Abstract: A technique for deploying virtual volumes in a metro cluster across first and second arrays includes impersonating a third array that purports to host single-site virtual volumes. The technique further includes mapping the single-site virtual volumes purportedly hosted by the third array to respective pairs of actual virtual volumes. Each pair includes a first virtual volume in the first array and a second virtual volume in the second array and realizes a stretched virtual volume, with writes being mirrored between the virtual volumes of each pair.

Abstract: A technique for deploying virtual volumes in a metro cluster across first and second arrays includes impersonating a third array that purports to host single-site virtual volumes. The technique further includes mapping the single-site virtual volumes purportedly hosted by the third array to respective pairs of actual virtual volumes. Each pair includes a first virtual volume in the first array and a second virtual volume in the second array and realizes a stretched virtual volume, with writes being mirrored between the virtual volumes of each pair.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for recovering phosphorus by thermochemical reaction of a phosphorus-containing material such as an alternative fuel, for example, in the presence of calcium-containing particles in a moving bed reactor and subsequent separation of fines enriched with phosphorus from the moving bed reactor. Furthermore, the present invention concerns the use of a recyclable material obtained by the method as a fertilizer or fertilizer additive.

Abstract: Automated port selection for data migration includes an algorithm that selects a set of SAN ports with the following properties: the selected ports have the least port utilization among all possible port selections; the number of independent data paths between the selected ports is no smaller than a user configurable minimum number; and the difference between the aggregate bandwidth of the ports on both arrays is minimized.

Abstract: Software Defined Network Attached Storage data backup is implemented using storage array synchronous data replication. A TLU is created for each user filesystem managed by a Virtual Data Mover (VDM). A VDM configuration filesystem is also created containing metadata describing a mapping of user file system TLU to physical storage resources on the storage array. Both the user filesystem TLUs and the VDM configuration filesystem are mapped to an asynchronous Remote Data Forwarding (RDF) group of the storage array, which is used by the storage array to replicate both the user filesystem TLUs and VDM configuration filesystem. Filesystem ID and export path information are reserved on the primary storage array and backup storage array when the RDF group is set up, to enable transparent failover from the primary to the backup node of selected VDMs.

Abstract: In a data storage system in which a first storage array and a second storage array maintain first and second replicas of a production volume, the replicas are made discoverable and accessible while inconsistent. Each storage array maintains an invalid track list of inconsistencies. Initially, all tracks are marked as invalid. While background synchronization is eliminating inconsistencies, accesses to invalid tracks are resolved by exchanging data associated with IOs and updating the invalid track lists based on IO bias and other factors.

Abstract: In a data storage system in which a first storage array and a second storage array maintain first and second replicas of a production volume, the replicas are made discoverable and accessible while inconsistent. Each storage array maintains an invalid track list of inconsistencies. Initially, all tracks are marked as invalid. While background synchronization is eliminating inconsistencies, accesses to invalid tracks are resolved by exchanging data associated with IOs and updating the invalid track lists based on IO bias and other factors.

Abstract: Techniques are described providing secure authentication of control commands executed on a data storage system. A pass code may be generated in accordance with criteria in response to successful two-factor authentication of a user identifier. Providing a valid generated passcode may be required with a control command in order for a data storage system to execute the control command. The control command may be one of a subset of possible control command that may be performed with respect to storage entities, such as logical devices and snapshots thereof. In another embodiment, rather than providing a pass code, the two factor authentication information and user identifier may be provided with the control command whereby successful completion of two-factor authentication of the user identifier and two factor authentication information may be required in order to execute the control command.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for recovering phosphorus by thermochemical reaction of a phosphorus-containing material such as an alternative fuel, for example, in the presence of calcium-containing particles in a moving bed reactor and subsequent separation of fines enriched with phosphorus from the moving bed reactor. Furthermore, the present invention concerns the use of a recyclable material obtained by the method as a fertilizer or fertilizer additive.

Abstract: Masking information may be automatically determined for a host after zoning between the host and data storage system is complete. Processing may include the host sending host registration commands from host initiators. From registration information provided with the host registration commands, an initiator group may be determined for the masking view as including the initiators identified as belonging to the host. A port group may be determined as those target ports at which the host registration commands are received. A default storage group with a default device may be created. A masking view for the host may be created that includes the initiator group, the target port group and the default storage group whereby the masking view indicates that the first device is accessible or exposed, through each target port of the target port group, to each initiator of the initiator group.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for generating a methane-containing substitute natural gas from a carbon oxide-containing input gas and also to an energy supply system equipped with such an apparatus. According to the invention, the input gas is subjected to a methanation reaction where a superstoichiometric hydrogen fraction is established in the reactant gas. The product gas of the methanation reaction is divided by gas separation into a methane-containing retentate gas, which yields the substitute natural gas, and a hydrogen-containing permeate gas. At least some of the permeate gas is returned to the input gas and admixed therein to form the reactant gas for the methanation reaction. The invention may be used, for example, for renewable energy supply systems with biomass valorization.

