Abstract: Method and system are provided for storage capacity allocation. The method includes: providing a storage pool having multiple storage drive arrays; designating an initial available storage capacity in the storage pool; and allocating the remaining storage capacity in the storage pool to distributed spare space, wherein distributed spare space spreads portions of a spare drive across multiple storage drives in an array. The method also includes: monitoring an amount of available storage capacity as data is stored to the storage pool and determining when a threshold of a minimum available storage capacity is reached; and re-allocating one or more distributed spare drives from an array to available storage capacity when the threshold of the minimum available storage capacity is reached.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of creating an artificially tiltable image display from an image containing Z distance values, the method comprising: separating the image into a plurality of layers using the Z distance values; expanding the plurality of layers by a factor dependent on the Z distance values, a layer closer to a viewer being enlarged by a larger factor than a layer further from a viewer, to create information in the layer further from a viewer that is occluded by the layer closer to a viewer; and responsive to a request to tilt the image display, moving the plurality of layers relative to each other so as to display the occluded information.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention may include a method, computer program product and computer system for a cable removal system. The embodiment may include a computing device that determines whether a user is contacting a network cable. The network cable is physical connection between a first device and a second device. The first device includes at least one network port. The embodiment may include a computing device determining whether an information transmission across the network cable can be rerouted based on determining that the user is contacting the network cable. The embodiment may include a computing device rerouting information transmission based on determining that the information transmission across the network cable can be rerouted. The embodiment may include a computing device alerting the user that there is no information transmission across the network cable based on rerouting the information transmission.

Abstract: This invention relates to a system, method and computer program product for a drive array controller (for example a RAID6 controller) comprising: a failed strip identifier for identifying a failed strip in a critical stride strip in drive array when the drive array has two or more failed drives, a critical stride is a stride with two (for example) failed strips, a failed strip is a strip in a failed drive, a failed drive is a drive that can no longer be reliably used; a safe strip identifier for identifying a safe strip in a safe stride, a safe stride is a stride with no failed strips (or at least two less than a critical stride), a safe strip is a strip in a safe stride; a drive array writer for writing a recalculated failed strip to the drive array location for the safe strip; and a lending table writer for writing the failed strip location and associated safe strip location to a lending table.

Abstract: A data storage system comprises a primary storage system comprising an array of drives and a storage controller comprising a stack of storage components. A storage component of the stack operates a data redundancy scheme for the primary storage system. The storage controller stores a set of data on the primary storage system, detects a failure on one or more drives and determines a set of addresses defining data that cannot be completely repaired. Starting with the storage component operating the data redundancy scheme, each storage component queries the storage component directly above with the set of addresses for the data that cannot be completely repaired, obtaining, from one or more storage components, the data that cannot be completely repaired. This obtained data is used to repair the data on the primary storage system with the data from the one or more storage components.

Abstract: A data storage system comprises physical storage, cache memory and a processor connected to the physical storage and the cache memory. The processor is arranged to maintain a set of active regions in the cache memory, each active region having a size equal to an integer multiple of an update size of a flash chip within the physical storage, where the integer could be 1. The processor receives requests for one or more blocks of the cache memory from components within the storage system and allocates one or more blocks from an active region in response to a received request. If the processor determines that all blocks in an active region have been allocated and that all allocated blocks within this region have been written to, then the processor destages the content of this region to the physical storage.

Abstract: A method for replicating data from a primary site to a secondary site is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method includes tracking, at a primary site, updates to storage elements of a primary volume over a specified period of time. The method further calculates a size associated with the updates and communicates the size from the primary site to a secondary site. At the secondary site, using the size received from the primary site, the method determines an amount of storage space required to accommodate the updates in a secondary volume. In certain embodiments, this may include taking into account compression or deduplication algorithms at the secondary site. The method allocates the storage space to the secondary volume and replicates, from the primary site to the secondary site, the updates to the secondary volume. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for balancing performance in a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) made up of heterogeneous storage drives is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method includes implementing a RAID on a set of storage drives. The set of storage drives includes a lower-performing storage drive that underperforms other storage drives in the set. In order to balance performance in the RAID, the method stripes data across the set of storage drives such that the lower-performing storage drive participates in only a selected percentage of strides. In certain embodiments, this percentage is selected based on an amount the lower-performing storage drive underperforms other storage drives in the set. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for managing a RAID array of data storage devices. The declustered RAID array is configured to tolerate a predetermined number of failing data storage devices. The declustered RAID array of data storage devices is split into a plurality of regions, each of the plurality of regions is divided into a plurality of sets, and each of the sets of the plurality of sets utilizes a different combination of the data storage devices. The declustered RAID array provisions a plurality of LUNs from respective sets of each of the plurality of regions, and in response to a failure of one or more of the plurality of data storage devices, up to the predetermined number of failing data storage devices, the RAID array rebuilds at least one copy of each of the plurality of virtual LUNs.

