Abstract: A protected facility (20), including a processor (150) a network (46) and a security module (50) unidirectionally coupling the network to a workstation (34) external to the facility, and configured to carry commands (78) unidirectionally from the workstation to the network and to be incapable of carrying commands in the opposite direction. A storage controller (24) coupled the network is configured to define first and second volumes (64) including respective sets of storage blocks (136), to store data (30) to the first volume, and to expose the second volume workstation (34). The processor is coupled to the network and configured to receive commands only from the workstation via the module, to receive, from the storage controller, access to the data, to receive, from the workstation, a command to train a model (32), to analyze the data to train the model, and to store the trained model to the second volume.

Abstract: A method includes monitoring a sequence of transactions in one or more volumes. The transactions are transferred to a primary storage (112) in a given order, and are replicated to a secondary storage (114). The volumes belong to a volume group (204) for which the transactions are guaranteed to be replicated while retaining the given order. Artificial write transactions (228) are periodically issued to a protection application field, which is predefined in a given volume (212) belonging to the volume group. Records indicative of the transactions, including the artificial transactions, are stored in a disaster-proof storage unit (144). Upon verifying that a given artificial transaction has been successfully replicated in the secondary storage, the records corresponding to the given artificial write transaction and the transactions that precede it in the sequence are deleted from the disaster-proof storage unit.

Abstract: Methods, storage facilities and computer software products implement embodiments of the present invention that include partitioning a software stack (140) into a first software component (141), a second software component (142) and a third software component (143) managed respectively by a primary host (26) at a primary site (22), by a secure storage unit (30) at or adjacent to the primary site, the secure storage unit including a protection storage unit (92) and a disaster-proof storage unit (94), and by a recovery system (34) at a secondary site (24). One or more files (90) are stored in the disaster-proof unit using the first and the second software components, and following a disaster occurring at the primary site, the files are recovered using the secure storage unit and the recovery system.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and computer software products implement embodiments of the present invention that include storing a set of malware detection rules for a set of respective storage entities, each given rule indicating, when applied to a request to write to a given respective storage entity, whether the request originates from one or more malware applications that corrupt the storage entities. Upon receiving a new request to write data to a given storage entity, a given malware detection rule corresponding to the given storage entity is identified from the set of malware detection rules, and the identified malware detection rule is applied to the received new request so as to detect that the computer is infected with a given malware application. A responsive action can be initiated upon detecting the given malware application infection.

Abstract: A method, including receiving, by a secure processor housed in a disaster-proof casing located at a local site, recurring wireless signals from an application server and from a storage system that are collocated with the processor at the local site, the application server configured to store data to the primary storage system, and to mirror the data to a remote site, each of the wireless signals indicating a status of the application server or the storage system at a given time. A status log including the respective statuses of the application server and the storage system at the received times is stored to a memory in the casing, and subsequent to failures of the application server, the storage system and the mirroring, the status log analyzed to compute a data loss at the local site resulting from the failures of the application server, the storage system, and the mirroring.

Abstract: Methods, storage facilities and computer software products implement embodiments of the present invention that include mapping, by a storage system including one or more storage devices, a set of storage blocks on a given storage device to a redo log file configured to store transactions performed by a transaction processing system. An archiving condition is specified, and upon the transaction processing system completing a given transaction a copy of the given transaction is stored to the redo log file. Upon the archiving condition being met, the storage system can remap the set of storage blocks to an archive log file.

Abstract: A method, including receiving, by a secure processor housed in a disaster-proof casing located at a local site, recurring wireless signals from an application server and from a storage system that are collocated with the processor at the local site, the application server configured to store data to the primary storage system, and to mirror the data to a remote site, each of the wireless signals indicating a status of the application server or the storage system at a given time. A status log including the respective statuses of the application server and the storage system at the received times is stored to a memory in the casing, and subsequent to failures of the application server, the storage system and the mirroring, the status log analyzed to compute a data loss at the local site resulting from the failures of the application server, the storage system, and the mirroring.

Abstract: A method for managing a secondary storage system, the method may include performing a failover update, by the secondary storage system, of a status of at least one secondary path that couples a host computer to the secondary storage system thereby causing the host computer to prioritize sending IO requests to the secondary storage system over sending the IO requests to a primary storage system; wherein the failover update is triggered by a determination made by the secondary storage system that (a) the secondary storage system is, when making the determination, at an acceptable synchronization level with the primary storage system, and (b) the primary storage system is disconnected from the host computer; receiving, from the host computer, IO requests; and responding, by the secondary storage system, to the IO requests.

Abstract: A method includes monitoring a sequence of transactions in one or more volumes. The transactions are transferred to a primary storage (112) in a given order, and are replicated to a secondary storage (114). The volumes belong to a volume group (204) for which the transactions are guaranteed to be replicated while retaining the given order. Artificial write transactions (228) are periodically issued to a protection application field, which is predefined in a given volume (212) belonging to the volume group. Records indicative of the transactions, including the artificial transactions, are stored in a disaster-proof storage unit (144). Upon verifying that a given artificial transaction has been successfully replicated in the secondary storage, the records corresponding to the given artificial write transaction and the transactions that precede it in the sequence are deleted from the disaster-proof storage unit.

