Abstract: In some examples, a system receives a write request from a requester to write first data to a storage system that implements redundancy in which redundancy information is stored for data in the storage system. The system initiates the write to the storage system. The system determines that partial hardening for the first data has been achieved based on detecting that an information portion has been written to the storage system for the write request, the information portion being less than an entirety of the first data and the first parity information. In response to the determining of the partial hardening, the system notifies the requester of completion of the write request.

Abstract: Virtual storage systems, virtual storage methods and methods of over committing a virtual RAID storage system are described. According to one aspect, a virtual storage system includes a virtual storage space, a physical storage space, a mapping system configured to associate a plurality of addresses of the virtual storage space with respective addresses of the physical storage space and a controller configured to automatically remove a portion of the mapping system according to a prioritization protocol which specifies removal of portions of the mapping system according to an order.

Abstract: Computer systems, virtual storage systems, and virtual storage system operational methods are described. According to one aspect, a computer system includes a virtual storage system including a physical storage space, a virtual storage space, and a non-guaranteed available capacity utilized to generate a non-guaranteed snapshot volumes of virtual storage volumes of the virtual storage space, wherein the virtual storage system is configured to monitor the non-guaranteed available capacity and to present a report regarding the non-guaranteed available capacity responsive to the monitoring and a host configured to execute an application wherein generation of a non-guaranteed snapshot volume of at least one of the virtual storage volumes is desired, to access the report to determine the non-guaranteed available capacity, and to issue a request to the virtual storage system to generate the at least one non-guaranteed snapshot volume of the at least one virtual storage volume responsive to the accessing.

Abstract: Virtual storage systems and virtual storage system operational methods are described. According to one aspect, a virtual storage system includes a physical storage space configured to store data, a virtual storage space adapted to provide a representation of data stored within the physical storage space to a host, a memory configured to store a plurality of pointers utilized to implement addressing intermediate the physical storage space and the virtual storage space, and a controller configured to extract selected ones of the pointers from the memory and to provide the selected pointers in another storage location different than the memory at a first moment in time and to extract the selected pointers from the another storage location and to provide the selected pointers in the memory at a second moment in time subsequent to the first moment in time.

Abstract: Virtual storage systems and virtual storage system operational methods are described. According to one aspect, a virtual storage system includes a virtual storage space including a plurality of virtual storage locations, a physical storage space including a plurality of physical storage locations configured to store data, a memory configured to store a plurality of activated pointers which associate a plurality of virtual storage locations with a plurality of the physical storage locations, and a controller configured to deactivate at least some of the activated pointers including extracting the deactivated pointers from the memory, to access a request pertaining to selected data associated with at least one of the deactivated pointers, to activate the deactivated pointers including providing the deactivated pointers in the memory providing reactivated pointers, and to modify at least one of the reactivated pointers responsive to the request.

Abstract: Virtual storage systems, virtual storage methods and methods of over committing a virtual RAID storage system are described. According to one aspect, a virtual storage system includes a virtual storage space, a physical storage space, a mapping system configured to associate a plurality of addresses of the virtual storage space with respective addresses of the physical storage space and a controller configured to automatically remove a portion of the mapping system according to a prioritization protocol which specifies removal of portions of the mapping system according to an order.

Abstract: Virtual storage systems and virtual storage system operational methods are described. According to one aspect, a virtual storage system includes a physical storage space configured to store data, a virtual storage space adapted to provide a representation of data stored within the physical storage space to a host, a memory configured to store a plurality of pointers utilized to implement addressing intermediate the physical storage space and the virtual storage space, and a controller configured to extract selected ones of the pointers from the memory and to provide the selected pointers in another storage location different than the memory at a first moment in time and to extract the selected pointers from the another storage location and to provide the selected pointers in the memory at a second moment in time subsequent to the first moment in time.

Abstract: Virtual storage systems and virtual storage system operational methods are described. According to one aspect, a virtual storage system includes a virtual storage space including a plurality of virtual storage locations, a physical storage space including a plurality of physical storage locations configured to store data, a memory configured to store a plurality of activated pointers which associate a plurality of virtual storage locations with a plurality of the physical storage locations, and a controller configured to deactivate at least some of the activated pointers including extracting the deactivated pointers from the memory, to access a request pertaining to selected data associated with at least one of the deactivated pointers, to activate the deactivated pointers including providing the deactivated pointers in the memory providing reactivated pointers, and to modify at least one of the reactivated pointers responsive to the request.

Abstract: Computer systems, virtual storage systems, and virtual storage system operational methods are described.