Abstract: Continuing to service a dataset after prevailing in mediation, including: requesting, by a first storage system, mediation from a mediation service that is configured to resolve which storage system continues to service a dataset after the triggering event, wherein the dataset is synchronously replicated by a plurality of storage systems that includes the first storage system and a second storage system; and detaching the second storage system from a plurality of storage systems synchronously replicating the dataset.

Abstract: A recovery storage system asynchronously protecting a synchronously replicated dataset, where the asynchronous protection of the synchronously replicated dataset includes: receiving, by a recovery storage system, an identifier of a synchronously replicated dataset, wherein the synchronously replicated dataset is a dataset synchronously replicated across the plurality of storage systems; asynchronously replicating, on the recovery storage system, the synchronously replicated dataset from the plurality of storage systems; detecting that each dataset in the synchronously replicated dataset on the plurality of storage systems has become unavailable; and restoring the dataset on the recovery storage system.

Abstract: Projecting capacity utilization for snapshots includes identifying one or more data release patterns of a storage system; identifying a snapshot policy; and generating, based on the one or more data release patterns and the snapshot policy, an estimate of an impact of the snapshot policy on a capacity of the storage system.

Abstract: A storage system switching between mediation models within a storage system, where the switching between mediation models includes: determining, among one or more of the plurality of storage systems, a change in availability of a mediator service, wherein one or more of the plurality of storage systems are configured to request mediation from the mediator service in response to a fault; and communicating, among the plurality of storage systems and responsive to determining the change in availability of the mediator service, a fault response model to be used as an alternate to the mediator service among one or more of the plurality of storage systems.

Abstract: Managing storage systems that are synchronously replicating a dataset, including: detecting a change in membership to the set of storage systems synchronously replicating the dataset; and applying one or more membership protocols to determine a new set of storage systems to synchronously replicate the dataset, wherein the one or more membership protocols include a quorum protocol, an external management protocol, or a racing protocol, and wherein one or more I/O operations directed to the dataset are applied to a new set of storage systems.

Abstract: An illustrative data storage system is configured to efficiently copy virtual machines across different protocols/formats. For example, a storage system virtually copies images of a virtual machine from a first type of presented storage format to a second type of presented storage format. As another example, a storage system virtually copies a source virtual machine image into a block object to form a file of a block-object-based file system configured to present the virtually copied virtual machine image through a file-based protocol to a virtual machine host.

Abstract: An illustrative data storage system is configured to provide managed directories for virtual machines. For example, an example system is configured to generate a managed directory within a file system, the managed directory configured to provide directory-level storage management functionality to contents of the managed directory as a group, and store configuration data and image data of a virtual machine as the contents of the managed directory.

Abstract: Methods and systems for transitioning a replica of a file system are described. An illustrative method includes updating a replica file system on a target data repository to be a replica of a source file system as the source file system existed on the source data repository at a point in time, where the replica file system is constructed of block objects at the target data repository that store metadata for individual files and directories of the replica file system and support access to blocks of data associated with the files and directories of the target file system at the target data repository, and where the updating includes updating the block objects of the replica file system to be replicas of block objects of the source file system as the block objects of the source file system existed on the source data repository at the point in time.

Abstract: Verifying that data has been correctly replicated to a replication target, including: replicating a dataset stored at a first computing system to a second computing system; and determining, based at least on a comparison of a first hash and a second hash, validity of the dataset stored at the second computing system, wherein the first hash is generated by applying a hash function to a copy of the dataset that is stored at the first computing system and the second hash is generated by applying the hash function to a copy of the dataset that is stored at the second computing system.

Abstract: Creating a modifiable cloned image of a dataset, including: generating, based on a dataset stored within a source data repository, a tracking copy of replica data on a target data repository; generating, after receiving an indication to begin accepting modifications to the tracking copy of the replica data, a cloned image of the dataset that is modifiable without modifying the tracking copy of the replica data; and responsive to a storage operation directed to the target data repository, modifying the cloned image of the dataset without modifying the tracking copy of the replica data.