Abstract: Methods, storage facilities and computer software products implement embodiments of the present invention that include mapping, by a storage system including one or more storage devices, a set of storage blocks on a given storage device to a redo log file configured to store transactions performed by a transaction processing system. An archiving condition is specified, and upon the transaction processing system completing a given transaction a copy of the given transaction is stored to the redo log file. Upon the archiving condition being met, the storage system can remap the set of storage blocks to an archive log file.

Abstract: Methods, storage facilities and computer software products implement embodiments of the present invention that include partitioning a software stack (140) into a first software component (141), a second software component (142) and a third software component (143) managed respectively by a primary host (26) at a primary site (22), by a secure storage unit (30) at or adjacent to the primary site, the secure storage unit including a protection storage unit (92) and a disaster-proof storage unit (94), and by a recovery system (34) at a secondary site (24). One or more files (90) are stored in the disaster-proof unit using the first and the second software components, and following a disaster occurring at the primary site, the files are recovered using the secure storage unit and the recovery system.

Abstract: A system of managing remote resources that includes a local storage associated with a local storage manager constituting a local storage system. A remote storage associated with a remote storage manager constituting a remote storage system. The local storage system is associated with the remote storage system by means of a first link. The local storage system is configured to send through the first link I/O remote commands complying with the SCSI protocol, for execution in the remote storage system. The system includes a second link associating the local storage system and the remote storage system. The local storage manager being responsive to remote storage management commands and being configured to send through the second link corresponding cross-storage-remote management commands that comply with the SCSI protocol, for execution in the remote storage.

Abstract: A method for managing a secondary storage system, the method may include performing a failover update, by the secondary storage system, of a status of at least one secondary path that couples a host computer to the secondary storage system thereby causing the host computer to prioritize sending IO requests to the secondary storage system over sending the IO requests to a primary storage system; wherein the failover update is triggered by a determination made by the secondary storage system that (a) the secondary storage system is, when making the determination, at an acceptable synchronization level with the primary storage system, and (b) the primary storage system is disconnected from the host computer; receiving, from the host computer, IO requests; and responding, by the secondary storage system, to the IO requests.

Abstract: A method and a storage system are provided for accessing volumes. The storage system provisions to a host, a place holder handle configured for allowing access to any volume selected by the host and allowed to be accessed by the host. The volume forms part of accessible volumes included in the storage system. The storage system receives from the host a first request for associating the place holder handle with a first selected volume from among the accessible volumes and enables the host to access the first selected volume in response to receiving an access request indicative of the place holder handle.

Abstract: A recovery unit for recovering data includes an antenna and a first wireless transceiver. The first wireless transceiver is configured to communicate via the antenna only with a second wireless transceiver of a storage unit that holds records associated with the data. When an event damaging at least some of the data occurs and the recovery unit is brought into proximity with the storage unit, the recovery unit receives the records from the storage unit for recovery of the data.

Abstract: A network appliance (40) includes a processor (48) and a Host Bus Adapter (HBA-44). The processor is configured to execute storage commands in one or more storage devices (28A, 28B). The HBA is coupled to a network (32) so as to receive communication frames sent over the network to the network appliance, and is configured to filter the received communication frames so as to pass through to the processor only a subset of the received communication frames, which correspond to the storage commands that have been sent by one or more applications for processing by the network appliance.

Abstract: A method and a storage system are provided for accessing volumes. The storage system provisions to a host, a place holder handle configured for allowing access to any volume selected by the host and allowed to be accessed by the host. The volume forms part of accessible volumes included in the storage system. The storage system receives from the host a first request for associating the place holder handle with a first selected volume from among the accessible volumes and enables the host to access the first selected volume in response to receiving an access request indicative of the place holder handle.

Abstract: A method for data protection includes accepting data for storage from one or more data sources (24). The data is sent for storage in a primary storage device (28) and in a secondary storage device (32). While awaiting an indication of successful storage of the data in the secondary storage device, a record associated with the data is temporarily stored in a disaster-proof storage unit (48) adjacent to the primary storage device. When an event damaging at least some of the data in the primary storage device occurs, the data is reconstructed using the record stored in the disaster-proof storage unit and at least part of the data stored in the secondary storage device.

Abstract: A system of managing remote resources that includes a local storage associated with a local storage manager constituting a local storage system. A remote storage associated with a remote storage manager constituting a local storage system. The local storage system is associated with a remote storage system by means of a first link. The local storage system is configured to send through the first link I/O remote commands complying with the SCSI protocol, for execution in the remote storage system. The system includes a second link associating the local storage system and the remote storage system. The local storage manager being responsive to remote storage management commands and being configured to send through the second link corresponding cross-storage-remote management commands that comply with the SCSI protocol, for execution in the remote storage.

Abstract: A method for managing resources in a storage pool of external virtual memory, that includes a host manager being associated with a storage pool by a storage manager. The host manager manages the resources, the managing including creating resources in the storage pool and/or deleting resources in the storage pool. The host manager further accesses the resource in the pool, such accessing including reading data to or writing data to the resource.