Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for managing read and write requests from a host to tracks in storage cached in a cache. A determination is made whether track format table support information for a track indicates that a track format table was previously determined to have or not have the track format code for track format metadata. Track format metadata for the track is rebuilt to determine whether the track format table includes a track format code for the rebuilt track format metadata when the track format table support information indicates that the track format table was previously determined to have a track format code for the track. The track format metadata is not rebuilt when the track format table support information indicates that the track format table was previously determined to not have a track format code for the track.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for managing read and write requests from a host to tracks in storage cached in a cache. A determination is made whether track format table support information for a track indicates that a track format table was previously determined to have or not have the track format code for track format metadata. Track format metadata for the track is rebuilt to determine whether the track format table includes a track format code for the rebuilt track format metadata when the track format table support information indicates that the track format table was previously determined to have a track format code for the track. The track format metadata is not rebuilt when the track format table support information indicates that the track format table was previously determined to not have a track format code for the track.

Abstract: In response to determining, by a storage controller, that a first process is to perform a write operation, a customer data track in a cache is configured for exclusive access while waiting for the write operation on the customer data track to be performed by the first process. In response to configuring the customer data track for the exclusive access, a copy of a metadata track is generated, wherein the metadata track stores metadata information of the customer data track and is configured for shared access. The copy of the metadata track is configured to provide exclusive access to a second process to perform operations on the copy of the metadata track, wherein the first process is able to perform the write operation on the customer data track that causes the metadata track to be updated while the second process performs the operations on the copy of the metadata track.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure may relate to methods and a computer program product for allowing writes based on a granularity level. The method for a storage server may include receiving a received granularity level for a particular volume of a storage device of a client computer including an effective duration for the received granularity level. The method may include receiving an anticipated write to the particular volume at an anticipated write granularity level. The method may include verifying whether the anticipated write granularity level substantially matches the received granularity level at the effective duration. The method may also include writing, in response to the anticipated write granularity level substantially matching the received granularity level at the effective duration, the anticipated write to the particular volume for the received granularity level.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for preemptively migrating a failing extent includes receiving information of one or more failure conditions associated with an extent stored in a first storage portion of a first storage tier; predicting a failure of the extent based on the information; and selecting a second storage portion located in one of a plurality of storage tiers. The method also includes migrating the extent to the selected second storage portion. The selected second storage portion to which the extent is migrated is located in a lower storage tier. The lower storage tier includes less expensive and/or slower-to-access storage media than the first storage tier.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method for preemptively migrating a failing extent includes receiving information of one or more failure conditions associated with an extent stored in a first storage portion of a first storage tier; predicting a failure of the extent based on the information; selecting a second storage portion located in one of a plurality of storage tiers; and migrating the extent to the selected second storage portion.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure may relate to methods and a computer program product for allowing writes based on a granularity level. The method for a storage server may include receiving a received granularity level for a particular volume of a storage device of a client computer including an effective duration for the received granularity level. The method may include receiving an anticipated write to the particular volume at an anticipated write granularity level. The method may include verifying whether the anticipated write granularity level substantially matches the received granularity level at the effective duration. The method may also include writing, in response to the anticipated write granularity level substantially matching the received granularity level at the effective duration, the anticipated write to the particular volume for the received granularity level.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for generating an advanced function usage planning report. One embodiment of the apparatus includes a detection module, a monitoring module, and a planning report module. The detection module detects use of an advanced function on a storage controller. The advanced function includes an optional storage function beyond a standard function set. The monitoring module monitors the use of the advanced function on the storage controller. The planning report module generates a planning report based at least in part on use information from the monitored use of the advanced function.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for managing access requests from a host to tracks in storage. A cursor is set to point to a track in a range of tracks established for sequential accesses. Cache resources are accessed for the cache for tracks in the range of tracks in advance of processing access requests to the range of tracks. Indication is received of a subset of tracks in the range of tracks for subsequent access transactions and a determination is made whether the cursor points to a track in the subset of tracks. The cursor is set to point to a track in the subset of tracks and cache resources are accessed for tracks in the subset of tracks for anticipation of access transactions to tracks in the subset of tracks.

Abstract: Provided are techniques for cloud based store and restore with copy services. A store command to transfer data from one or more tracks of a volume to cloud storage is received. With track services, data for the one or more tracks in the volume is retrieved by emulating a host read. With a cloud data movement engine, the data for the one or more tracks is converted to data for one or more objects. With the cloud data movement engine, the one or more objects are stored in the cloud storage.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for managing read and write requests from a host to tracks in storage cached in a cache. A determination is made whether track format table support information for a track indicates that a track format table was previously determined to have or not have the track format code for track format metadata. Track format metadata for the track is rebuilt to determine whether the track format table includes a track format code for the rebuilt track format metadata when the track format table support information indicates that the track format table was previously determined to have a track format code for the track. The track format metadata is not rebuilt when the track format table support information indicates that the track format table was previously determined to not have a track format code for the track.