Abstract: A method of managing host mappings for replication endpoints, the method including: identifying a target storage system replicating a source dataset of a source storage system, wherein a first host is mapped to the source dataset on the source storage system; providing, to the target storage system and in dependence upon a mapping of the first host to the source dataset, configuration information for connecting to a second host; and implementing, in response to a triggering event, a mapping of the second host to a replica dataset on the target storage system.

Abstract: An illustrative method includes a data protection system identifying one or more attributes of a storage element within a storage system, determining, based on the one or more attributes of the storage element, a data protection policy for a dataset associated with the storage system, and applying the data protection policy to the dataset.

Abstract: Converting data formats in a storage system: converting first data in a first format to second data in a second format, wherein second data in the second format includes a reference to the first data, wherein the first data and the second data are associated with a dataset, including updating the second data to include: a reference to first data associated with a portion of the dataset that precedes a data-converted portion of the dataset; second data associated with the data-converted portion of the dataset, wherein the second data associated with the data-converted portion of the dataset is in the second data format; and a reference to first data associated with a portion of the dataset that follows the data-converted portion of the dataset; and replacing first data associated with the data-converted portion of the dataset with a reference to the second data associated with the data-converted portion of the dataset.

Abstract: Implementing guardrails for non-disruptive migration of workloads between storage arrays, the method comprising: initiating a non-disruptive migration of one or more workloads from a source storage array to a target storage array; validating, prior to completion of the non-disruptive migration, accessibility of the target storage array by one or more hosts; and completing, based on successfully validating the accessibility of the target storage array, the non-disruptive migration.

Abstract: Illustrative systems and methods use managed directories to control access to file system content. For example, in accordance with some embodiments, a data storage system establishes, in a file system, a managed directory as metadata referenced by all files and directories in a path set and establishes an access policy for the managed directory, wherein the metadata serves as a common shared data structure for associating the access policy with all files and directories in the path set.

Abstract: Managing storage systems that are synchronously replicating a dataset, including: detecting a change in membership to the set of storage systems synchronously replicating the dataset; and applying one or more membership protocols to determine a new set of storage systems to synchronously replicate the dataset, wherein the one or more membership protocols include a quorum protocol, an external management protocol, or a racing protocol, and wherein one or more I/O operations directed to the dataset are applied to a new set of storage systems.

Abstract: Methods and systems for transitioning a replica of a file system are described. An illustrative method includes updating a replica file system on a target data repository to be a replica of a source file system as the source file system existed on the source data repository at a point in time, where the replica file system is constructed of block objects at the target data repository that store metadata for individual files and directories of the replica file system and support access to blocks of data associated with the files and directories of the target file system at the target data repository, and where the updating includes updating the block objects of the replica file system to be replicas of block objects of the source file system as the block objects of the source file system existed on the source data repository at the point in time.

Abstract: Optimizing copy operations in a storage array, includes combining, in dependence upon a metadata optimization policy, a plurality of copy operations into a single copy operation and splitting the single copy operation into an optimized set of executable copy operations that copy data based on memory alignment.

Abstract: Continuous data protection, including sending, to a target data repository from a source data repository, metadata describing one or more updates to one or more datasets stored within the source data repository; generating, based on the metadata describing the one or more updates to the one or more datasets, an ordered log of metadata describing an ordered application of the one or more updates to the one or more datasets; and generating, on the source data repository and based on the ordered log of metadata, the one or more datasets in accordance with the one or more updates corresponding to a specified point in time.

Abstract: Generating datasets using approximate baselines including receiving, by a source storage system, an instruction to create, on a target storage system, a current snapshot for a source dataset stored on the source storage system, wherein no snapshots for the source dataset exist on the target storage system; selecting, as a baseline dataset, a similar dataset from a plurality of datasets on the source storage system with an existing snapshot on the target storage system, wherein the similar dataset comprises at least a portion of the source dataset; instructing the target storage system to generate a baseline snapshot for the source dataset using a copy of the existing snapshot of the baseline dataset; and transferring, from the source storage system to the target storage system, only a difference between the baseline dataset and the source dataset.