Abstract: In general, embodiments of the invention relate to a method and system for managing a storage system. In many traditional implementations host bus adapter (HBA) manages the storage device, however frequently the HBA cannot implement the necessary methods to secure a self-encrypting drive (SED). One or more embodiments of the invention use a baseboard management controller (BMC) to manage the security of the SEDs as well as the security life cycle of the SEDs, while the HBA acts as a passthrough conduit between the SED and BMC.

Abstract: An information handling system may include a host system comprising a host system processor, a management controller coupled to the host system processor, and an information handling resource coupled to the host system processor and the management controller, the information handling resource including a firmware. The information handling system may be configured to transfer a firmware update package from the host system to the management controller, wherein the firmware update package includes a cryptographic signature; verify, at the management controller, the cryptographic signature; transfer data indicative of the verification from the management controller to the information handling resource; and in response to receiving the data indicative of the verification from the management controller, install, by the information handling resource, the firmware update package.

Abstract: An information handling system may include a host system comprising a host system processor, a management controller coupled to the host system processor, and an information handling resource coupled to the host system processor and the management controller, the information handling resource including a firmware. The information handling system may be configured to transfer a firmware update package from the host system to the management controller, wherein the firmware update package includes a cryptographic signature; verify, at the management controller, the cryptographic signature; transfer data indicative of the verification from the management controller to the information handling resource; and in response to receiving the data indicative of the verification from the management controller, install, by the information handling resource, the firmware update package.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide a storage controller with write-back caching capabilities that may be used during scenarios where the storage controller is required to provide write-through caching, and thus unable to utilize internal cache memory for write-back caching. The storage controller utilizes an allocation of persistent memory that is made available by the host IHS (Information Handling System), to which the storage controller is coupled. In scenarios where the storage controller is required to provide write-through caching, the storage controller may be configured to route received write data to the allocated host memory. In this manner, the data integrity provided by write-through operations is maintained, while also providing the host IHS with the speed of write-back operations. When ready to store the write data, the storage controller may request the flushing of write data from the allocated host memory.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may be implemented to respond to receiving data A to be stored in a storage system that includes a plurality of N spans, each including a plurality of M drives. The method may include performing data storing operations. The data storing operations may include storing the data A in N portions across the plurality of spans, generating a Za parity based on an XOR operation applied to the N portions of the data A, storing the Za parity in N?1 portions across a subset of the plurality of spans, determining a Zap parity based on an XOR operation applied to the N?1 portions of the Za parity, and storing the Zap parity.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may be implemented to respond to receiving data A to be stored in a storage system that includes a plurality of N spans, each including a plurality of M drives. The method may include performing data storing operations. The data storing operations may include storing the data A in N portions across the plurality of spans, generating a Za parity based on an XOR operation applied to the N portions of the data A, storing the Za parity in N-1 portions across a subset of the plurality of spans, determining a Zap parity based on an XOR operation applied to the N-1 portions of the Za parity, and storing the Zap parity.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide a storage controller with write-back caching capabilities that may be used during scenarios where the storage controller is required to provide write-through caching, and thus unable to utilize internal cache memory for write-back caching. The storage controller utilizes an allocation of persistent memory that is made available by the host IHS (Information Handling System), to which the storage controller is coupled. In scenarios where the storage controller is required to provide write-through caching, the storage controller may be configured to route received write data to the allocated host memory. In this manner, the data integrity provided by write-through operations is maintained, while also providing the host IHS with the speed of write-back operations. When ready to store the write data, the storage controller may request the flushing of write data from the allocated host memory.

Abstract: A disclosed storage management method includes detecting an unrecoverable failure associated with a logical block of a first physical storage device that is one of a plurality of storage devices within a redundant virtual drive that also includes a hot spare drive. Data for the unrecoverable block may be rebuilt from data in the remaining storage devices and stored in a logical block of the hot spare drive. One or more logical block maps may be maintained to identify unrecoverable logical blocks and to indicate the logical blocks and storage devices to which each of the unrecoverable logical blocks is relocated. I/O operations that access “good” logical blocks are normally while accesses to unrecoverable logical blocks are rerouted according to the logical block map. One or more unrecoverable thresholds may be supported to initiate operations to replace storage devices containing unrecoverable blocks exceeding an applicable threshold.

Abstract: A method for copying data from a storage device that has been identified for replacement or has failed to a spare storage device. The method includes a storage controller tracking input/output statistics for several storage devices. The storage controller determines if a first storage device storing first data has been identified for replacement within the storage devices. In response to the first storage device having been identified for replacement, a first least written to data address space within the first storage device is determined based on the input/output statistics. First data contained in the first least written to data address space is copied from the first storage device to the spare storage device.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may include receiving requirements for building a virtual storage resource from an array of physical storage resources, receiving performance metrics and power metrics of the physical storage resources of the array available for inclusion in the virtual storage resource, determining a plurality of unique combinations of the available physical storage resources that could be used to build the virtual storage resource, determining an effective performance, an effective performance penalty, a total power consumption, and an effective power penalty for each of the plurality of unique combinations, and selecting a single combination of the plurality of unique combinations for the virtual storage resource based on effective performances, effective performance penalties, total power consumptions, and effective power penalties of the plurality of unique combinations.