Abstract: A method for providing content syndication to subscribers. The method includes receiving one or more content items from a plurality of information sources. One or more tags are assigned to the one or more content items, the one or more tags indicating a taxonomy of the one or more content items. One or more keywords associated with the one or more content items and a media type of the one or more content items are identified. The one or more content items are indexed with the one or more tags, the one or more keywords, and the media type. The method further includes retrieving the one or more content items based on the one or more tags, the one or more keywords, and the media type.

Abstract: A method for providing content syndication to subscribers including receiving one or more content items from a plurality of information sources. One or more tags are assigned to the one or more content items, the one or more tags indicating a taxonomy of the one or more content items. One or more keywords associated with the one or more content items and a media type of the one or more content items are identified. The one or more content items are indexed with the one or more tags, the one or more keywords, and the media type. The method further includes retrieving the one or more content items based on the one or more tags, the one or more keywords, and the media type.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for generating a methane-containing substitute natural gas from a carbon oxide-containing input gas and also to an energy supply system equipped with such an apparatus. According to the invention, the input gas is subjected to a methanation reaction where a superstoichiometric hydrogen fraction is established in the reactant gas. The product gas of the methanation reaction is divided by gas separation into a methane-containing retentate gas, which yields the substitute natural gas, and a hydrogen-containing permeate gas. At least some of the permeate gas is returned to the input gas and admixed therein to form the reactant gas for the methanation reaction. The invention may be used, for example, for renewable energy supply systems with biomass valorization.

Abstract: An energy supply system is provided with an electricity generating device for regeneratively generating electrical energy that can be fed into an electricity supply grid. The energy supply system includes an electricity generating device for regeneratively generating electrical energy which can be fed into an electricity supply grid, a hydrogen generating device for generating hydrogen using electrical energy from the regenerative electricity generating device, a methanation device for converting hydrogen generated by the hydrogen generating device and a supplied carbon oxide gas into a gas containing methane, and a gas providing device for providing a supplementary gas or a replacement gas in a variably specifiable supplementary/replacement gas quality suitable for feeding into a gas supply grid with the use of the gas containing methane from the methanation device and/or the hydrogen from the hydrogen generating device. A method of operating the system is also provided.

Abstract: A tube bundle reactor for carrying out catalytic gas phase reactions, particularly methanation reactions, has a bundle of catalyst-filled reaction tubes through which reaction gas flows and around which heat carrier flows during operation. In the region of the catalyst filling, the reaction tubes run through at least two heat carrier zones which are separated from one another, the first of which heat carrier zones extends over the starting region of the catalyst filling. The reaction tubes each have a first reaction tube portion with a first hydraulic diameter of the catalyst filling and, downstream thereof in flow direction of the reaction gas, at least a second reaction tube portion with a second hydraulic diameter of the catalyst filling that is greater than the first hydraulic diameter of the catalyst filling.

Abstract: A technique automatically handles a failure during online data migration from a source array to a target array. While a host initially accesses data from the source array using multipath I/O software, the technique involves (i) transitioning the source array to a passive mode, and the target array to an active mode, and (ii) beginning a data transfer operation which transfers data from the source array to the target array. The technique further involves modifying the data on both the target array and the source array in response to modification commands sent to the target array from the host while the data transfer operation is ongoing. The technique further involves automatically failing back to providing access to the data from the source array in response to an event in which the target array loses communication with the source array for a predefined amount of time.

Abstract: Described are techniques for processing recovery points. One or more storage objects for which data protection processing is performed are determined. The data protection processing includes copying data for each of said one or more storage objects to one or more data protection storage devices. One or more recovery points corresponding to each of said one or more storage objects are determined. For each of the one or more recovery points corresponding to each of the one or more storage objects, performing processing including determining whether said each recovery point is at least one of recoverable in accordance with recoverable criteria and restartable in accordance with restartable criteria.

Abstract: A tube bundle reactor for carrying out catalytic gas phase reactions, particularly methanation reactions, has a bundle of catalyst-filled reaction tubes through which reaction gas flows and around which heat carrier flows during operation. In the region of the catalyst filling, the reaction tubes run through at least two heat carrier zones which are separated from one another, the first of which heat carrier zones extends over the starting region of the catalyst filling. The reaction tubes each have a first reaction tube portion with a first hydraulic diameter of the catalyst filling and, downstream thereof in flow direction of the reaction gas, at least a second reaction tube portion with a second hydraulic diameter of the catalyst filling that is greater than the first hydraulic diameter of the catalyst filling.

Abstract: A technique automatically handles a failure during online data migration from a source array to a target array. While a host initially accesses data from the source array using multipath I/O software, the technique involves (i) transitioning the source array to a passive mode, and the target array to an active mode, and (ii) beginning a data transfer operation which transfers data from the source array to the target array. The technique further involves modifying the data on both the target array and the source array in response to modification commands sent to the target array from the host while the data transfer operation is ongoing. The technique further involves automatically failing back to providing access to the data from the source array in response to an event in which the target array loses communication with the source array for a predefined amount of time.