Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for detecting the addition of a new storage device to a storage pool. A rebalancing target is generated for the storage pool by simulating an initial layout of used data slices and reserved data slices into a plurality of data slice stripes. It is determined whether the plurality of storage devices of the storage pool meet the rebalancing target. In response to determining that the plurality of storage devices do not meet the rebalancing target, a source storage device is selected for restriping. A destination storage device is selected for restriping. One or more data slices from the source storage device are transferred to the destination storage device. The selecting of source storage devices, destination storage devices, and transferring of data slices are iteratively repeated until the plurality of storage devices meet the rebalancing target.

Abstract: A storage drive having the largest total capacity within a set of storage drives is identified as the prime storage drive. For each virtual RAID group allocated from the set of storage drives, the number of storage slices that is required by each virtual RAID group is allocated to that virtual RAID group. If one of the storage slices that was allocated to the virtual RAID group was allocated from the prime storage drive, a spare storage slice is also allocated to that virtual RAID group. When a storage drive fails, degraded virtual RAID groups are repaired in an order that is based on the number of non-failed storage drives that can be used to repair each degraded virtual RAID group. Non-failed storage drives are selected for allocation of spare storage slices based on how many degraded virtual RAID groups can be repaired using each storage drive.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for processing a plurality of user data pages on a cache memory system for writing to a storage system by generating a corresponding page descriptor for each user data page in a log memory system. At least a portion of the plurality of user data pages are flushed from the cache memory system. A special page descriptor is generated defining an array of pointers to the at least a portion of the plurality of user data pages flushed from the cache memory system. The special page descriptor is processed during a recovery operation associated with the log memory system.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for detecting the addition of a new storage device to a storage pool. A rebalancing target is generated for the storage pool by simulating an initial layout of used data slices and reserved data slices into a plurality of data slice stripes. It is determined whether the plurality of storage devices of the storage pool meet the rebalancing target. In response to determining that the plurality of storage devices do not meet the rebalancing target, a source storage device is selected for restriping. A destination storage device is selected for restriping. One or more data slices from the source storage device are transferred to the destination storage device. The selecting of source storage devices, destination storage devices, and transferring of data slices are iteratively repeated until the plurality of storage devices meet the rebalancing target.

Abstract: A technique manages solid state device (SSD) wear-level. The technique involves storing data on a plurality of SSDs. The technique further involves, based on storing the data on the plurality of SSDs, identifying a particular SSD of the plurality of SSDs as a target SSD. The technique further involves moving write-hot data to the particular SSD identified as the target SSD to increase writing workload on the particular SSD compared to respective writing workloads on other SSDs of the plurality of SSDs. Accordingly, the particular SSD wears out ahead of the other SSDs and avoids multiple SSD failures at the same time which otherwise could result in data unavailability (DU) and/or data loss (DL).

Abstract: Techniques are directed to upgrading software within computerized equipment. Such techniques involve receiving an upgrade package defining an upgrade routine constructed and arranged to automatically attempt to retrieve and run current health check software from a software repository before upgrading an earlier software version to a new software version within the computerized equipment. The software repository is external to the computerized equipment. Such techniques further involve receiving an upgrade command to perform the upgrade routine defined by the upgrade package. Such techniques further involve, in response to the upgrade command and in accordance with the upgrade routine, automatically attempting to retrieve and run the current health check software from the software repository before upgrading the earlier software version to the new software version within the computerized equipment.

Abstract: At least one I/O request is received that is directed to a data storage device, and an artificial neural network corresponding to a type of the data storage device is selected. The artificial neural network generates a predicted response time for processing the I/O request using the storage device. The artificial neural network may be trained offline using a training storage device of the same type as the storage device to which the I/O request is directed. An actual response time of processing the I/O request may be compared to the predicted response time, and a corrective action performed in response to the actual response time exceeding the predicted response time by at least a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A technique is directed to flushing data from a cache. The technique includes populating a first group of page-descriptor containers with page descriptors identifying data pages to flush from a cache. The technique further includes, after populating the first group of page-descriptor containers, populating a second group of page-descriptor containers with additional page descriptors in place of populating the first group of page-descriptor containers. The technique further includes directing a flushing service to access the first group of page-descriptor containers to obtain the page descriptors identifying the data pages when flushing the data pages from the cache.

Abstract: In at least one embodiment, processing can include: receiving virtual utilizations (VUs) for resources consumed in connection with recording entries in a log for commands or operations, wherein each resource has a corresponding VU which denotes a number of allocated units of the resource associated with entries of the log which have not been flushed from the log; determining a first resource having a maximum VU with respect to VUs of consumed resources; determining whether the maximum VU is within an acceptable VU range, wherein the acceptable VU range has bounds determined in accordance with a maximum deviation threshold associated with the first resource; and responsive to determining the maximum VU is not within the acceptable VU range of the first resource, performing one of a plurality of regulation actions that varies an amount of a system resource to accordingly vary a flush rate of entries from the log.

Abstract: Virtual RAID groups are allocated based on a set of data storage drives that are ordered in descending order of available capacity. To allocate each virtual RAID group, beginning with a second data storage drive in the ordered set of data storage drives, i) individual storage slices are allocated from subsequent data storage drives in the ordered set of data storage drives until a total number of required storage slices has been allocated to the virtual RAID group, ii) available capacities of the data storage drives are updated to reflect the unavailability of storage slices allocated to the virtual RAID group, and iii) the set of data storage drives is re-ordered in descending order of available capacity, based on the updated available capacities of the data storage drives.

