Abstract: In accordance with the present disclosure, files may be deduplicated in a distributed storage system having a plurality of storage volumes. A uniqueness metric for each file may indicate a degree of deduplication of the respective data files in the given storage volume. The uniqueness metric may be used to identify files for rebalancing in the distributed storage system. The uniqueness metric may be efficiently calculated with enough accuracy using a sampling methodology.

Abstract: Techniques for implementing data deduplication in conjunction with thick and thin provisioning of storage objects are provided. In one embodiment, a system can receive a write request directed to a storage object stored by the system and can determine whether the storage object is a thin or thick object. If the storage object is a thin object, the system can calculate a usage value by adding a total amount of physical storage space used in the system to a total amount of storage space reserved for thick storage objects in the system and further subtracting a total amount of reserved storage space for the thick storage objects that are filled with unique data. The system can then reject the write request if the usage value is not less than the total storage capacity of the system.

Abstract: In accordance with the present disclosure, files may be deduplicated in a distributed storage system having a plurality of storage volumes. A uniqueness metric for each file may indicate a degree of deduplication of the respective data files in the given storage volume. The uniqueness metric may be used to identify files for rebalancing in the distributed storage system. The uniqueness metric may be efficiently calculated with enough accuracy using a sampling methodology.

Abstract: Techniques for implementing data deduplication in conjunction with thick and thin provisioning of storage objects are provided. In one embodiment, a system can receive a write request directed to a storage object stored by the system and can determine whether the storage object is a thin or thick object. If the storage object is a thin object, the system can calculate a usage value by adding a total amount of physical storage space used in the system to a total amount of storage space reserved for thick storage objects in the system and further subtracting a total amount of reserved storage space for the thick storage objects that are filled with unique data. The system can then reject the write request if the usage value is not less than the total storage capacity of the system.

Abstract: A method is provided for use in a system that includes a host computing machine configured to implement a virtualization intermediary and that includes a physical storage adapter, the configures a virtual machine (VM) and a virtual function (VF) to support IO operations to physical storage through a direct IOV path to the VF of the physical storage adapter, the method comprises: creating by the virtualization intermediary mapping information that includes a first mapping between virtual disks and physical regions of physical storage and that includes a second mapping between virtual disks and virtual disk addresses; transmitting the mapping information from the virtualization intermediary over the physical storage adapter from a physical function (PF) of the physical storage adapter to the VF; associating a virtual port with the mapping information within the virtualization intermediary; binding the virtual port to the VF; communicating virtual disk addresses indicated within the second mapping within the tra

Abstract: A method is provided for use in a system that includes a host computing machine configured to implement a virtualization intermediary and that includes a physical storage adapter, the configures a virtual machine (VM) and a virtual function (VF) to support IO operations to physical storage through a direct IOV path to the VF of the physical storage adapter, the method comprises: creating by the virtualization intermediary mapping information that includes a first mapping between virtual disks and physical regions of physical storage and that includes a second mapping between virtual disks and virtual disk addresses; transmitting the mapping information from the virtualization intermediary over the physical storage adapter from a physical function (PF) of the physical storage adapter to the VF; associating a virtual port with the mapping information within the virtualization intermediary; binding the virtual port to the VF; communicating virtual disk addresses indicated within the second mapping within the tra

Abstract: A method is provided for use in a system that includes a host computing machine configured to implement a virtualization intermediary and that includes a physical storage adapter, the configures a virtual machine (VM) and a virtual function (VF) to support IO operations to physical storage through a direct IOV path to the VF of the physical storage adapter, the method comprises: creating by the virtualization intermediary mapping information that includes a first mapping between virtual disks and physical regions of physical storage and that includes a second mapping between virtual disks and virtual disk addresses; transmitting the mapping information from the virtualization intermediary over the physical storage adapter from a physical function (PF) of the physical storage adapter to the VF; associating a virtual port with the mapping information within the virtualization intermediary; binding the virtual port to the VF; communicating virtual disk addresses indicated within the second mapping within the tra

Abstract: A method is described for coalescing input/output (IO) interrupts to a virtual machine (VM) running on a host computer. At a virtualization layer of the host computer that supports execution of the VM receives an IO interrupt in response to a completion of an IO request of the VM, wherein a transmission of the IO request by the VM to an IO device bypasses the virtualization layer. The virtualization layer then determines whether the VM has responded to a most recently delivered IO interrupt to the VM by the virtualization layer, and drops the IO interrupt if the VM has not responded to the most recently delivered IO interrupt, thereby failing to deliver the IO interrupt to the VM.

