Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for writing data to protected partitions of storage media. The apparatus includes a control module configured to communicate with a host device and receive write commands for a storage device, a parse module configured to extract logical block addresses, a check module configured to verify a protection state, and a protection module configured to allow write commands according to the protection state. The system includes a host device, a storage device coupled with the host, the storage device comprising an enclosure having storage media and a control module, and the apparatus. The method includes communicating with a host device and receiving write commands for a storage device, extracting logical block addresses from the write commands, verifying a protection state of the extracted logical block addresses, and allowing write commands according to the protection state of the extracted logical block address.

Abstract: A method, system, and program product for a VTS subsystem's logging server to optimize applications' logging data entries where applications use the logging service. More specifically, in certain embodiments, the system comprises logic executed within a VTS subsystem to which a tape library subsystem is attached. The logic controls VTS subsystem applications' logging data entry strategy through applications' configured logging level, log entry category, and a cache buffer. The logic not only dynamically balances applications' logging request but also maximizes the availability of system information.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for reducing the collective power consumption of a plurality of storage devices including a plurality of associated storage volumes is provided. The storage volumes are grouped by a last access time according to a plurality of ranks. The plurality of ranks corresponds to a level of power consumption based on device activity. A volume of the plurality of storage volumes is moved between the plurality of ranks according to an access pattern of the volume.

Abstract: A method to set a communication speed in a Serial-Attached Small Computer System Interface (“SAS”)/Serial-ATA (“SATA”) distance extender apparatus comprising a plurality of supported communication speeds and a local communication speed, a fibre channel interface, a memory, a processor, and a communication bus interconnecting the SAS/SATA Interface, the Fibre Channel interface, the memory, and the processor. The method detects traffic received by the Fibre Channel interface, and determines if the traffic comprises a SAS/SATA Open Address frame If the traffic comprises a SAS/SATA Open Address frame, the method then determines if the local communication speed matches a communication speed utilized by an interconnected remote SAS/SATA Interface. If the local communication speed matches a communication speed utilized by an interconnected remote SAS/SATA Interface, the method transmits the traffic using the local SAS/SATA Interface.

Abstract: A portable data storage assembly, comprising a holographic data storage layer, and an optical tracking layer comprising addressing information for the holographic data storage layer, wherein that addressing information defines a first storage band comprising a first plurality of storage addresses and a second storage band comprising a second plurality of storage addresses, wherein said second plurality of storage address is greater than said first plurality of storage addresses.

Abstract: This embodiment (a system) addresses and reduces the RAID build time by only rebuilding the used blocks and omitting the unused blocks. This starts after a disk drive from a RAID system is failed and replaced and storage controller starts the process of rebuilding the data on the new disk drive. Storage controller determines the logical volumes that must be rebuilt, send a message requesting only used blocks for these logical volumes from the volume manager and then uses this information and only rebuild the used blocks for the failed disk system.

Abstract: A system of controlling tape drives within a tape drive library where a backup server utilizes client backup schedules and pending client restore requests to efficiently control the powering on and off of tape drives within a tape drive library.

Abstract: Network traffic encoded in a first protocol is transmitted across a first communications link, wherein the first protocol allows a first plurality of simultaneous logical connections. The transmitted network traffic is received at a first interface between the first communications link and a second communications link. The received network traffic is encapsulated within frames at the first interface, wherein the frames are generated in accordance with a second protocol, and wherein the second protocol does not allow any plurality of simultaneous logical connections that are allowed by the first protocol. The frames are transmitted from the first interface to a second interface across the second communications link. The frames are received and then unencapsulated network traffic is generated from the frames at the second interface, wherein the second interface is between the second communications link and a third communications link.

Abstract: A first special character encoded in a first protocol is transmitted across a first communications link. The transmitted first special character is received at a first interface between the first communications link and a second communications link. The first special character is converted to a second special character encoded in a second protocol, wherein the first special character is also defined for encoding in the second protocol. The second special character is transmitted across the second communications link. The second special character is received at a second interface between the second communications link and a third communications link. The second special character is converted back to the first special character. The first special character is transmitted across the third communications link.

Abstract: Data that is to be deduplicated and compressed is received. The data is compressed then deduplicated to generate first compressed then deduplicated data. The data is deduplicated then compressed to generate first deduplicated then compressed data. The first compressed then deduplicated data is stored if the first compressed then deduplicated data is smaller in size than the first deduplicated then compressed data. The first deduplicated then compressed data is stored if the first deduplicated then compressed data is smaller in size than the first compressed then deduplicated data.

Abstract: A method to select a deduplication protocol for a data storage library comprising a plurality of data storage devices configured as a RAID array, by establishing a normal deduplication protocol, a RAID failure deduplication protocol, and a multiple storage device failure deduplication protocol. The method receives host data comprising a plurality of interleaved data blocks. If the system is operating without any storage device failures, then the method processes the host data using the normal deduplication protocol. If the system is operating with a storage device failure, then the method processes the host data using the RAID failure deduplication protocol. If the system is operating with multiple storage device failures, then the method processes the host data using the multiple storage device failure deduplication protocol.

