Abstract: A method of creating a clone, on a second data storage appliance of a federation, of a source storage object stored on a first data storage appliance of the federation, includes creating a snapshot (point-in-time copy) of the source storage object at the first appliance, and then performing a full copy of the snapshot from the first appliance to the second appliance to produce a copy snapshot on the second appliance. At the second appliance, the clone is created from the copy snapshot and incorporated into a federation-wide family association of the source storage object. Specific use cases include (1) creating a clone on a different appliance from a base volume, (2) migrating a clone to a different appliance from a base volume, (3) refreshing a clone from a base volume, and a base volume from a clone, across appliances.

Abstract: In one aspect, an example methodology implementing the disclosed techniques includes creating, by a first site of a volume that supports active-active bidirectional replication, a local copy of the volume, the local copy of the volume configured to be active. The method also includes enabling, by the first site of the volume, bidirectional write input/output (I/O) mirroring with a second site of the volume. The method further includes, by the second site of the volume, creating a remote copy of the volume, the remote copy of the volume configured to be passive, and enabling bidirectional write I/O mirroring with the first site of the volume.

Abstract: A technique of obtaining attributes associated with data includes providing an attribute-only read request directed to a specified data element, accessing metadata structures that store one or more attributes associated with the specified data element, and returning the attribute (or attributes) but not the data itself in response to the request.

Abstract: A technique of protecting data from ransomware attacks identifies a set of blocks written to a data object between first and second points in time, determines a set of attributes of the set of blocks, and, in response to the set of attributes indicating a likelihood of a ransomware attack, secures a state of the data object as of the first point in time.

Abstract: A technique of protecting data from ransomware attacks identifies a set of blocks written to a data object between first and second points in time, determines a set of attributes of the set of blocks, and, in response to the set of attributes indicating a likelihood of a ransomware attack, secures a state of the data object as of the first point in time.

Abstract: A technique for maintaining synchronization between two arrays includes assigning one array to be a preferred array and the other array to be a non-preferred array. When write requests are received at the preferred array, the writes are applied locally first and then applied remotely. However, when write requests are received at the non-preferred array, such writes are applied remotely first and then applied locally. Thus, writes are applied first on the preferred array and then on the non-preferred array, regardless of whether the writes are initially received at the preferred array or the non-preferred array.

Abstract: In one aspect, an example methodology implementing the disclosed techniques includes creating, by a first site of a volume that supports active-active bidirectional replication, a local copy of the volume, the local copy of the volume configured to be active. The method also includes enabling, by the first site of the volume, bidirectional write input/output (I/O) mirroring with a second site of the volume. The method further includes, by the second site of the volume, creating a remote copy of the volume, the remote copy of the volume configured to be passive, and enabling bidirectional write I/O mirroring with the first site of the volume.

Abstract: A technique for maintaining synchronization between two arrays includes assigning one array to be a preferred array and the other array to be a non-preferred array. When write requests are received at the preferred array, the writes are applied locally first and then applied remotely. However, when write requests are received at the non-preferred array, such writes are applied remotely first and then applied locally. Thus, writes are applied first on the preferred array and then on the non-preferred array, regardless of whether the writes are initially received at the preferred array or the non-preferred array.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for receiving a request for an application-consistent snapshot of at least a portion of a storage array. A plurality of I/O operations submitted to the at least a portion of the storage array may be monitored. A pre-defined pattern of I/O operations may be identified from the plurality of I/O operations submitted to the storage array. A snapshot of the at least a portion of the storage array may be generated.

Abstract: Techniques for providing a unified approach to an orchestration of services for accomplishing data import tasks, data replication tasks, and/or data migration tasks in a clustered storage environment. The techniques are employed in a clustered storage environment that includes one or more storage domains, each of which includes, as members of the storage domain, a primary storage appliance and one or more secondary storage appliances. By providing, in a primary storage appliance of a storage domain within a clustered storage environment, an orchestrator for orchestrating a set of orchestration phases, which can be shared to perform data import tasks, data replication tasks, and/or data migration tasks involving a foreign storage system deployed outside of the clustered storage environment and/or one or more data storage appliance deployed within the clustered storage environment, enhanced efficiencies due to infrastructure sharing within the clustered storage environment can be achieved.

Abstract: Techniques for managing data mobility domains in storage system environments. The techniques employ a multiple master approach, in which each storage system in a storage system domain can function as an owner of the domain. Each domain owner has privileges pertaining to addition of new members to the domain, removal of members from the domain, and modification of domain credentials. When a new storage system is added as a member of the domain, the domain credentials are provided from the domain owner to the new storage system, resulting in the domain credentials being shared among all members of the domain. Domain membership information is also shared among all members of the domain. In this way, the management of storage system domains can be achieved without the need of a domain management server, avoiding a single point of failure or latency and reducing the complexity/cost associated with the domain management server.