Abstract: A system and method are provided that involve a host computing machine and an SR IOV storage adapter in which the host machine hosts a virtual machine having a guest operating system (guest) coupled for direct passthrough IOV data path and also hosts a virtualization intermediary; a guest operating system (guest) and a virtualization intermediary exchange information concerning IO completions through a shared memory space; the guest writes information to a shared memory space that is indicative of whether an IO completion queue has reached a fill level since the most recently dispatched interrupt at which it is unsafe to coalesce an interrupt; the virtualization intermediary writes information to the shared memory space that is indicative of the interrupt most recently delivered to the guest; the virtualization intermediary reads the information written by the guest to the shared memory space that is indicative of whether an IO completion queue has reached a fill level since the most recently dispatched inter

Abstract: A method is described for coalescing input/output (IO) interrupts to a virtual machine (VM) running on a host computer. At a virtualization layer of the host computer that supports execution of the VM receives an IO interrupt in response to a completion of an IO request of the VM, wherein a transmission of the IO request by the VM to an IO device bypasses the virtualization layer. The virtualization layer then determines whether the VM has responded to a most recently delivered IO interrupt to the VM by the virtualization layer, and drops the IO interrupt if the VM has not responded to the most recently delivered IO interrupt, thereby failing to deliver the IO interrupt to the VM.

Abstract: A method of virtual machine (VM) access to physical storage through a direct path to a virtual function (VF) of a storage adapter, the method for use in a system that includes a host computing machine configured to implement a virtualization intermediary and the virtual machine (VM) and that includes the storage adapter the method, comprising: sending virtual SCSI IO request from the VM to the physical storage that identifies a virtual disk address; mapping within the VF the identified virtual address to at least one physical region of the physical storage; creating within the VF a physical SCSI IO request that identifies a physical address for the mapped-to physical region; sending the physical SCSI IO request from the VF to the physical storage.

Abstract: A method is provided for use in a system that includes a host computing machine configured to implement a virtualization intermediary and that includes a physical storage adapter, the configures a virtual machine (VM) and a virtual function (VF) to support IO operations to physical storage through a direct IOV path to the VF of the physical storage adapter, the method comprises: creating by the virtualization intermediary mapping information that includes a first mapping between virtual disks and physical regions of physical storage and that includes a second mapping between virtual disks and virtual disk addresses; transmitting the mapping information from the virtualization intermediary over the physical storage adapter from a physical function (PF) of the physical storage adapter to the VF; associating a virtual port with the mapping information within the virtualization intermediary; binding the virtual port to the VF; communicating virtual disk addresses indicated within the second mapping within the tra

Abstract: A method of virtual machine (VM) access to physical storage through a direct path to a virtual function (VF) of a storage adapter, the method for use in a system that includes a host computing machine configured to implement a virtualization intermediary and the virtual machine (VM) and that includes the storage adapter the method, comprising: sending virtual SCSI IO request from the VM to the physical storage that identifies a virtual disk address; mapping within the VF the identified virtual address to at least one physical region of the physical storage; creating within the VF a physical SCSI IO request that identifies a physical address for the mapped-to physical region; sending the physical SCSI IO request from the VF to the physical storage.

Abstract: A system and method are provided that involve a host computing machine and an SR IOV storage adapter in which the host machine hosts a virtual machine having a guest operating system (guest) coupled for direct passthrough IOV data path and also hosts a virtualization intermediary; a guest operating system (guest) and a virtualization intermediary exchange information concerning IO completions through a shared memory space; the guest writes information to a shared memory space that is indicative of whether an IO completion queue has reached a fill level since the most recently dispatched interrupt at which it is unsafe to coalesce an interrupt; the virtualization intermediary writes information to the shared memory space that is indicative of the interrupt most recently delivered to the guest; the virtualization intermediary reads the information written by the guest to the shared memory space that is indicative of whether an IO completion queue has reached a fill level since the most recently dispatched inter