Abstract: This invention relates to a system, method, and computer program product for managing a plurality of devices with associated lock mechanisms. According to one embodiment, a method is provided comprising: detecting, by one or more computer processors, a status of a device corresponding to a lock mechanism; recommending, by one or more computer processors, a service action on the device requiring performance by an operator; and providing, by one or more computer processors, a printable key pattern for printing a key that allows the operator to lock and unlock the lock mechanism in order to perform the service action.

Abstract: A data storage system comprises a primary storage system comprising an array of drives and a storage controller comprising a stack of storage components. A storage component of the stack operates a data redundancy scheme for the primary storage system. The storage controller stores a set of data on the primary storage system, detects a failure on one or more drives and determines a set of addresses defining data that cannot be completely repaired. Starting with the storage component operating the data redundancy scheme, each storage component queries the storage component directly above with the set of addresses for the data that cannot be completely repaired, obtaining, from one or more storage components, the data that cannot be completely repaired. This obtained data is used to repair the data on the primary storage system with the data from the one or more storage components.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of determining modified portions of a RAID storage array for use in resynchronizing said RAID storage array after a failure, the computer-implemented method comprising: resolving areas in the RAID storage array that represent space allocated to volumes; resolving which of said allocated volumes comprise gathered writes; and for said allocated volumes that comprise gathered writes, resolving a set of writes that potentially have incomplete parity updates at the time of the failure.

Abstract: A method for recovering a failed storage drive in a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) includes storing, on a first distributed spare of the RAID, a first parity subset for a first set of drives in the RAID. The method further stores, on a second distributed spare of the RAID, a second parity subset for a second set of drives in the RAID. In the event a storage drive in the RAID fails, the method determines whether the storage drive belongs to the first set or second set. In the event the failed storage drive belongs to the first set, the method uses the first parity subset on the first set of drives in the RAID to recover the failed storage drive. In the event the failed storage drive belongs to the second set, the method uses the second parity subset on the second set of drives in the RAID to recover the failed storage drive. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for integrity verification of an audio-visual data stream. The method includes inserting a watermark into a frame of the visual data stream or into an audio window of a corresponding audio data stream, where the watermark includes: a hash code of the previous frame of the visual data stream and a hash code of the audio window of the audio data stream, and where the audio window corresponds in time to the previous frame of the visual data stream.

Abstract: Cache management. It is determined that a cache operation relating to the transfer of data between a cache memory and a data storage system is required. A state of a utilization model is received, the utilization model including requirements for utilization of resources of the data storage system over a time period, and the state indicating a cost of resource utilization associated with cache operations in the current time period. It is determined whether to perform the cache operation, based on the utilization requirements and the state of a utilization model. If the cache operation is not to be performed, and if the cache operation is a write operation, it is determined whether the cache memory is full. If so, the cache operation is managed according to an emergency cache management process; if not, the data associated with the cache operation is maintained in the cache memory.

Abstract: A method for maintaining I/O statistics in a tiered storage environment is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method includes maintaining, by a tiered storage layer, I/O statistics for data storage elements within a storage system. The tiered storage layer migrates data between storage tiers in accordance with the I/O statistics. A data services layer, separate from the tiered storage layer, alters selected data within the storage system and generates a message to the tiered storage layer describing the alteration. The tiered storage layer receives this message and modifies its internal I/O statistics in accordance with the alteration described in the message. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for regulating a flow of data to backend storage devices includes generating, at a host system, writes intended for a backend storage volume. The method receives the writes into a first level cache of a storage virtualization appliance. The method further determines whether destaging the writes directly from the first level cache to the backend storage volume would cause a limit associated with the backend storage volume to be exceeded. If destaging the writes directly from the first level cache to the backend storage volume would cause the limit to be exceeded, the method destages the writes from the first level cache to a second level cache of the storage virtualization appliance. Otherwise, the method destages the writes directly from the first level cache to the backend storage volume. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed embodiments provide techniques for implementation of a photographic effect. An image is acquired while in a zoom configuration. The image is divided into pixel groups. A distance is determined for each group of pixels. The groups of pixels are based on the detected distance of the group of pixels from the camera. The detected distance can be based on the autofocus module within the camera. The detected distance can be a relative distance or an absolute distance. An expansion factor is determined for each group of pixels based on the corresponding determined distance. Expanded pixel groups are created for each pixel group based on the expansion factor. The expanded pixel groups are composited together to create the processed image.

Abstract: A nozzle follower assembly is provided which is co-operable with a 3D printer. The nozzle follower assembly includes a surface portion modification apparatus. The follower assembly is co-operable with a 3D printer head nozzle assembly and is operable to cause the surface portion modification apparatus to modify at least a portion of a surface of a material most recently printed by the head nozzle assembly of the 3D printer.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for integrity verification of an audio-visual data stream. The method includes inserting a watermark into a frame of the visual data stream or into an audio window of a corresponding audio data stream, where the watermark includes: a hash code of the previous frame of the visual data stream and a hash code of the audio window of the audio data stream, and where the audio window corresponds in time to the previous frame of the visual data stream.