Abstract: A mechanism is provided for object-based storage management. A detection is made of an event being performed on or by the object. A determination is made as to whether the event meets with one or more rules in a set of rules that identify a backup or replication needing to be performed. Responsive to determining that the event meets with one or more rules in the set of rules that identify the backup or replication needing to be performed, an indication is made in a backup/replication field in metadata of the object that the backup and/or replication of the object needs to be performed. The indication in the backup/replication field in the metadata of the object causes one or more portions of the object to be backed up and/or replicated.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided in a data processing system for unobtrusive failover in a clustered file system. A node in the clustered file system periodically monitors publicized resource events from a cluster manager in the clustered file system for a triggering event that triggers a grace period. Responsive to detecting a triggering event, the node enters a grace period without restarting. During the grace period, the node processes a state request from a first client.

Abstract: A coding scheme for coding “code constructs” (for example, alphanumeric characters) into “bit sequences,” where at least one of the code constructs is assigned at least two different bit sequences (that is, a first bit sequence and a second bit sequence). This is sometimes referred to herein as “alternative codings for a single code construct.” In some embodiments, at least one of the alternative codings includes bits that can be used for error detection and/or correction. In some embodiments, the code scheme will be similar to a pre-existing code scheme that does not have alternative codings for a single code construct so that the alternative-codings coding scheme is back compatible with data encoded under the pre-existing coding scheme.

Abstract: A gossiping scheme for sharing node status in a cluster of nodes provides a robust mechanism for determining node status within the cluster. Nodes transmit gossip messages to each other nodes, the gossip messages listing other nodes in the cluster that are operational. When a node does not receive a gossip message from a particular node within a predetermined time period, then the node transmits messages to the other nodes indicating that the particular node is down. However, if another node has received a packet from the particular node within the predetermined time period and receives the node down message, then the other node responds with a node alive message.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided in a data processing system for securing data integrity in de-duplicated storage environments in combination with software defined native redundant array of independent disks (RAID). The mechanism receives a data portion to write to storage, divides the data portion into a plurality of chunks, and identifies a given chunk within the plurality of chunks for de-duplication. The mechanism increment a de-duplication counter for the given chunk and determines a RAID level for the given chunk based on a value of the de-duplication counter. The mechanism stores the given chunk based on the determined RAID level.

Abstract: A computer program product is provided for extending network services addresses. The computer program product comprises a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to identify a network event affecting a node of a sub-cluster of nodes of a network, wherein the node provides external access to the network using an Internet Protocol (IP) address. The program instructions are also executable by the processor to cause the processor to, in response to identifying the network event, identify an attribute associated with the IP address of the node. Finally, the program instructions are executable by the processor to cause the processor to, based on the attribute associated with the IP address of the node, determine whether to move the IP address of the node to another node of the sub-cluster.

Abstract: A computer program product is provided for extending a clustered file system. The computer program product comprises a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The program instructions are executable by a processor to cause the processor to build a central cluster repository, establish a service-specific interface for accessing non-file system data in the central cluster repository, and extend a clustered file system with the service-specific interface.

Abstract: A computer program product is provided for extending a clustered file system. The computer program product comprises a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The program instructions are executable by a processor to cause the processor to define functions required by external services implemented on top of a clustered file system, identify at least one function that is not provided by the clustered file system, and extend the clustered file system to provide the at least one function.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided a data processing system for protocol servicing in network-attached storage. A protocol service executing in the data processing system in a clustered file system establishes a high priority recovery thread. The high priority recovery thread monitors health counters that count total requests in and total requests out for a client accessing a network-attached storage device via the protocol service. The high priority recovery thread determines a category of health of the protocol service based on the health counters. The mechanism takes corrective action based on the category of health of the protocol service.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided in a data processing system for unobtrusive failover in a clustered file system. A node in the clustered file system periodically monitors publicized resource events from a cluster manager in the clustered file system for a triggering event that triggers a grace period. Responsive to detecting a triggering event, the node enters a grace period without restarting. During the grace period, the node processes a state request from a first client.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided in a data processing system for protocol servicing in network-attached storage. A protocol service executing in the data processing system in a clustered file system establishes a high priority recovery thread. The high priority recovery thread monitors health counters that count total requests in and total requests out for a client accessing a network-attached storage device via the protocol service. The high priority recovery thread determines a category of health of the protocol service based on the health counters. The mechanism takes corrective action based on the category of health of the protocol service.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided in a data processing system for elastic data storage management in a storage network. A data storage system manager in the data processing system monitors remaining free space of a plurality of data storage systems. The data storage system manager determines a rate of change of remaining free space of each data storage system. Responsive to determining that the remaining free space or rate of change of remaining free space of at least one data storage exceeds a threshold, the data storage system manager determines an amount to expand or shrink a given data storage system in the storage network. The data storage system manager configures data storage allocation to expand or shrink the given data storage system by the determined amount.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided in a data processing system for unobtrusive failover in a clustered file system. A node in the clustered file system periodically monitors publicized resource events from a cluster manager in the clustered file system for a triggering event that triggers a grace period. Responsive to detecting a triggering event, the node enters a grace period without restarting. During the grace period, the node processes a state request from a first client.

