Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for performing a failover between a first storage system and a second storage system. Data is synchronized between the first storage system and the second storage system. A failover is performed from the first storage system to the second storage system in response to a failover event at the first storage system while synchronizing the data. A determination is made that a first storage unit of the first storage system is inoperable and that that a second storage unit of the first storage system is operable in response to the failover event. In response to determining that the second storage unit is operable, a resynchronization is initiated to copy updates to a second storage unit of the second storage system mirroring the second storage unit of the first storage system to the second storage unit of the first storage system.

Abstract: For performing efficient management of tracks in an asynchronous Peer-to-Peer Redundant Copy (PPRC) operation in a computing storage environment, a correct status of a sequential bit is determined by examining a primary cache, where if data being transferred pursuant to the PPRC operation in a primary track remains in the primary cache, the sequential bit setting found therein is used.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a computer program product includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The embodied program instructions are readable and/or executable by a processor to cause the processor to create, by the processor, a second logical block on a multi-tier file system, the second logical block referencing data that is associated with a first logical block. The program instructions also cause the processor to determine, by the processor, a measure of access requests that will be directed to the data via the second logical block versus the first logical block. Moreover, the program instructions cause the processor to transfer, by the processor, a proportion of a heatmap value for the data between the first logical block and the second logical block based on the measure of accesses that will be directed to the data via the second logical block versus the first logical block.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for managing data includes receiving a request to write data to a file block on a multi-tier file system. A first logical block is associated with the file block. The method also includes determining whether the request is a first write request for the file block after creation of a snapshot of the file block. Moreover, the method includes determining an access request count for the first logical block prior to creation of the snapshot by retrieving the access request count for the first logical block from a snapshot data table accessible to an automatic tiering module. Other methods for managing data are presented in accordance with other embodiments.

Abstract: For performing efficient management of tracks in an asynchronous Peer-to-Peer Redundant Copy (PPRC) operation in a computing storage environment, a correct status of a sequential bit is determined by performing one of: (1) examining a primary cache, where if data being transferred pursuant to the PPRC operation in a primary track remains in the primary cache, the sequential bit setting found therein is used, and (2) an Out-Of-Sync (OOS) bitmap is examined to determine if the sequential bit is set.

Abstract: A storage controller configures a plurality of storage tiers. A sub-unit of a storage unit is maintained in a selected storage tier of the plurality of storage tiers, for at least a predetermined duration of time subsequent to an input/output (I/O) request for the sub-unit.

Abstract: A primary storage controller is maintained in a copy relationship with a secondary storage controller, wherein the primary and secondary storage controllers are coupled to a host that is configurable to use the secondary storage controller instead of the primary storage controller. The primary storage controller determines occurrence of at least one condition in the primary storage controller, wherein the at least one condition occurs prior to a failure of the host to perform an Input/Output (I/O) operation with respect to at least one storage volume of the primary storage controller. The primary storage controller communicates the occurrence of the at least one condition to the host, wherein in response to the communicating the host is configured to determine whether to use the secondary storage controller instead of the primary storage controller based on the occurrence of the at least one condition.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a processor and logic configured to receive a request to write data to a file block on a multi-tier file system where a first logical block is associated with the file block, and when the request is the first write request for the file block after creation of the snapshot of the file block: create a second logical block, determine a measure of access requests to be directed to a logical block allocated for the snapshot versus a logical block allocated for new data on the file block, the logical block allocated for the snapshot and the logical block allocated for new data on the file block being uniquely chosen from: the first and second logical block, and send the measure of access requests to the automatic tiering module when so determined. Other systems, methods, and computer program products are described in more embodiments.

Abstract: A primary storage controller is maintained in a copy relationship with a secondary storage controller, wherein the primary and secondary storage controllers are coupled to a host that is configurable to use the secondary storage controller instead of the primary storage controller. The primary storage controller determines occurrence of at least one condition in the primary storage controller, wherein the at least one condition occurs prior to a failure of the host to perform an Input/Output (I/O) operation with respect to at least one storage volume of the primary storage controller. The primary storage controller communicates the occurrence of the at least one condition to the host, wherein in response to the communicating the host is configured to determine whether to use the secondary storage controller instead of the primary storage controller based on the occurrence of the at least one condition.

Abstract: A storage controller configures a plurality of storage tiers. A sub-unit of a storage unit is maintained in a selected storage tier of the plurality of storage tiers, for at least a predetermined duration of time subsequent to an input/output (I/O) request for the sub-unit.

