Abstract: Techniques for processing I/O operations may include: receiving a write I/O operation that writes first data to a target logical address in a logical address range, wherein physical storage is currently unallocated for the target logical address; selecting a first storage tier from which to allocate first physical storage for storing the first data, wherein said selecting uses first I/O access information characterizing I/O activity of a first logical region and performance and capability characteristics of storage tiers to select the first storage tier; allocating first physical storage from the first storage tier; and storing the first data in the first physical storage. The target logical address may be located in the first logical region. The target logical address may alternatively be located in another logical region predicted, based on temporal trends and application profile information, to include the target logical address at a future point in time.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for partitioning an address space of a storage object of a log-structured file system into a plurality of slices, wherein the log-structured file system includes a plurality of storage objects in a plurality of storage tiers. One or more physical data blocks of the storage object may be allocated to each of the plurality of slices. A read temperature associated with at least one slice of the plurality of slices may be determined. A read temperature associated with each physical data block allocated to the at least one slice may be determined. At least one physical data block allocated to the at least one slice may be retiered between the plurality of storage tiers based upon, at least in part, the read temperature associated with each physical data block of the one or more physical data blocks allocated to the at least one slice.

Abstract: Drive health information is collected for each one of the data storage drives in one or more RAID groups of data storage drives, and is used to calculate a faultiness level of each data storage drive in the RAID group(s). A suitable RAID level for configuration of at least one RAID group may be generated based on the faultiness levels of the data storage drives contained in the RAID group. A faultiness-balanced distribution of the data storage drives across multiple RAID groups may be generated based on the faultiness levels of individual data storage drives. The data storage drives may be automatically redistributed across the multiple RAID groups according to the faultiness-balanced distribution of the data storage drives.

Abstract: Mapped RAID protection is provided for data written into multiple logical RAID spaces, and the data written to each one of the RAID spaces is stored in data storage drives contained in a corresponding one of multiple protection groups of data storage drives. Drive health information is collected for each data storage drive contained in the protection groups, and a faultiness level of each individual data storage drive in the protection groups is calculated based on the drive health information. A faultiness-balanced distribution of the data storage drives across the protection groups is then generated based on the calculated faultiness levels of the individual data storage drives.

Abstract: A deduplication index is generated having multiple entries, each entry storing a digest of a data block that was previously stored in non-volatile data storage together with a pointer to the location in non-volatile storage at which the data block was previously stored. The entries of the disclosed deduplication index are divided into multiple deduplication index segments. A resident subset of the deduplication index segments is stored in memory of the data storage system. A non-resident subset of the deduplication index segments is stored in non-volatile data storage of the data storage system. Data deduplication is performed for each subsequently received data block for which a digest is generated that matches any one of the digests in the entries of the deduplication index segments that are contained in the resident subset of the deduplication index segments.

Abstract: Techniques for data placement may include receiving data portions stored at logical addresses, and storing the data portions on slices of physical storage located in storage tiers. The storage tiers may include different size slices on the different tiers. In one embodiment, slices in the same tier are all the same size. In another embodiment, slices in the same tier may be of different sizes. Slices of data may be demoted and promoted among the storage tiers as the workloads of the slices changes over time. Demotion may include combining slices into a larger slice. Promotion may include partitioning a slice into smaller slices. Additionally, multiple slices of a tier may be combined into a larger slice in the tier. A slice in the tier may be partitioned into multiple smaller slices also located in the tier.

Abstract: Techniques for data storage optimization processing that may include: receiving I/O access information characterizing observed I/O operations directed to a logical address space; analyzing the I/O access information to identify a predicted I/O access distribution expected for the plurality of logical regions of the logical address space at multiple points in time; determining a placement plan specifying placement of data portions of the plurality of logical regions among a plurality of storage tiers; and performing, in accordance with the placement plan, at least one data movement that moves at least a first data portion of a first of the plurality of logical regions from a first of the plurality of storage tiers to a second of the plurality of storage tiers.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for splitting a computer dataset between multiple storage locations based on a workload footprint analysis of that dataset. As a computer accesses data storage, its input/output (I/O) access can be monitored, as well as a working dataset of that dataset. The I/O access patterns can be used to determine an application of the computer that is generating the I/O. The application and the working dataset can be used to determine a split for the dataset across multiple storage locations. The dataset can then be split according to the determined split.

Abstract: A method is used in managing deduplication of data in storage systems. A digest is determined for a data object received for deduplication. A candidate data object is identified for deduplicating the data object. A digest associated with the candidate data object matches the digest associated with the data object. The digest in a digest segment is maintained based on identification of the candidate data object. The digest segment includes a set of digests associated with a set of data blocks identified for deduplication in an ordered arrangement.

