Abstract: Provided are a computer program product for managing tracks in a storage in a cache. An active track data structure indicates tracks in the cache that have an active status. An active bit in a cache control block for a track is set to indicate active for the track indicated as active in the active track data structure. In response to processing the cache control block, a determination is made, from the cache control block for the track, whether the track is active or inactive to determine processing for the cache control block.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for determining status of tracks in storage cached in a cache for a host. A storage controller receives from the host a list of tracks for the host to access and determines whether the tracks in the list are available in the cache for immediate access. A response is returned to the host indicating the tracks as one of available in the cache for immediate access and not available in the cache for immediate access.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method according to one embodiment includes identifying a request to migrate data associated with a volume from a first storage pool to a second storage pool; identifying entries in a first table corresponding to rank extents in the first storage pool containing the data; allocating and synchronizing a plurality of second tables for the identified entries of the first table that are located in the volume; transferring the data associated with the volume from the rank extents in the first storage pool containing the data to one or more rank extents in the one or more ranks of the second storage pool; and updating the second tables to correspond to the transferred data in the one or more rank extents in the one or more ranks of the second storage pool.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for using a track format code in a cache control block for a track in a cache to process read and write requests to the track in the cache. A track format table associates track format codes with track format metadata. A determination is made as to whether the track format table has track format metadata matching track format metadata of a track staged into the cache. A determination is made as to whether a track format code from the track format table for the track format metadata in the track format table matches the track format metadata of the track staged. A cache control block for the track being added to the cache is generated including the determined track format code when the track format table has the matching track format metadata.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product for managing tracks in a storage in a cache. An active track data structure indicates tracks in the cache that have an active status. An active bit in a cache control block for a track is set to indicate active for the track indicated as active in the active track data structure. In response to processing the cache control block, a determination is made, from the cache control block for the track, whether the track is active or inactive to determine processing for the cache control block.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for determining status of tracks in storage cached in a cache for a host. A storage controller receives from the host a list of tracks for the host to access and determines whether the tracks in the list are available in the cache for immediate access. A response is returned to the host indicating the tracks as one of available in the cache for immediate access and not available in the cache for immediate access.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product for managing tracks in a storage in a cache. An active track data structure indicates tracks in the cache that have an active status. An active bit in a cache control block for a track is set to indicate active for the track indicated as active in the active track data structure. In response to processing the cache control block, a determination is made, from the cache control block for the track, whether the track is active or inactive to determine processing for the cache control block.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for indicating extents of tracks in mirroring queues based on information gathered on tracks in extents in cache. Extent information on an extent of tracks in a cache indicated in an active cache list is processed in response to destaging a track from the active cache list to add to a demote list used to determine tracks to remove from the cache. The extent information is related to a number of modified tracks in an extent destaged from the active cache list. The extent information for the extent is used to determine one of a plurality of mirroring queues to indicate the extent including modified tracks. A mirroring queue having a higher priority than another mirroring queue is processed at a higher rate to determine extents of tracks to mirror from the cache to the secondary storage.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product for managing tracks in a storage in a cache. An active track data structure indicates tracks in the cache that have an active status. An active bit in a cache control block for a track is set to indicate active for the track indicated as active in the active track data structure. In response to processing the cache control block, a determination is made, from the cache control block for the track, whether the track is active or inactive to determine processing for the cache control block.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method according to one embodiment includes identifying a request to migrate data associated with a volume from a source storage pool having a first rank extent size to a destination storage pool having a second rank extent size smaller than the first rank extent size, creating a correspondence between logical volume extents of the volume and physical offset locations within rank extents of the source storage pool, and migrating data from one or more ranks of the source storage pool to one or more ranks of the destination storage pool, utilizing the correspondence between the logical volume extents of the volume and the physical offset locations within the rank extents of the source storage pool.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for indicating extents of tracks in mirroring queues based on information gathered on tracks in extents in cache. Extent information on an extent of tracks in a cache indicated in an active cache list is processed in response to destaging a track from the active cache list to add to a demote list used to determine tracks to remove from the cache. The extent information is related to a number of modified tracks in an extent destaged from the active cache list. The extent information for the extent is used to determine one of a plurality of mirroring queues to indicate the extent including modified tracks. A mirroring queue having a higher priority than another mirroring queue is processed at a higher rate to determine extents of tracks to mirror from the cache to the secondary storage.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method according to one embodiment includes identifying a request to migrate data associated with a volume from a first storage pool to a second storage pool; identifying entries in a first table corresponding to rank extents in the first storage pool containing the data; allocating and synchronizing a plurality of second tables for the identified entries of the first table that are located in the volume; transferring the data associated with the volume from the rank extents in the first storage pool containing the data to one or more rank extents in the one or more ranks of the second storage pool; and updating the second tables to correspond to the transferred data in the one or more rank extents in the one or more ranks of the second storage pool.