Abstract: A storage management method includes receiving a degrade signal indicating a degraded state of a virtual disk associated with a host system. Rebuild-flush operations may be performed. The operations may include writing, to the virtual disk and also to a hot spare drive (HSP) associated with the virtual disk, valid-modified data, stored in a host storage cache, associated with the virtual disk. In contrast, valid-unmodified storage cache data associated with the virtual disk, may be written to the HSP only. After the rebuild-flush completes, the virtual disk may be rebuilt. During rebuild, however, any cached-LBA may be skipped where traditional RAID rebuild operations are performed for un-cached LBAs only.

Abstract: A storage management method includes receiving a degrade signal indicating a degraded state of a virtual disk associated with a host system. Rebuild-flush operations may be performed. The operations may include writing, to the virtual disk and also to a hot spare drive (HSP) associated with the virtual disk, valid-modified data, stored in a host storage cache, associated with the virtual disk. In contrast, valid-unmodified storage cache data associated with the virtual disk, may be written to the HSP only. After the rebuild-flush completes, the virtual disk may be rebuilt. During rebuild, however, any cached-LBA may be skipped where traditional RAID rebuild operations are performed for un-cached LBAs only.

Abstract: Methods and systems for efficient rebuild of storage devices in a RAID may include generating a data-modified map of a storage device. The data-modified map may be updated when a RAID virtual device associated with the storage device is degraded to indicate write operations. The data-modified map may be used to rebuild selective portions of the storage device, instead of performing a full rebuild. The data-modified map may also be used to perform a full rebuild of the storage device.

Abstract: A disclosed storage management method includes detecting an unrecoverable failure associated with a logical block of a first physical storage device that is one of a plurality of storage devices within a redundant virtual drive that also includes a hot spare drive. Data for the unrecoverable block may be rebuilt from data in the remaining storage devices and stored in a logical block of the hot spare drive. One or more logical block maps may be maintained to identify unrecoverable logical blocks and to indicate the logical blocks and storage devices to which each of the unrecoverable logical blocks is relocated. I/O operations that access “good” logical blocks are normally while accesses to unrecoverable logical blocks are rerouted according to the logical block map. One or more unrecoverable thresholds may be supported to initiate operations to replace storage devices containing unrecoverable blocks exceeding an applicable threshold.

Abstract: In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may include receiving requirements for building a virtual storage resource from an array of physical storage resources, receiving performance metrics and power metrics of the physical storage resources of the array available for inclusion in the virtual storage resource, determining a plurality of unique combinations of the available physical storage resources that could be used to build the virtual storage resource, determining an effective performance, an effective performance penalty, a total power consumption, and an effective power penalty for each of the plurality of unique combinations, and selecting a single combination of the plurality of unique combinations for the virtual storage resource based on effective performances, effective performance penalties, total power consumptions, and effective power penalties of the plurality of unique combinations.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor. The processor is configured to receive a write request associated with a cache pool, which comprises a plurality of disks. The write request comprises data associated with the write request. The processor is additionally configured to select a first disk from the plurality of disks using a life parameter associated with the first disk. The processor is further configured to cause the data associated with the write request to be written to the first disk.

Abstract: A method for copying data from a storage device that has been identified for replacement or has failed to a spare storage device. The method includes a storage controller tracking input/output statistics for several storage devices. The storage controller determines if a first storage device storing first data has been identified for replacement within the storage devices. In response to the first storage device having been identified for replacement, a first least written to data address space within the first storage device is determined based on the input/output statistics. First data contained in the first least written to data address space is copied from the first storage device to the spare storage device.

Abstract: Methods and systems for efficient rebuild of storage devices in a RAID may include generating a data-modified map of a storage device. The data-modified map may be updated when a RAID virtual device associated with the storage device is degraded to indicate write operations. The data-modified map may be used to rebuild selective portions of the storage device, instead of performing a full rebuild. The data-modified map may also be used to perform a full rebuild of the storage device.

Abstract: A method of communicating an importance level of a call to a recipient mobile device is disclosed. The method includes receiving call information for a particular call at a mobile switching center and generating an initial address message for the particular call. The initial address message may include a notification value field. The method further includes determining whether an importance level has been designated for the particular call, setting a value of the notification value field based on whether an importance level has been designated for the particular call, and transmitting the initial address message for the particular call to a recipient mobile device.

Abstract: A method of communicating an importance level of a call to a recipient mobile device is disclosed. The method includes receiving call information for a particular call at a mobile switching center and generating an initial address message for the particular call. The initial address message may include a notification value field. The method further includes determining whether an importance level has been designated for the particular call, setting a value of the notification value field based on whether an importance level has been designated for the particular call, and transmitting the initial address message for the particular call to a recipient mobile device.