Abstract: Systems, methods, and circuitries are provided for supporting multiple concurrent thread access to a storage array. In one example, a storage array includes a plurality of storage devices each divided into at least N subdivisions. A volume includes a set of subdivisions including a subdivision in each of M different storage devices. Memory management circuitry receives first data and second data for storing in the storage array and selects a first volume for storing the first data and a second volume for storing the second data. The second volume includes a different set of subdivisions than the first volume. The processor uses a first set of processor threads to process and store the first data in the first volume and uses a second set of processor threads to, concurrent with the processing and storing of the first data, process and store the second data in the second volume.

Abstract: Embodiments redirect data from a source to a plurality of deduplication blockpools. In one embodiment, operations include accessing a binary large object (BLOB) that includes a plurality of blocklets, a blocklet having a hash value; upon determining that the plurality of blocklets includes less than a threshold number of blocklets: selecting, according to a first rule set, a target blockpool from among the plurality of deduplication blockpools; upon determining that the plurality of blocklets includes at least the threshold number of blocklets: selecting, according to a second, different rule set, a target blockpool. The second rule set includes a BalanceQuery rule that computes a fitness value for a member of the plurality of deduplication blockpools, and selects a target blockpool based, at least in part, on the fitness value. Embodiments provide the BLOB to the target blockpool.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and circuitries are provided for supporting multiple concurrent thread access to a storage array. In one example, a storage array includes a plurality of storage devices each divided into at least N subdivisions. A volume includes a set of subdivisions including a subdivision in each of M different storage devices in the plurality of storage devices. Memory management circuitry is configured to receive first data and second data for storing in the storage array and select a first volume for storing the first data and a second volume for storing the second data. The second volume includes a different set of subdivisions than the first volume. The processor is configured to use a first set of processor threads to process and store the first data in the first volume and use a second set of processor threads to, concurrent with the processing and storing of the first data, process and store the second data in the second volume.

Abstract: Embodiments redirect data from a source to a plurality of deduplication blockpools. In one embodiment, operations include accessing a binary large object (BLOB) that includes a plurality of blocklets, a blocklet having a hash value; upon determining that the plurality of blocklets includes less than a threshold number of blocklets: selecting, according to a first rule set, a target blockpool from among the plurality of deduplication blockpools; upon determining that the plurality of blocklets includes at least the threshold number of blocklets: selecting, according to a second, different rule set, a target blockpool. The second rule set includes a BalanceQuery rule that computes a fitness value for a member of the plurality of deduplication blockpools, and selects a target blockpool based, at least in part, on the fitness value. Embodiments provide the BLOB to the target blockpool.

Abstract: Mass storage system controller apparatus receives requests for access to files in a data storage system and manages access to the files in the data storage system, the data storage system having a plurality of storage devices and the requests being addressed to the data storage system as a single virtual storage device having addressable Command Regions allocated to controller commands and addressable Mapped Data Regions allocated for data storage. The apparatus includes a file system to manage access to files in the data storage system, the file system having a processor acting as a Command Region processor and acting as a Mapped Data Region processor. A disk emulator responds as a disk drive device to write/read commands and passes the write/read commands addressed to Command Regions of the virtual storage device to the Command Region processor, the write/read commands addressed to Command Regions containing controller commands for the file system.

Abstract: File operations on files in a peripheral system are controlled by an intelligent controller with a file processor. The files are accessed as if the intelligent controller were an addressable virtual storage space. This is accomplished first by communicating controller commands for the intelligent controller through read/write commands addressed to a Command Region of a virtual storage device. The controller commands set up a Mapped Data Region in the virtual storage device for use in controlling data transfer operations to and from the peripheral system. With the Mapped Data Regions set up, blocks of data are transferred between the host and the intelligent controller in response to read/write commands addressed to the Mapped Data Region of the virtual storage device.

Abstract: File operations on files in a peripheral system are controlled by an intelligent controller with a file processor. The files are accessed as if the intelligent controller were an addressable virtual storage space. This is accomplished first by communicating controller commands for the intelligent controller through read/write commands addressed to a Command Region of a virtual storage device. The controller commands set up a Mapped Data Region in the virtual storage device for use in controlling data transfer operations to and from the peripheral system. With the Mapped Data Regions set up, blocks of data are transferred between the host and the intelligent controller in response to read/write commands addressed to the Mapped Data Region of the virtual storage device. In an additional feature of the invention file operations are communicated between host and controller through a device driver at the host and a device emulator at the intelligent controller.

Abstract: A method for recovering data from a cache memory of a second storage controller by access to a cache memory of a first storage controller is presented. The storage controllers are coupled by a private common data path. The method includes copying metadata corresponding to the data stored in the cache memory of the second storage controller to the cache memory of the first storage controller through the private common data path. The metadata may include pointers to and the size of the data. After copying the metadata pointers, the data in the cache memory of the second storage controller is established in the cache memory of the first storage controller. As a result, the entire set of data does not need to be totally recovered to the hard disk before resuming host communications in a recovery operation, which may take a relatively long time.