Abstract: A technique is directed to flushing data from a cache. The technique includes populating a first group of page-descriptor containers with page descriptors identifying data pages to flush from a cache. The technique further includes, after populating the first group of page-descriptor containers, populating a second group of page-descriptor containers with additional page descriptors in place of populating the first group of page-descriptor containers. The technique further includes directing a flushing service to access the first group of page-descriptor containers to obtain the page descriptors identifying the data pages when flushing the data pages from the cache.

Abstract: A working-set structure is used to organize cached data for storing to persistent storage, which includes leaf structures and page descriptors (PDs) for data pages to be persisted. Upon adding a new PD located in an address range of an existing leaf structure, a PD population count of the existing leaf structure is compared to a predetermined PD population threshold. When the count is below the threshold, the new PD is incorporated into an existing set of PDs for the existing leaf structure, and otherwise (a) a new leaf structure is created, and (b) the new leaf structure is used for the new PD and later-added PDs in the address range. Flush parallelism is enhanced by avoiding large differences in PD population across a set of leaf structures.

Abstract: A technique manages solid state device (SSD) wear-level. The technique involves storing data on a plurality of SSDs. The technique further involves, based on storing the data on the plurality of SSDs, identifying a particular SSD of the plurality of SSDs as a target SSD. The technique further involves moving write-hot data to the particular SSD identified as the target SSD to increase writing workload on the particular SSD compared to respective writing workloads on other SSDs of the plurality of SSDs. Accordingly, the particular SSD wears out ahead of the other SSDs and avoids multiple SSD failures at the same time which otherwise could result in data unavailability (DU) and/or data loss (DL).

Abstract: Method and apparatus for improved and efficient spacer assisted lithography-etch-lithography etch (SALELE) processes that utilize a spin-on-material layer, where the spin-on-material layer fills gaps between spacers to protect line-end to line-end spaces created by a cut shape. The method and structures also include a final resist layer with varying critical dimensions (CDs). The use of the spin-on-material enables back end of line (BEOL) metal designs with continuous line-end to line-end spacing above a minimum that can be patterned with a cut mask and spacer only process.

Abstract: A working-set structure is used to organize cached data for storing to persistent storage, which includes leaf structures and page descriptors (PDs) for data pages to be persisted. Upon adding a new PD located in an address range of an existing leaf structure, a PD population count of the existing leaf structure is compared to a predetermined PD population threshold. When the count is below the threshold, the new PD is incorporated into an existing set of PDs for the existing leaf structure, and otherwise (a) a new leaf structure is created, and (b) the new leaf structure is used for the new PD and later-added PDs in the address range. Flush parallelism is enhanced by avoiding large differences in PD population across a set of leaf structures.

Abstract: Multiple co-resident flush working sets are created in a data storage system. Each flush working set indicates host data that was received by the data storage system from at least one host computing device during a period of time corresponding to that flush working set. Host data indicated by the flush working sets is to be flushed from a storage processor of the data storage system to non-volatile data storage devices of the data storage system, and indications of host data within the flush working sets are organized according to logical block addresses of the indicated host data. Multiple independently executing flusher threads flush the host data indicated by at least one of the flush working sets from the storage processor to the non-volatile data storage devices of the data storage system.

Abstract: A technique is directed to providing data storage resiliency. The technique includes, after losing access to a storage device that provides storage to a storage extent, performing a degraded write operation that writes data to a first line of the storage extent. The technique further includes setting a first indicator to indicate that the first line was written to while access to the storage device was lost and while a second indicator continues to indicate that a second line of the storage extent was not written to. The technique further includes, after regaining access to the storage device and in response to the first indicator indicating that the first line was written to in the degraded write operation, performing a resiliency operation that constructs additional data from the data written in the first line to increase data storage resiliency of the storage extent.

Abstract: A method of data deduplication during log flushing includes use of an in-memory deduplication index as a cached sub-set of entries from a full on-drive deduplication index. In a pre-flush process, the data is scanned and the on-drive index is accessed to identify matching deduplication entries, and identified entries are copied into the in-memory index. The subsequent flush includes, for each data unit, (1) accessing the in-memory index to identify a matching deduplication entry for the data unit, (2) upon identifying a matching entry, storing the data unit in a deduplicated manner as a reference to previously stored data, and (3) upon not identifying a matching entry, storing the data unit in a non-deduplicated manner including a new data instance, without accessing the on-drive index. Performance and efficiency are improved by accessing only the in-memory index and avoiding the penalties of accessing the on-drive index.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first metal line, and a second metal line adjacent and coplanar to the first metal line. The first metal line and the second metal line have a common patterning level, and the first metal line and the second metal line are separated by a cut region parallel to a length of the first metal line and the second metal line.

Abstract: A technique is directed to providing data storage resiliency. The technique includes, after losing access to a storage device that provides storage to a storage extent, performing a degraded write operation that writes data to a first line of the storage extent. The technique further includes setting a first indicator to indicate that the first line was written to while access to the storage device was lost and while a second indicator continues to indicate that a second line of the storage extent was not written to. The technique further includes, after regaining access to the storage device and in response to the first indicator indicating that the first line was written to in the degraded write operation, performing a resiliency operation that constructs additional data from the data written in the first line to increase data storage resiliency of the storage extent.