Abstract: Provided are techniques for synchronously performing commit records operations. A local copy of a commit records message is built for a Non-Volatile Storage (NVS) track, with a valid indicator set to indicate that this commit records message is valid and has not been processed yet. A Direct Memory Access (DMA) chain is executed to transfer customer data from a host to real segments and alternate segments of a track buffer and to transfer the local copy of the commit records message to a mail message structure of a mail message array. At DMA completion, an NVS manager is synchronously called to perform a commit records operation with the commit records message in the mail message structure. In response to the commit records operation completing, there is an indication that a new write DMA is allowed to proceed for the NVS track.

Abstract: Provided are techniques for handling cache and Non-Volatile Storage (NVS) out of sync writes. At an end of a write for a cache track of a cache node, a cache node uses cache write statistics for the cache track of the cache node and Non-Volatile Storage (NVS) write statistics for a corresponding NVS track of an NVS node to determine that writes to the cache track and to the corresponding NVS track are out of sync. The cache node sets an out of sync indicator in a cache data control block for the cache track. The cache node sends a message to the NVS node to set an out of sync indicator in an NVS data control block for the corresponding NVS track. The cache node sets the cache track as pinned non-retryable due to the write being out of sync and reports possible data loss to error logs.

Abstract: A metadata track stores metadata corresponding to both a first customer data track and a second customer data track. In response to receiving a first request to perform a write on the first customer data track from a two track write process, exclusive access to the first customer data track is provided to the first request, and shared access to the metadata track is provided to the first request. In response to receiving a second request to perform a write on the second customer data track from the two track write process, exclusive access to the second customer data track is provided to the second request, and shared access to the metadata track is provided to the second request prior to providing exclusive access to the metadata track to at least one process that is waiting for exclusive access to the metadata track.

Abstract: In response to determining, by a storage controller, that a first process is to perform a write operation, a customer data track in a cache is configured for exclusive access while waiting for the write operation on the customer data track to be performed by the first process. In response to configuring the customer data track for the exclusive access, a copy of a metadata track is generated, wherein the metadata track stores metadata information of the customer data track and is configured for shared access. The copy of the metadata track is configured to provide exclusive access to a second process to perform operations on the copy of the metadata track, wherein the first process is able to perform the write operation on the customer data track that causes the metadata track to be updated while the second process performs the operations on the copy of the metadata track.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for using a track format code in a cache control block for a track in a cache to process read and write requests to the track in the cache. A track format table associates track format codes with track format metadata. A determination is made as to whether the track format table has track format metadata matching track format metadata of a track staged into the cache. A determination is made as to whether a track format code from the track format table for the track format metadata in the track format table matches the track format metadata of the track staged. A cache control block for the track being added to the cache is generated including the determined track format code when the track format table has the matching track format metadata.

Abstract: For advanced function usage-based billing, a processor detects the storage controller associating a microcode version for a given advanced function of one or more advanced functions with a logical volume. A given customer is associated with the logical volume. In response to detecting the storage controller associating the microcode version for the given advanced function with the logical volume, the processor monitors for use of a memory address of the microcode version and a logical volume address of the logical volume. The processor further detects an associated use of the memory address of the microcode version and the logical volume address of the logical volume. In response to detecting the associated use, the processor communicates the given advanced function and the given customer to a billing entity.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for processing a chain of a plurality of write requests including a commit wait flag and plurality of write requests, wherein each write request group includes write transactions directed to the storage. A determination is made as to whether the commit wait flag has a first value or a second value. The write requests are processed by requiring a current write request comprising one of the write requests being processed to complete before beginning to write data for a next write request following the current write request in the write request chain in response to the commit wait flag having the first value. The write requests are processed by processing the next write request before completing the current write request in response to the commit wait flag having the second value.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for generating a chain of a plurality of write requests including a commit wait flag and plurality of write requests. The commit wait flag is set to one of an indicated first value or a second value. The commit wait flag is set to the first value to cause a storage server to process the write requests by requiring a current write request being processed to complete before transferring data for a next write request following the current write request. The commit wait flag is set to the second value to cause the storage server to process the write requests by transferring data for the next write request before completing the current write request preceding the next write request. The write request chain is sent to the storage server to apply the write requests to the storage.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for processing a chain of a plurality of write requests including a commit wait flag and plurality of write requests, wherein each write request group includes write transactions directed to the storage. A determination is made as to whether the commit wait flag has a first value or a second value. The write requests are processed by requiring a current write request comprising one of the write requests being processed to complete before beginning to write data for a next write request following the current write request in the write request chain in response to the commit wait flag having the first value. The write requests are processed by processing the next write request before completing the current write request in response to the commit wait flag having the second value.