Abstract: Client access prioritization is provided. A plurality of network addresses is assigned to a node of a network-attached storage cluster. A request to access a resource stored by the network-attached storage cluster and accessible to the node is received, wherein the request identifies a network address of the plurality of network addresses. A priority of the request is determined based, at least in part, on the network address identified by the request and further based, at least on part, on a protocol of the request. The request is processed based, at least in part, on the priority of the request.

Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for performing a write operation on a shared resource in a cluster of data processing systems. The mechanisms determine whether a locally cached copy of the shared resource is present in a local cache memory. The mechanisms, in response to a determination that a locally cached copy is present, determine whether the locally cached copy is a latest version of the shared resource. The mechanisms, in response to determining that that locally cached copy is a latest version: perform the write operation on the locally cached copy to generate an updated locally cached copy, and transmit a cluster event notification to other data processing systems of the cluster indicating the shared resource was written to and which data processing system performed the write operation. The cluster event notification is logged in at least one change log data structure associated with the other data processing systems.

Abstract: A scheme for monitoring node operational status according to communications transmits messages periodically according to a heartbeat rate among the nodes. The messages may be gossip messages containing the status of the other nodes in the pairs, are received at the nodes and indications of the communications delays of the received messages are stored, which are used to compute statistics of the stored communications delays. Parameters of the node status monitoring, which are used for determining operational status of the nodes, are adjusted according to the statistics, which may include adjusting the heartbeat rate, the maximum wait time before a message is considered missed, and/or the maximum number of missed messages, e.g., the sequence number deviation, before the node is considered non-operational (down).

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of managing lease transactions from a plurality of time-synchronized cluster nodes for a shared leased resource in a computer network, the method including accepting, during a request period, requests to lease a shared leased resource in an upcoming lease interval, the requests received from among a plurality of time-synchronized cluster nodes. The method may include selecting, during a response period which concludes prior to the beginning of the upcoming lease interval, a leaseholder for the shared leased resource in the upcoming lease interval in response to receiving at least one request during the request period, the leaseholder selected based on the at least one received request. The response period may occur after the request period. The method may include notifying, during the response period, the selected leaseholder of its selection as the leaseholder for the shared leased resource in the upcoming lease interval.

Abstract: An event notification method for distributed processing systems provides reduction of queue space and event processing bandwidth associated with duplicate events such as a particular event that is duplicated and results in multiple event notifications propagated for multiple consumers. When a duplicate event notification is received at an input to an event notification queue, rather than queuing the duplicate event notification, a sequence number of the event notification already in the queue is updated to indicate to the event consumer, exactly how many duplicate events have been received. The timestamp of the updated event notification may also be set to the timestamp of the most recently received duplicate event notification.

Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for performing a write operation on a shared resource in a cluster of data processing systems. The mechanisms determine whether a locally cached copy of the shared resource is present in a local cache memory. The mechanisms, in response to a determination that a locally cached copy is present, determine whether the locally cached copy is a latest version of the shared resource. The mechanisms, in response to determining that that locally cached copy is a latest version: perform the write operation on the locally cached copy to generate an updated locally cached copy, and transmit a cluster event notification to other data processing systems of the cluster indicating the shared resource was written to and which data processing system performed the write operation. The cluster event notification is logged in at least one change log data structure associated with the other data processing systems.

Abstract: A unique device name is assigned to each of a plurality of shared storage devices in a cluster configuration database defining membership of nodes in a cluster. A particular node among the nodes defined by the cluster configuration database as a member of the cluster searches the cluster configuration database for a device identifier matching a device identifier of a shared storage device hosted by the particular node. In response to finding a matching device identifier in the cluster configuration database, the particular node renames, in a local configuration maintained at the particular node, a storage device associated with the matching device identifier with the unique name assigned to that storage device in the cluster configuration database.