Abstract: A method for reconfiguring a storage system communicating with a host, consisting of the steps of formulating a proposed reconfiguration of the storage system from an original configuration, and generating a record of operations of the storage system during an evaluation period in the original configuration. In response to the record, the method further consists of making a determination whether data accessed by the host in the original configuration during the evaluation period would have been unavailable to the host if the proposed reconfiguration had been implemented prior to the evaluation period. In response to the determination, a decision is made whether to implement the proposed reconfiguration.

Abstract: A method for managing a data storage system includes maintaining a record predictive of locations to which data are to be written on the primary storage subsystem by a host processor. Upon receiving data from the host processor at the primary storage subsystem to be written to a specified location on the first non-volatile storage media, if the specified location is not included in the record, the record is updated responsively to the specified location. The primary storage subsystem signals the host processor that the data have been stored in the data storage system responsively to receiving the data and, if the specified location was not included in the record, responsively to updating the record.

Abstract: A method for servicing a computerized system includes detecting a failure of a given type in the computerized system, and generating a list of corrective actions in response to the failure, using an automated maintenance program. A record of one or more previous failures of the given type in the computerized system is retrieved, indicating at least one previous corrective action taken in response to the previous failures. The method prioritizes the list of corrective actions responsively to the record, using the automated maintenance program, so as to adjust a priority of the at least one previous corrective action in the list. The prioritized list from the automated maintenance program is provided to a repair function for use in servicing the computerized system.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, an apparatus and a computer program product for transferring a digital object from a source to a destination. The method includes splitting the digital object into a plurality of parts forming a first set of parts and a set of remaining parts. The method creates a credential record defining a relationship between the plurality of parts. The credential record includes retrieval information for the set of remaining parts. The method further includes transferring a first set of the parts along with the credential record to the destination using at least one push path. The method further includes fetching the set of remaining parts at the destination using the credential record to connect the destination to the source via at least one pull path. Further, the method includes recreating the digital object at the destination using the first set of parts, the credential record and a set of remaining parts.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for copying data are provided. The method includes: establishing a virtual copying relationship at a current primary site; and establishing a real copying relationship with a first remote site in response to a reception of a first remote site information by the current primary site information while maintaining the virtual copying relationship.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and systems for data storage including initiating a destaging process in a storage system for destaging data from a cache to a mass storage device. Upon inputting a standby command to the storage system to inhibit the destaging of the data in a specified range, the destaging of the data in the specified range from the cache to the mass storage device is inhibited.

Abstract: A method and system for document form recognition are provided. A first instance of a document type (101) is processed to manually associate roles for each input data string with the format of the input data strings to provide predefined document types. When a subsequent instance of a document type (102) is input into the system, the format (123) of its input data strings (120) is determined and compared to the format (113) of the input data strings (110) of the manually predefined document types (115) to determine a matched document type (101). The input data strings (120) are associated with the roles (114) defined for corresponding input data strings (110) of the matched predefined document type (101).

Abstract: A software package in accordance with one embodiment comprises a software application, and a declaration of operation associated with the software application. The declaration of operation is examined by a system module running on the computing system. The system module is configured to control access requests submitted by the software application after software application is installed on the computing system. The system module monitors a request for accessing a resource accessible via the computing system. The system module grants the software application access to the resource, in response to determining that the request for access complies with the declaration of operation.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and systems for data storage including initiating a destaging process in a storage system for destaging data from a cache to a mass storage device. Upon inputting a standby command to the storage system to inhibit the destaging of the data in a specified range, the destaging of the data in the specified range from the cache to the mass storage device is inhibited.

Abstract: Method, device and computer program product for support of maintaining a system. The method includes: evaluating a current system state and detecting a first lattice element corresponding to the current system state; locating at least one state improvement path, within a lattice that represents states of the system, between the first lattice element and a second lattice element representative of a target system state; determining, for at least one state improvement path, rules that should be satisfied in order to reach the system target state; and determining how to fulfill the rules associated with at least one state improvement path.

Abstract: A method for storing data received from a host processor at a primary storage subsystem in a data storage system includes writing the data to a first volatile cache memory in the primary storage subsystem and copying the data from the primary storage subsystem to a secondary storage subsystem. The second subsystem writes the copied data to a second volatile cache memory and returns an acknowledgment to the primary storage subsystem responsively to writing the copied data to the second volatile cache memory and prior to saving the data in the second non-volatile storage media. The primary storage subsystem signals the host processor that the data have been stored in the data storage system responsively to the acknowledgment from the secondary storage subsystem.

Abstract: A method for use of a physical data storage medium, the method including receiving a first read request for data stored in any of a plurality of storage sub-units on a physical data storage medium, and decrypting the requested data if an indicator associated with the requested data storage sub-unit indicates that data in the requested storage sub-unit is encrypted.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture wherein a command is received for writing data to a first storage location. A determination is made that previously written data is stored in the first storage location. The previously written data is copied to a second storage location, in response to determining that the previously written data is stored in the first storage location. The data is written to the first storage location, in response to copying the previously written data to the second storage location.

Abstract: Method, device and computer program product for determining a characteristic of an identifiable component. The method includes: receiving identification information representative of an identity of components that belong to a group of components, determining at least one characteristic of an identifiable component in response to the received identification information, and performing at least one characteristic responsive operation. The device includes an identifiable component and a component characteristic determiner. The component characteristic determiner is adapted to receive identification information representative of an identity of components that belong to a group of components and to determine at least one characteristic of the identifiable component in response to a relationship between the received identification information and reference identification information. The device is adapted to perform at least one characteristic responsive information.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for navigating a location marker in text, the method includes moving a location maker from one location in a text to another location in the text according to properties of the locations. The movements of the location maker further includes executing a command to move the location maker from one location in the text, the command is related to at least one property of said text. Then, responsive to the command, another location in said text with at least one property of text indicated by the command is searched, and the location marker is moved to the other location in the text found during the search.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for forming a consistency group of data. Information is provided on a consistency group relationship indicating a plurality of slave controllers and, for each indicated slave controller, a slave storage unit managed by the slave controller. A command is transmitted to each slave controller in the consistency group relationship to cause each slave controller to transmit data in the slave storage unit to a remote storage in a manner that forms the consistency group. A determination is made as to whether all the slave controllers successfully transmitted the data in the slave storage units that is part of the consistency group to the remote storage.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for forming a consistency group of data. Information is provided on a consistency group relationship indicating a plurality of slave controllers and, for each indicated slave controller, a slave storage unit managed by the slave controller. A command is transmitted to each slave controller in the consistency group relationship to cause each slave controller to transmit data in the slave storage unit to a remote storage in a manner that forms the consistency group. A determination is made as to whether all the slave controllers successfully transmitted the data in the slave storage units that is part of the consistency group to the remote storage.

Abstract: For a technique for maintaining consistency of data, one or more blocks of data identified by a first structure are copied to form a consistent set of data. While not acknowledging completion of write requests to any blocks of data, a second structure is created, wherein the second structure indicates which blocks of data are modified while the consistent set of data is being formed.

Abstract: Logging and storage transactions in a database are directed to a single storage server. A modification of a database record is written only once to a log record on the storage server. Subsequently, the storage server interprets the database log records, and modifies the database storage accordingly. The number of bytes written to storage is potentially reduced by fifty percent as compared to writing the log record and then writing the modified database record to the storage server.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method for evaluating verification of data by an operator. The data is presented to the operator on a computer-controlled display and a time duration is measured over which the operator interacts with the display in verifying the presented data. The time duration is indicative of the reliability of the verification of the data by the operator.