Abstract: Aspects include providing automatic access control and security for a synchronous input/output (I/O) link. Providing automatic access control and security includes initializing devices of a storage environment over a first link to verify that the devices are available within the storage environment; building a table of identifiers, where each of the identifiers is assigned one of the devices that have been initialized; and verifying a first device attempting to perform synchronous I/O commands across the synchronization I/O link by confirming that an identifier assigned to the first device is within the table of identifiers.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining correct devices to use in a mass volume migration environment includes reading an I/O configuration definition for a plurality of devices in the mass volume migration environment and definition of a second set of the plurality of devices, wherein the plurality of devices comprise a first set of the plurality of devices. The method includes executing a migration and annotating the first set and the second set with status identifiers. The method also includes responsive to completing a migration of a device in the first set to the associated corresponding device in the second set, updating the annotation of the migrated device in the first set and the corresponding device in the second set and swapping the migrated device in the first set with the corresponding device in the second set, and continuing the migration of devices of the first set to the second set.

Abstract: Aspects include sending a request to perform a unit of work that includes a synchronous I/O operation. The sending is from an operating system (OS) executing on a server to firmware located on the server. The synchronous I/O request includes a command request block that includes an operation code identifying the synchronous I/O operation and an identifier of a persistent storage control unit (SCU). The OS waits for the synchronous I/O to complete and the unit of work remains active during the waiting. The firmware detects that the synchronous I/O operation has completed. A command response block that includes completion status information about the synchronous I/O operation is received by the OS from the firmware. The unit of work is completed in response to the I/O operation completing.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for resource allocation in accordance with one embodiment of the present description, in which a resource allocation such as a buffer credit allocation for a port in a storage area network is initialized as a function of a measurement of a length of a communication link for the port of the storage area network. In one embodiment, the length measurement is a function of a minimum command response time of a command issued over the communication link. Other aspects of resource allocation in accordance with the present description are described.

Abstract: Aspects include sending a request to perform a unit of work that includes a synchronous I/O operation. The sending is from an operating system (OS) executing on a server to firmware located on the server. The synchronous I/O request includes a command request block that includes an operation code identifying the synchronous I/O operation and a identifier of a persistent storage control unit (SCU). The OS waits for the synchronous I/O to complete and the unit of work remains active during the waiting. The firmware detects that the synchronous I/O operation has completed. A command response block that includes completion status information about the synchronous I/O operation is received by the OS from the firmware. The unit of work is completed in response to the I/O operation completing.

Abstract: Aspects include acquiring measurement data of a synchronous input/output (I/O) link between an operating system and a recipient. The acquiring measurement data can include monitoring operating system usage of synchronous I/O commands on the synchronous I/O link and storing the operating system usage in a measurement block as the measurement data. Further, the measurement block is accessible by the operating system to determine that the measurement data is acquired.

Abstract: Aspects include acquiring measurement data of a synchronous input/output (I/O) link between an operating system and a recipient. The acquiring measurement data can include monitoring operating system usage of synchronous I/O commands on the synchronous I/O link and storing the operating system usage in a measurement block as the measurement data. Further, the measurement block is accessible by the operating system to determine that the measurement data is acquired.

Abstract: Aspects include sending a request to perform a unit of work that includes a synchronous I/O operation. The sending is from an operating system (OS) executing on a server to firmware located on the server. The synchronous I/O request includes a command request block that includes an operation code identifying the synchronous I/O operation and a identifier of a persistent storage control unit (SCU). The OS waits for the synchronous I/O to complete and the unit of work remains active during the waiting. The firmware detects that the synchronous I/O operation has completed. A command response block that includes completion status information about the synchronous I/O operation is received by the OS from the firmware. The unit of work is completed in response to the I/O operation completing.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for processing a chain of a plurality of write requests including a commit wait flag and plurality of write requests, wherein each write request group includes write transactions directed to the storage. A determination is made as to whether the commit wait flag has a first value or a second value. The write requests are processed by requiring a current write request comprising one of the write requests being processed to complete before beginning to write data for a next write request following the current write request in the write request chain in response to the commit wait flag having the first value. The write requests are processed by processing the next write request before completing the current write request in response to the commit wait flag having the second value.

Abstract: A method for utilizing parallel paths of differing performance to improve efficiency is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method includes transmitting, over a faster path, a first command to perform first actions intended to improve efficiency of second actions associated with a second command. The method transmits, over a slower path in parallel with the faster path, the second command. Alternatively, a method for utilizing parallel paths of differing performance to improve efficiency includes receiving, over a faster path, a first command to perform first actions intended to improve efficiency of second actions associated with a second command. The method executes the first command to perform the first actions. The method receives, over a slower path in parallel with the faster path, the second command and executes the second command to perform the second actions. Corresponding systems and computer program products are also disclosed.

Abstract: In a network computing environment, in which data stored at a primary storage system, is mirrored from the primary storage system to a secondary storage system, a selection may be made to direct an input/output operation such as a read operation, for example, to the secondary storage system instead of the primary storage system in order to improve operations. For example, a read operation may be directed to the secondary storage to improve the read operation response time. In other aspects, a read or other input/output operation may be directed to the secondary storage to improve utilization of the resources of the secondary storage system. Other aspects are described.

