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: 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: 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: 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: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for using file element accesses to select file elements in a file system to defragment. A determination is made of accesses to file elements in the file system. The determined accesses to the file elements are used to select the file elements to defragment and the selected file elements are defragmented.

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: 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: An aspect includes protecting a former primary volume in a synchronous replication relationship. A swap between a primary volume at a first site and a secondary volume at a second site is initiated such that the secondary volume becomes a new primary volume and the primary volume becomes the former primary volume. A fenced state is set as active for the former primary volume. The former primary volume is configured as a fenced volume based on the fenced state being active. Read and write access to the fenced volume is blocked while the fenced state is active.

Abstract: For reserving storage space, a determination module determines if required storage space is available for a write in response to logical storage address for the write being unallocated. The logical storage address is a thin provisioned storage space. A reservation module reserves the required storage space for the write in response to determining that the required storage space is available. In addition, the reservation module may communicate an allocation success in response to determining the required storage space is available. The allocation success is communicated prior to allocating the required storage space. The reservation module may communicate a write failure in response to determining the required storage space is not available.

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: 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 set of logical extents, each having compressed logical tracks of data, is mapped to a head physical extent and, if the head physical extent is determined to have been filled, to at least one overflow extent having spatial proximity to the head physical extent. Pursuant to at least one subsequent write operation and destage operation, the at least one subsequent write operation and destage operation determined to be associated with the head physical extent, the write operation is mapped to one of the head physical extent, the at least one overflow extent, and an additional extent having spatial proximity to the at least one overflow extent.

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 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: 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: Provided is a method for maintaining mirror and storage system copies of volumes at multiple remote sites. A first server maintains a mirror copy relationship between a first storage system at a first site and a second storage system at a second site. The first server performs a first point-in-time copy operation from the first storage system to a first storage system copy, wherein the data for the first storage system copy is consistent as of the determined point-in-time. The first server transmits a command to a second server to create a point-in-time copy of the second storage system. The second server processes mirror data transferred from the first server as part of the mirror copy relationship to determine when to create a second point-in-time copy. The second server performs the second point-in-time copy operation.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product and system for maintaining mirror and storage system copies of volumes at multiple remote sites. A first server maintains a mirror copy relationship between a first storage system at a first site and a second storage system at a second site. The first server performs a first point-in-time copy operation from the first storage system to a first storage system copy, wherein the data for the first storage system copy is consistent as of the determined point-in-time. The first server transmits a command to a second server to create a point-in-time copy of the second storage system. The second server processes mirror data transferred from the first server as part of the mirror copy relationship to determine when to create a second point-in-time copy. The second server performs the second point-in-time copy operation.

Abstract: Methods, systems, computer program products and methods for deploying computing infrastructure for clearing metadata in a storage subsystem. The method includes identifying one or more metadata tracks to clear, receiving a request from a client to clear the identified tracks, quiescing any active processes, clearing the identified tracks and resuming the quiesced processes. The request may be a single request operable to clear all metadata tracks. Alternatively, target volumes having metadata tracks to be cleared are identified and a request is received from a client for each target volume. A dynamic function list may also be created for each target volume, the list including a list of functions in which the target volume is associated. After active processes are quiesced, each function in the dynamic function list of each target volume is invoked whereby the metadata tracks are cleared. The quiesced processes are then resumed.

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.