Abstract: A system provided for eliminating access to data within a writable storage media cartridge. The system comprises a writable storage media drive, such as a tape drive. The writable storage drive determines if at least a first portion of data on the writable storage media is encrypted. If it is determined that the first portion of data is encrypted then the writable storage drive shreds a second portion of data within the writable storage media cartridge related to said encrypted first portion of data. The first portion of data and the second portion are not the same portions of the writable storage media cartridge.

Abstract: A method and computer program product are provided for eliminating access to data within a writable storage media cartridge. If it is determined if at least a first portion of data on the writable storage media is encrypted then a second portion of data within the writable storage media cartridge related to said encrypted first portion of data is shredded. The first portion of data and the second portion are not the same portions of the writable storage media cartridge.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for managing data in storage units. Storage pool information indicates an assignment of a plurality of storage units to a plurality of storage pools, wherein each pool is assigned zero or more storage units, wherein data associated with one storage pool is stored in a storage unit assigned to the storage pool, wherein the storage pool information for each pool indicates a threshold and target storage pool, and wherein the target storage pool is capable of being different from the storage pool. One storage unit associated with a source storage pool is selected and a determination is made of the threshold from the storage pool information for the source storage pool.

Abstract: A method for offloading volume space reclamation operations to virtual tape systems is disclosed herein. In certain embodiments, such a method includes writing instruction information to a virtual tape system for use in performing a reclamation operation on a source virtual tape volume. The instruction information identifies the source virtual tape volume as well as valid objects in the source virtual tape volume. The virtual tape system then transforms the source virtual tape volume by retaining valid objects in the source virtual tape volume, removing invalid objects in the source virtual tape volume, and updating metadata associated with the source virtual tape volume to reflect changes made thereto. This generates an updated source virtual tape volume of reduced size. A corresponding computer program product and system are also disclosed and claimed herein.

Abstract: A data storage system stores logical data object(s), each identified by a logical identifier. A control is configured to assign a unique WORM (Write Once Read Many) identifier to the logical data object, and stores the unique WORM identifier as associated with the logical identifier, in a database maintained by the control so as to be persistent. Data storage is configured to write the logical data object with a header with the unique WORM identifier. The control, in order to allow the logical data object to be accessed externally to the control, requires matching the unique WORM identifier in the header of a logical data object to the unique WORM identifier of the persistent database for the logical object. The unique WORM identifier is formed of a checksum hash value related to nonce fields comprising at least the logical identifier of the logical data object, an incrementing token, and a time stamp.

Abstract: Link information for a plurality of links to at least one target node indicates for each link a send throughput for sending data, a receive throughput for received data, a slate of the link indicating whether the link is online, offline or degraded. The send throughput of the links having the online state is processed to select one of the links to the receiving node m response to determining that more than one of the links has the online state. The data of the send operation is sent using the selected link to the receiving node. The receive throughput is processed to select one of the links having the online state to the sending node in response to determining that more than one of the links has the online state. The data of the receive operation is received using the selected link to the sending node.

Abstract: A hybrid data storage system is one which has data storage clusters of different types. In a hybrid data storage system, at least one first data storage cluster is configured to store data and has high data storage capacity; and at least one second data storage cluster is configured to store data and has lower data storage capacity than the first cluster. The data is initially replicated and stored by at least one first and at least one second data storage cluster. The method identifies a portion of the stored initially replicated data of at least one second data storage cluster as “pinned”; continues to store the pinned initially replicated data; and selectively removes non-pinned initially replicated data from the second data storage cluster(s) to account for the capacity difference.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system and article of manufacture for return processing in storage pools. A plurality of physical volumes are allocated to a first storage pool. A determination is made whether the first storage pool has more than a threshold number of empty physical volumes. If the first storage pool has more than the threshold number of empty physical volumes, then at least one empty physical volume is returned to a second storage pool.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture, wherein a storage manager application implemented in a first computational device maintains a virtual logical volume that represents a plurality of segments of a linear storage medium of a secondary storage, wherein the virtual logical volume and the plurality of segments are created by the storage manager application. A request for data is received at the first computational device, from a second computational device. The storage manager application moves selected segments of the plurality of segments from the linear storage medium of the secondary storage to a cache storage, in anticipation that the requested data is included in the selected segments that are moved from the linear storage medium of the secondary storage to the cache storage.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture, wherein a plurality of nodes coupled over a network are maintained, wherein a first node of the plurality of nodes initially owns a plurality of storage objects accessible via the network. A second node preemptively takes ownership of a selected storage object of the plurality of storage objects, in response to the first node becoming unavailable, wherein other nodes of the plurality of nodes can request ownership of the selected storage object while the first node is unavailable. A determination is made that the first node that originally owned the selected storage object has become available after a period of unavailability. A determination is made of the current owner node of the selected storage object, wherein the current owner node is one of the second node and the other nodes.