Abstract: Data for deduplication is received. The received data is deduplicated if selected conditions corresponding to the deduplication are satisfied, wherein the selected conditions include a deduplication ratio, a data deduplication threshold, and a data quiescence measure. Deduplication of the received data is discontinued if the selected conditions corresponding to the deduplication are not satisfied.

Abstract: A method to allocate resources in a data storage library comprising a plurality of data storage devices configured as a RAID array, by establishing a normal operation resource allocation, a RAID failure resource allocation, and a multiple storage device failure resource allocation. The method receives host I/O requests, and enqueues those host I/O requests. If the system is operating without any storage device failures, then the method processes host I/O requests using the normal operation resource allocation. If the system is operating with a storage device failure, then the method processes host I/O requests using the RAID failure resource allocation. If the system is operating with multiple storage device failures, then the method processes host I/O requests using the multiple storage device failure resource allocation.

Abstract: A method using an optical holographic data storage medium and an optical holographic data storage drive, comprising removeably disposing the optical holographic data storage medium in the optical holographic data storage drive, and determining whether to write information to the holographic data storage layer, and/or whether to read information from the holographic data storage layer, and/or whether to write information to the optical data storage layer, and/or whether to read information from the optical data storage layer. The optical holographic data storage medium comprises a holographic data storage layer and an optical data storage layer. The optical holographic data storage drive comprises a reflective spatial light modulator, a first lasing device, a first optical detector for detecting first laser light, a second lasing device, and a second optical detector for detecting second laser light.

Abstract: A method to set a rotation rate for an optical holographic data storage medium by determining if the optical storage layer comprises an alternating series of lands and grooves. If the optical storage layer does not comprise an alternating series of lands and grooves, the method rotates the optical holographic data storage medium at a rotation rate based upon a data acquisition rate for pit-recorded information. If the optical storage layer comprises an alternating series of lands and grooves and the distance between alternating grooves increases as a function of the distance from said center point, then the method rotates the optical holographic data storage medium at a constant angular velocity. If the distance between alternating grooves does not increase as a function of the distance from said center point, then the method rotates the optical holographic data storage medium at a constant linear velocity.

Abstract: An example of the invention classifies disks drives based on their purpose and associating power-saving policies in multiple classes. The system implements Power On Demand, where a reduced power mode is enabled for every individual component of a storage subsystem. In addition, an embodiment of this invention extends a few power modes used in the prior art and allows almost infinite number of power modes when instructing a disk drive (via its I/O interface such as a SCSI or fibre channel interface) to enter a certain power saving mode. Furthermore, an embodiment of invention teaches a system and methods to save power in a disk system comprising a plurality of disk controllers and a plurality of disk drives, arranged in a plurality of arrays, where each array includes several (e.g., 4-16) disk drives.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed to locate a group of units of digital information in a volume, optical-storage disk. The apparatus includes a first optical recording layer, a second optical recording layer, and an optical disk reading sled. The first optical recording layer stores a first group of units of digital information in a distinct region of the optical disk. The second optical recording layer stores a first locator for the first group of units of digital information in substantially the same distinct region of the optical disk. A first laser in the optical disk reading sled reads the first locator stored in the second optical recording layer, which indicates the contents of the units of digital information stored in the first optical recording layer being read by a second laser, also in the optical disk reading sled.

Abstract: A method to access a data in a RAID array comprising a plurality of data storage media, wherein information is written to said plurality of data storage media using a RAID configuration, wherein the method receives from a requester a command comprising a data access priority indicator. If a RAID rebuild is in progress, the method determines if the data access priority indicator is set. If the data access priority indicator is set, the method executes a command selected from the group consisting of writing information to the target logical block array range, and returning to the requestor information read from the target logical block array range.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for converting between serial data and encoded holographic data. The apparatus for converting between serial data and encoded holographic data is provided with a logic unit containing a plurality of modules configured to functionally execute the necessary steps of reading data signals from and writing data signals to a data bus on a computing device, converting between a serial data stream and an encoded data image, and reading data from and writing data to a holographic storage medium. From the foregoing discussion, it should be apparent that a need exists for an apparatus, system, and method for converting between serial data and encoded holographic data. Beneficially, such an apparatus, system, and method would encode backup information directly with the data as it is written to the storage medium.

Abstract: An embodiment of invention is a method of tunneling Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) extender discovery through a Fibre Channel (FC) fabric. The SAS interfaces on the SAS extender are initialized first. The FC links are then brought up and device routing table is built. Then a check is made to determine if any SAS devices are connected to the extender. If a SAS device is connected, extender registers its ID with a unique FC4 type as SAS tunneling device in the FC fabric nameserver, and queries discovery of the same device types. If another device of the same type is found, the local extender logs into remote extender through the FC fabric, performs a discovery and identifies all the SAS devices in the remote site, to identify all the devices and route traffic.