Abstract: In an approach for establishing metadata for one or more primary devices in a mirroring relationship, one or more computers systems generate a device validity token and establish a mirroring relationship, wherein the mirroring relationship includes identifying one or more primary devices of a plurality of devices in the mirroring relationship. The approach includes the computer systems sending the device validity token to each of a plurality of operating systems in the mirroring relationship for storage in a token store and retrieving a logical device identifier for each of the devices in the mirroring relationship. Furthermore, the approach includes the computer systems generating metadata for each of the primary devices, wherein metadata for each of the one or more primary devices includes at least the device validity token and the logical device identifier for each primary device of the one or more primary devices that generates the metadata.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for verification of a boot loader program at a control unit to be provided to a host system to load an operating system. A stored value is generated from a cryptographic function applied to portions of a boot loader program stored in the storage. The boot loader program is read from the storage in response to execution of a boot loader request from the host system. The cryptographic function is applied to at least a portion of the read boot loader program to produce a calculated value. The host system is provided access to the boot loader program to use to load the operating system from the storage into the host system in response to the calculated value matching the stored value.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for generating a chain of a plurality of write requests including a commit wait flag and plurality of write requests. The commit wait flag is set to one of an indicated first value or a second value. The commit wait flag is set to the first value to cause a storage server to process the write requests by requiring a current write request being processed to complete before transferring data for a next write request following the current write request. The commit wait flag is set to the second value to cause the storage server to process the write requests by transferring data for the next write request before completing the current write request preceding the next write request. The write request chain is sent to the storage server to apply the write requests to the storage.

Abstract: Aspects include synchronous input/output (I/O) replication of data. A synchronous I/O request is received from an operating system (OS) by firmware on a server. A plurality of synchronous I/O mailbox commands is transmitted by the firmware to a plurality of persistent storage control unit (SCU) nodes. The content of each of the plurality of synchronous I/O commands is based on the synchronous I/O request. A unit of work in the OS corresponding to the synchronous I/O request remains active at least until the synchronous I/O request is completed. It is determined, by the firmware, that determining that each of the plurality of persistent SCU nodes have completed their respective synchronous I/O commands. Based on the determining, the firmware indicates to the OS that the synchronous I/O request is completed.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for processing a chain of a plurality of write requests including a commit wait flag and plurality of write requests, wherein each write request group includes write transactions directed to the storage. A determination is made as to whether the commit wait flag has a first value or a second value. The write requests are processed by requiring a current write request comprising one of the write requests being processed to complete before beginning to write data for a next write request following the current write request in the write request chain in response to the commit wait flag having the first value. The write requests are processed by processing the next write request before completing the current write request in response to the commit wait flag having the second value.

Abstract: Aspects include synchronous input/output (I/O) replication of data. A synchronous I/O request is received from an operating system (OS) by firmware on a server. A plurality of synchronous I/O mailbox commands is transmitted by the firmware to a plurality of persistent storage control unit (SCU) nodes. The content of each of the plurality of synchronous I/O commands is based on the synchronous I/O request. A unit of work in the OS corresponding to the synchronous I/O request remains active at least until the synchronous I/O request is completed. It is determined, by the firmware, that determining that each of the plurality of persistent SCU nodes have completed their respective synchronous I/O commands. Based on the determining, the firmware indicates to the OS that the synchronous I/O request is completed.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for processing a write of records to maintain atomicity for writing a defined group of records to multiple tracks. A write is received comprising defined groups of records to write to a plurality of tracks in the primary storage system. Sub-writes are generated to write the records in the defined groups in the write. At least one of the sub-writes includes records to write for at least one of the defined groups that spans multiple tracks in response to determining that at least one of the defined groups includes records that will be written to multiple tracks. The sub-writes are transmitted to the primary storage system to mirror to the secondary storage system to cause the secondary storage system to return complete in response to completing writing to all the tracks written to by the sub-write.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for mirroring writes of records to maintain atomicity for writing a defined group of records to multiple tracks. Sub-writes are received from a host system to write records in defined groups in a write, wherein at least one of the sub-writes includes records to write for at least one of the defined groups that spans multiple tracks. For each of the sub-writes including records for at least one of the defined groups that spans multiple tracks, the tracks in the sub-write with to the secondary storage system to cause the secondary storage system to apply the tracks upon receiving all the tracks for the sub-write. . Complete is returned for the sub-write to the host system upon receiving confirmation from the secondary storage system that all the tracks for the sub-write have been applied to the secondary storage system.

Abstract: Aspects include providing automatic access control and security for a synchronous input/output (I/O) link. Providing automatic access control and security includes initializing devices of a storage environment over a first link to verify that the devices are available within the storage environment; building a table of identifiers, where each of the identifiers is assigned one of the devices that have been initialized; and verifying a first device attempting to perform synchronous I/O commands across the synchronization I/O link by confirming that an identifier assigned to the first device is within the table of identifiers.