Abstract: A primary storage controller receives an input/output (I/O) command from a host, wherein a host timestamp is associated with the I/O command. During a mirroring of storage volumes to a secondary storage controller, the primary storage controller communicates the host timestamp associated with the I/O command to the secondary storage controller, wherein mirrored copies of the storage volumes are timestamped based on at least the host timestamp and an elapsed time since a last host I/O command. A recovery is made from a failure of one or more of the storage volumes in the primary storage controller, by using the timestamped mirrored copies of the storage volumes.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for asynchronous pausing of the formation of consistency groups. A first copy operation is initiated to copy the source data from the first storage to the first data copy in the second storage. A second copy operation is initiated to copy the first data copy in the second storage to a second data copy in response to forming a consistency group of the source data at the first data copy forms consistent as of a point-in-time with respect to the source data. The first copy operation is suspended to allow for further processing of the first data copy in response to completing the second copy operation. The formation of a next consistency group is restarted between the source data and the first data copy in response to receiving a resume command.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to improve performance in backup data storage systems by improving response to errors. The system and method provide for transferring data from a primary storage controller to a secondary storage controller, where the secondary storage controller is linked to the primary storage controller by a plurality of links. The system and method includes transmitting a first transaction from the primary storage controller to the secondary storage controller using a first of a plurality of links. Then, in response to the first transaction crossing a first timeout boundary without completing, the system and method includes transmitting a second transaction from the primary storage controller to the secondary storage controller using a second of the plurality of links, the second of the plurality of links preferentially selected to be on a different network failure boundary from the first of the plurality of links.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for asynchronous pausing of the formation of consistency groups. A first copy operation is initiated to copy the source data from the first storage to the first data copy in the second storage. A second copy operation is initiated to copy the first data copy in the second storage to a second data copy in response to forming a consistency group of the source data at the first data copy forms consistent as of a point-in-time with respect to the source data. The first copy operation is suspended to allow for further processing of the first data copy in response to completing the second copy operation. The formation of a next consistency group is restarted between the source data and the first data copy in response to receiving a resume command.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for replicating tracks from a first storage to a second and third storages. A determination is made of a track in the first storage to transfer to the second storage as part of a point-in-time copy relationship and of a stride of tracks including the target track. The stride of tracks including the target track is staged from the first storage to a cache according to the point-in-time copy relationship. The staged stride is destaged from the cache to the second storage. The stride in the cache is transferred to the third storage as part of a mirror copy relationship. The stride of tracks in the cache is demoted in response to destaging the stride of the tracks in the cache to the second storage and transferring the stride of tracks in the cache to the third storage.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for replicating tracks from a first storage to a second and third storages. A determination is made of a track in the first storage to transfer to the second storage as part of a point-in-time copy relationship and of a stride of tracks including the target track. The stride of tracks including the target track is staged from the first storage to a cache according to the point-in-time copy relationship. The staged stride is destaged from the cache to the second storage. The stride in the cache is transferred to the third storage as part of a mirror copy relationship. The stride of tracks in the cache is demoted in response to destaging the stride of the tracks in the cache to the second storage and transferring the stride of tracks in the cache to the third storage.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for replicating tracks from a first storage to a second and third storages. A determination is made of a track in the first storage to transfer to the second storage as part of a point-in-time copy relationship and of a stride of tracks including the target track. The stride of tracks including the target track is staged from the first storage to a cache according to the point-in-time copy relationship. The staged stride is destaged from the cache to the second storage. The stride in the cache is transferred to the third storage as part of a mirror copy relationship. The stride of tracks in the cache is demoted in response to destaging the stride of the tracks in the cache to the second storage and transferring the stride of tracks in the cache to the third storage.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for managing data includes receiving migration information that describes movement of data stored to a direct access storage device (DASD) during a data migration operation that causes at least one portion of the data to be moved from a first location in a first tier of a multi-tier file system to a second location in a second tier of the multi-tier file system, determining whether to swap data usage statistics for the second location with data usage statistics for the first location, and swapping the data usage statistics for the second location with the data usage statistics for the first location when the determination is to swap the data usage statistics. Other systems, methods, and computer program products for managing data in a multi-tier file system are described according to more embodiments.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a processor and logic configured to receive a request to write data to a file block on a multi-tier file system where a first logical block is associated with the file block, and when the request is the first write request for the file block after creation of the snapshot of the file block: create a second logical block, determine a measure of access requests to be directed to a logical block allocated for the snapshot versus a logical block allocated for new data on the file block, the logical block allocated for the snapshot and the logical block allocated for new data on the file block being uniquely chosen from: the first and second logical block, and send the measure of access requests to the automatic tiering module when so determined. Other systems, methods, and computer program products are described in more embodiments.

Abstract: A primary storage controller is maintained in a copy relationship with a secondary storage controller, wherein the primary and secondary storage controllers are coupled to a host that is configurable to use the secondary storage controller instead of the primary storage controller. The primary storage controller determines occurrence of at least one condition in the primary storage controller, wherein the at least one condition occurs prior to a failure of the host to perform an Input/Output (I/O) operation with respect to at least one storage volume of the primary storage controller. The primary storage controller communicates the occurrence of the at least one condition to the host, wherein in response to the communicating the host is configured to determine whether to use the secondary storage controller instead of the primary storage controller based on the occurrence of the at least one condition.