Abstract: A mapped RAID system with a protection group of physical data storage drives calculates an affinity value for each pair of physical data storage drives in the protection group that is equal to a total number of RAID extents to which at least one drive extent is allocated from each of the physical data storage drives in the pair. A change from a previous level of RAID protection to a new level of RAID protection provided by one of the RAID extents is detected. The new level of RAID protection provided by the RAID extent uses fewer drive extents than the previous level of RAID protection provided by the RAID extent. The disclosed technology selects one of the drive extents previously allocated to the RAID extent for deallocation such that the range of the affinity values is minimized after deallocation of the drive extent.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for managing wear balance in a mapped RAID storage system. According to embodiments, mapped RAID extents, which are comprised of storage disk extents, are assigned to particular mapped RAID groups based on one or more parameters related to wear experienced by disk extents associated with the RAID extent. Endurance parameters are measured and can be used by machine learning modules to predict future wear levels enabling predictive wear balancing in mapped RAID storage systems. Embodiments can be used when initially forming a mapped RAID group, when adding storage to an existing mapped RAID group, or when managing the ongoing performance of a mapped RAID group or storage system.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for receiving telemetry data associated with a plurality of storage devices. A storage device reliability level may be defined for each storage device based upon, at least in part, the telemetry data associated with the plurality of storage devices. Each storage device may be partitioned into a plurality of storage device segments. A storage device segment reliability level may be defined for the plurality of storage device segments based upon, at least in part, the storage device reliability level of the plurality of storage devices. A subset of the plurality of storage device segments may be combined, thus defining a storage device segment extent. A RAID level for the storage device segment extent may be selected based upon, at least in part, the storage device segment reliability level of each storage device segment of the storage device segment extent.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for partitioning an address space of a storage object of a log-structured file system into a plurality of slices, wherein the log-structured file system includes a plurality of storage objects in a plurality of storage tiers. One or more physical data blocks of the storage object may be allocated to each of the plurality of slices. A read temperature associated with at least one slice of the plurality of slices may be determined. A read temperature associated with each physical data block allocated to the at least one slice may be determined. At least one physical data block allocated to the at least one slice may be retiered between the plurality of storage tiers based upon, at least in part, the read temperature associated with each physical data block of the one or more physical data blocks allocated to the at least one slice.

Abstract: A method for provided use in a storage device having a controller, the method comprising: identifying, by the controller, a plurality of logical regions in the storage device; obtaining, by the controller, a respective usage metric for each of the logical regions; updating, by the controller, a translation data structure of the storage device, the translation data structure being updated to map any of the logical regions of the storage device to a respective physical portion of the storage device, the respective physical portion being selected based on the respective usage metric of the logical region, wherein the translation data structure is part of a flash translation layer of the storage device, and the translation data structure is configured to store mapping information between a logical address space of the storage device and a physical address space of the storage device.

Abstract: A method for use in a computing system, the method comprising: identifying plurality of storage devices; generating a plurality of virtual drive sets, each virtual drive set corresponding to a different one of the plurality of storage devices, each virtual drive set including a plurality of virtual drives, such that each of the virtual drives in the virtual drive set is mapped to a different portion of the virtual drive set's corresponding storage device; instantiating a plurality of storage drive arrays, each of the storage drive arrays being formed of virtual drives from different virtual drive sets; instantiating a plurality of logical units, each of the logical units being instantiated on a different one of the plurality of storage drive arrays; and assigning at least some of the logical units to different software components that are executed on the computing system.

Abstract: A method and system is used in managing deduplication of data in storage systems. A first digest for a deduplication candidate is received. At least one neighboring digest segment of a first loaded digest segment is loaded. Whether the digest is located in the at least one neighboring digest segment is determined. If the digest is not located in the at least one neighboring digest segment, the digest is processed.

Abstract: Techniques for handling multiple data streams in stream-aware data storage systems. The data storage systems can detect multiple sub-streams in an incoming stream of data, form a group of data blocks corresponding to each respective sub-stream, and associate, bind, and/or assign a stream ID to each data block in the respective sub-stream. The data storage systems can write each group of data blocks having the same stream ID to the same segment of a data log in one or more non-volatile storage devices, and manage and/or maintain, in persistent data storage, attribute information pertaining to the groups of data blocks in the respective sub-streams relative to time periods during which the respective groups of data blocks were written and/or received. The techniques can improve the detection of multiple sub-streams in an incoming stream of data, and improve the management of attribute information pertaining to data blocks in the respective sub-streams.

Abstract: A method and system is used in managing deduplication of data in storage systems. A first digest for a deduplication candidate is received. At least one stream associated with the deduplication candidate is detected. At least one neighboring digest segment of a first loaded digest segment associated with the at least one stream is loaded. Whether the digest is located in the at least one neighboring digest segment is determined. If the digest is not located in the at least one neighboring digest segment, the digest is processed.

Abstract: In a hybrid storage array that implements hierarchical storage tiering the eviction of host application data from cache is coordinated with promotion and demotion of host application data between hierarchical storage tiers. Optimal distribution of read cache size per different storage objects may be determined based on cache miss cost. The cost or benefit of promotion and demotion may be determined based on read cache hits and misses.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for splitting a computer dataset between multiple storage locations based on a workload footprint analysis of that dataset. As a computer accesses data storage, its input/output (I/O) access can be monitored, as well as a working dataset of that dataset. The I/O access patterns can be used to determine an application of the computer that is generating the I/O. The application and the working dataset can be used to determine a split for the dataset across multiple storage locations. The dataset can then be split according to the determined split.