Abstract: A method according to one embodiment includes identifying a request to migrate data associated with a volume from a source storage pool to a destination storage pool, identifying volume segment table (VST) entries corresponding to rank extents within the source storage pool containing the data, allocating and synchronizing small VSTs for the identified VST entries within the volume, allocating one or more rank extents within the destination storage pool, transferring the data associated with the volume from the rank extents within the source storage pool containing the data to the one or more rank extents in the one or more ranks of the destination storage pool, updating the small VSTs to correspond to the transferred data in the one or more rank extents in the one or more ranks of the destination storage pool, and freeing the data from the one or more rank extents within the source storage pool.

Abstract: A first server of a storage controller is configured to communicate with a host via a first bus interface, and a second server of the storage controller is configured to communicate with the host via a second bus interface. Data is written from the host via the first bus interface to a cache of the first server and via the second bus interface to a non-volatile storage of the second server. The data stored in the cache of the first server is periodically compared to the data stored in the non-volatile storage of the second server.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for using a track format code in a cache control block for a track in a cache to process read and write requests to the track in the cache. A track format table associates track format codes with track format metadata. A determination is made as to whether the track format table has track format metadata matching track format metadata of a track staged into the cache. A determination is made as to whether a track format code from the track format table for the track format metadata in the track format table matches the track format metadata of the track staged. A cache control block for the track being added to the cache is generated including the determined track format code when the track format table has the matching track format metadata.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for using a mirroring cache list to mirror modified tracks for a primary storage in a cache to a secondary storage. Indication is made of a modified track for the primary storage stored in the cache in a mirroring cache list. The mirroring cache list is processed to select modified tracks in the cache to transfer to the secondary storage that have not yet been transferred. The selected modified tracks are transferred to the secondary storage. Indication of a modified track is removed from the mirroring cache list in response to demoting the modified track from the cache.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for determining an optimum number of threads to make available per core in a multi-core processor complex to execute tasks. A determination is made of a first processing measurement based on threads executing on the cores of the processor chip, wherein each core includes circuitry to independently execute a plurality of threads. A determination is made of a number of threads to execute on the cores based on the first processing measurement. A determination is made of a second processing measurement based on the threads executing on the cores of the processor chip. A determination is made of an adjustment to the determined number of threads to execute based on the second processing measurement resulting in an adjusted number of threads. The adjusted number of threads on the cores is utilized to execute instructions.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for using mirroring cache list to demote modified tracks from cache A modified track for a primary storage stored in the cache to mirror to a secondary storage is indicated in a mirroring cache list. The mirroring cache list is processed to select modified tracks in the cache to transfer to the secondary storage that have not yet been transferred. The selected modified tracks in the cache are transferred to the secondary storage. The mirroring cache list is processed to determine modified tracks in the cache to demote from the cache.

Abstract: Provided are techniques for using real segments and alternate segments in Non-Volatile Storage (NVS). One or more write requests for a track are executed by alternating between storing data in one or more sectors of real segments and one or more sectors of alternate segments for each of the write requests, while setting indicators in a real sector structure and an alternate sector structure. In response to determining that the one or more write requests for the track have completed, the data stored in the one or more sectors of the real segments and in the one or more sectors of the alternate segments are merged to form newly written data. In response to determining that a hardened, previously written data of a track does exist in Non-Volatile Storage (NVS), the newly written data is merged with the hardened, previously written data in the NVS. The merged data is committed.

Abstract: Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for prefetching cache resources for a write request from a host to tracks in storage cached in a cache. Cache resources held for a plurality of tracks in a write set are released before expected writes are received for the tracks in the write set. Cache resources for tracks in the write set are obtained, following the release of the cache resources, to use for expected write requests to the tracks in the write set.