Abstract: Disclosed are a system, a method, and article of manufacture to provide for obtaining data storage device specific information from a data storage device using standard read/write commands. This method uses a host application to write a unique sequence of records to a logical volume of the data storage device. The data storage device detects the unique sequence of records for the logical volume and writes device specific information to the logical volume allowing the host application the ability to read the data storage device specific information using a read command for the logical volume.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for using link send and receive information to select one of multiple links to use to transfer data for send and receive operations. Link information for a plurality of links to at least one target node indicates for each link a send throughput for sending data, a receive throughput for received data, a state of the link indicating whether the link is online, offline or degraded. A send operation is processed to transfer data to a receiving node comprising one of the target nodes. A determination is made of the states of the links to the receiving node in response to the send operation. The send throughput of the links having the online state is processed to select one of the links to the receiving node in response to determining that more than one of the links has the online state. The data of the send operation is sent using the selected link to the receiving node.

Abstract: Upgrades are made to the available capacity of cache disk storage without adding drawer(s) or blade(s) when the upgrade is requested. A cache control is configured to respond to a requested capacity upgrade, establishing a capacity restriction applicable to a filesystem providing active perceived available capacity spanning the disk drive subunits, such as drawers, blades or disk drives. The active perceived available data storage capacity and unused capacity of the filesystem are spread across the disk drive subunits. The capacity restriction is related to the requested upgrade adjustment, and the capacity restriction controls rates of data transfer with respect to the filesystem. The capacity restriction may comprise a freespace threshold for throttling of a fill rate of resident data pending premigration from the cache disk storage filesystem, and a premigration threshold for increasing drain rate of premigration data from the cache disk storage filesystem.

Abstract: Provided are methods for borrow processing in storage pools. A plurality of physical volumes are allocated to a first storage pool. A determination is made whether the first storage pool has less than a threshold number of empty physical volumes. If the first storage pool has less than the threshold number of empty physical volumes, then at least one empty physical volume is borrowed to the first storage pool from a second storage pool.

Abstract: Disclosed are a system, a method, and article of manufacture to provide for obtaining data storage device specific information from a data storage device using standard read/write commands. This method uses a host application to write a unique sequence of records to a logical volume of the data storage device. The data storage device detects the unique sequence of records for the logical volume and writes device specific information to the logical volume allowing the host application the ability to read the data storage device specific information using a read command for the logical volume.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system and article of manufacture for return processing in storage pools. A plurality of physical volumes are allocated to a first storage pool. A determination is made whether the first storage pool has more than a threshold number of empty physical volumes. If the first storage pool has more than the threshold number of empty physical volumes, then at least one empty physical volume is returned to a second storage pool.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture, wherein a plurality of nodes coupled over a network are maintained, wherein a first node of the plurality of nodes initially owns a plurality of storage objects accessible via the network. A second node preemptively takes ownership of a selected storage object of the plurality of storage objects, in response to the first node becoming unavailable, wherein other nodes of the plurality of nodes can request ownership of the selected storage object while the first node is unavailable. A determination is made that the first node that originally owned the selected storage object has become available after a period of unavailability. A determination is made of the current owner node of the selected storage object, wherein the current owner node is one of the second node and the other nodes.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture, wherein a storage manager application implemented in a first computational device maintains a virtual logical volume that represents a plurality of segments of a linear storage medium of a secondary storage, wherein the virtual logical volume and the plurality of segments are created by the storage manager application. A request for data is received at the first computational device, from a second computational device. The storage manager application moves selected segments of the plurality of segments from the linear storage medium of the secondary storage to a cache storage, in anticipation that the requested data is included in the selected segments that are moved from the linear storage medium of the secondary storage to the cache storage.

Abstract: A system provided for eliminating access to data within a writable storage media cartridge. The system comprises a writable storage media drive, such as a tape drive. The writable storage drive determines if at least a first portion of data on the writable storage media is encrypted. If it is determined that the first portion of data is encrypted then the writable storage drive shreds a second portion of data within the writable storage media cartridge related to said encrypted first portion of data. The first portion of data and the second portion are not the same portions of the writable storage media cartridge.

Abstract: Disclosed are a system, a method, and article of manufacture to provide for obtaining data storage device specific information from a data storage device using standard read/write commands. This method uses a host application to write a unique sequence of records to a logical volume of the data storage device. The data storage device detects the unique sequence of records for the logical volume and writes device specific information to the logical volume allowing the host application the ability to read the data storage device specific information using a read command for the logical volume.