Abstract: A data storage system in a cluster of storage systems provides virtual-volume data storage to virtual-computing (VC) hosts. A storage container is created for use as a logical grouping of virtual volumes (VVols), and \the storage container is paired as a source storage container with a target storage container on a remote target data storage system. The pairing identifies the target storage container to be used for storing a replica of a replication group of VVols to be stored in the source storage container. When a VVol having a requirement for protection by replication is created, it is placed in a replication group of the source storage container. Subsequently, based on the VVol being a member of the replication group of the source storage container, the VVol is replicated to a target replication group of the target storage container of the remote data storage system.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for receiving a request for an application-consistent snapshot of at least a portion of a storage array. A plurality of I/O operations submitted to the at least a portion of the storage array may be monitored. A pre-defined pattern of I/O operations may be identified from the plurality of I/O operations submitted to the storage array. A snapshot of the at least a portion of the storage array may be generated.

Abstract: A data protection technique involves, based on a first set of policies on a first storage array, generating a second set of policies on a second storage array to track the first set. The first array maintains a first storage object, and the second array maintains a second storage object as a replica of the first storage object. The technique further includes detecting assignment of the first set of policies to the first storage object and, in response to such detection, assigning the second set of policies to the second storage object. Application of a set of storage policies to a storage object may be delayed if the storage object is a replication destination. A policy group may identify multiple data protection rules or policies, which may include a snapshot rule and/or replication rule, and a user may be prevented from directly making a rule modification to a policy group. An orphan policy group cleanup operation may be performed to delete orphan policy groups.

Abstract: A primary copy and one or more shadow copies of a logical volume are created and discovered by a host rescan performed when the logical volume is initially created. Data storage resources are allocated to the primary copy, but not to the shadow copy. The initial path state of the logical volume describes the path to the primary copy as active, and the path to the shadow copy as unavailable for accessing the logical volume. Movement of the logical volume to the storage appliance providing the shadow copy can be performed without an additional host rescan, by making the shadow copy the new primary copy, making the primary copy a new shadow copy, and updating the path state of the logical volume to indicate i) that the path to the new primary copy is active, and ii) that the path to the new shadow copy is unavailable.

Abstract: A data processing system archives local snapshots of a primary storage object to cloud storage by dividing an address space of the snapshots into sequential chunks, and organizing the cloud storage into archived snapshots including sets of cloud objects created from respective modified chunks of local snapshots. The archived snapshots are organized into families each having a full snapshot and incremental snapshots. A new family is started by creating a synthesized full snapshot from the archived snapshots of a preceding family, which includes (1) for chunks whose data is contained within one cloud object of the preceding family, logically incorporating the cloud object into the synthesized full snapshot, and (2) for chunks whose data is contained within multiple cloud objects of the preceding family, coalescing the data of the cloud objects into a new cloud object and logically incorporating the new cloud object into the synthesized full snapshot.

Abstract: A data processing system archives local snapshots of a primary storage object to cloud storage by dividing an address space of the snapshots into sequential chunks, and organizing the cloud storage into archived snapshots including sets of cloud objects created from respective modified chunks of local snapshots. The archived snapshots are organized into families each having a full snapshot and incremental snapshots. A new family is started by creating a synthesized full snapshot from the archived snapshots of a preceding family, which includes (1) for chunks whose data is contained within one cloud object of the preceding family, logically incorporating the cloud object into the synthesized full snapshot, and (2) for chunks whose data is contained within multiple cloud objects of the preceding family, coalescing the data of the cloud objects into a new cloud object and logically incorporating the new cloud object into the synthesized full snapshot.

Abstract: A data storage system in a cluster of storage systems provides virtual-volume data storage to virtual-computing (VC) hosts. A storage container is created for use as a logical grouping of virtual volumes (VVols), and \the storage container is paired as a source storage container with a target storage container on a remote target data storage system. The pairing identifies the target storage container to be used for storing a replica of a replication group of VVols to be stored in the source storage container. When a VVol having a requirement for protection by replication is created, it is placed in a replication group of the source storage container. Subsequently, based on the VVol being a member of the replication group of the source storage container, the VVol is replicated to a target replication group of the target storage container of the remote data storage system.

Abstract: A primary copy and one or more shadow copies of a logical volume are created and discovered by a host rescan performed when the logical volume is initially created. Data storage resources are allocated to the primary copy, but not to the shadow copy. The initial path state of the logical volume describes the path to the primary copy as active, and the path to the shadow copy as unavailable for accessing the logical volume. Movement of the logical volume to the storage appliance providing the shadow copy can be performed without an additional host rescan, by making the shadow copy the new primary copy, making the primary copy a new shadow copy, and updating the path state of the logical volume to indicate i) that the path to the new primary copy is active, and ii) that the path to the new shadow copy is unavailable.

Abstract: A set of one or more logical storage units is provisioned in a data storage system. Each logical storage unit is provisioned with a given storage capacity. A set of one or more object rules is applied to objects stored in the set of one or more logical storage units. The set of one or more object rules is configured to maintain available free storage space in each of the set of one or more logical storage units: (i) consistent with a desired free storage space level and an acceptable free storage space level; and (ii) consistent with an object retention policy comprising a desired retention time value and an acceptable retention time value for a given object.