Abstract: A method for flushing data in a virtual computing environment is provided. The method includes writing application output from an application spanning one or more virtual machines to a cache, wherein each virtual machine is implemented using one or more compute nodes and the cache is implemented in storage associated with the one or more compute nodes. In an effort to flush data associated with application writes more efficiently from the cache to a local backing store or one or more data nodes, the method may include generating a mapping of each of the plurality of application writes. The method may further include sorting sets of one or more virtual disks based upon an offset of each application write as indicated in the mapping. In addition, a storage virtualizer may cancel duplicate application writes, merge multiple contiguous application writes, and merge multiple epochs prior to flushing the data.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method for performing data replication in distributed cluster environments may include (1) identifying a distributed cluster environment that includes (A) a plurality of compute nodes that execute a plurality of virtual machines and (B) a data node that stores data that has been replicated from storage devices used by the virtual machines, (2) determining, at the data node, storage-utilization totals for the virtual machines that represent amounts of storage space on the storage devices used by the virtual machines, (3) identifying, based at least in part on the storage-utilization totals, a virtual machine whose storage-utilization total is highest among the plurality of virtual machines, (4) prioritizing the virtual machine and then in response to the prioritization, (5) directing the compute node to initiate a data replication process with the data node in connection with the virtual machine. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for creating snapshots and backups in a virtual computing environment is provided. The method includes writing application output of an application spanning one or more virtual machines as an application consistency group to a writeback cache, wherein the one or more virtual machines are implemented using one or more compute nodes and wherein the writeback cache is implemented in direct attached storage in the one or more compute nodes. The method includes pausing I/O (input/output) operations of the application and marking the pausing, in the writeback cache. The method includes resuming the I/O operations of the application, after the marking and dumping data, according to the marking, from the writeback cache to a data node, as a snapshot.

Abstract: A method for flushing data in a virtual computing environment is provided. The method includes writing application output from an application spanning one or more virtual machines to a cache, wherein each virtual machine is implemented using one or more compute nodes and the cache is implemented in storage associated with the one or more compute nodes. In an effort to flush data associated with application writes more efficiently from the cache to a local backing store or one or more data nodes, the method may include generating a mapping of each of the plurality of application writes. The method may further include sorting sets of one or more virtual disks based upon an offset of each application write as indicated in the mapping. In addition, a storage virtualizer may cancel duplicate application writes, merge multiple contiguous application writes, and merge multiple epochs prior to flushing the data.

Abstract: Various systems, methods, and processes to perform adaptive throttling of write operations in hybrid storage environments are disclosed. A credit value is assigned to a virtual machine. Input/output (I/O) operations generated by an application executing on the virtual machine are throttled based on the credit value assigned to the virtual machine. The credit value is assigned to the virtual machine in proportion to static measures and dynamic conditions. The static measures and the dynamic conditions are used to calculate a quality of service provided to the virtual machine by a storage system.

Abstract: A method for creating snapshots and backups in a virtual computing environment is provided. The method includes writing application output of an application spanning one or more virtual machines as an application consistency group to a writeback cache, wherein the one or more virtual machines are implemented using one or more compute nodes and wherein the writeback cache is implemented in direct attached storage in the one or more compute nodes. The method includes pausing I/O (input/output) operations of the application and marking the pausing, in the writeback cache. The method includes resuming the I/O operations of the application, after the marking and dumping data, according to the marking, from the writeback cache to a data node, as a snapshot.