interrupted store request at the point of interruption.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing TLB shootdown operation overheads in accelerator-based computing systems is described. The disclosed method and apparatus may also be used in the areas of near-memory and in-memory computing, where near-memory or in-memory compute units may need to share a host CPU's virtual address space. Metadata is associated with page table entries (PTEs) and mechanisms use the metadata to limit the number of processing elements that participate in a TLB shootdown operation.

Abstract: When providing a user with native access to at least a portion of device hardware, the user can be prevented from modifying firmware and other configuration information by controlling the mechanisms used to update that information. In some embodiments, an asymmetric keying approach can be used to encrypt or sign the firmware. In other cases access can be controlled by enabling firmware updates only through a channel or port that is not exposed to the customer, or by mapping only those portions of the hardware that are to be accessible to the user. In other embodiments, the user can be prevented from modifying firmware by only provisioning the user on a machine after an initial mutability period wherein firmware can be modified, such that the user never has access to a device when firmware can be updated. Combinations and variations of the above also can be used.

Abstract: Consistency groups of federated data centers can be transitioned between active/active multi-writer and active/passive single writer operational modes. In the active/passive single writer mode one or more hosts in a first data center have Write access to a distributed storage resource, but a host in a second data center does not have Write access to that distributed storage resource. In the active/active multi-writer mode hosts in both the first and the second data center have Write access to the distributed storage resource. The active/passive single writer mode is used as a default mode. The active/active multi-writer mode is used when needed for scheduled or unscheduled but qualified events which require mobility, e.g., moving virtual machines or cluster groups.

Abstract: A method and system for tracking write access in a memory. The memory is partitioned into pages and each page is pointed to by a pointer. Upon receiving a request from a requester, a computer system stores a copy of a file that contains pointers to modified pages in the memory. The computer system then clears the file, and protects the pages in the memory from write access after clearing of the file. The stored copy of the file is sent to the requester.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for identifying the location of a Virtual Machine File System (VMFS) of a Virtual Machine (VM) on one or more LUNs on a storage medium, replicating the one or more LUNs storing the VMFS, and exposing the replicated one or more LUNs.