Abstract: A technique for use in balancing flash drive wear in data storage systems is disclosed. Multiple sets of flash drives are identified where data is stored as multiple slices striped across the set of flash drives. A write rate at which data will be written to the multiple slices stored on the set of flash drives during a next time interval is predicted. A number of bytes that can be written to each set of flash drives is determined. A metric representative of a wear rate is determined for each set of flash drives. HDD relocation candidates are identified and a relocation process to relocate identified slices initiated.

Abstract: A technique for use in balancing flash drive wear in data storage systems is disclosed. multiple sets of flash drives are identified where data is stored as multiple slices striped across the set of flash drives. A write rate at which data will be written to the multiple slices stored on the set of flash drives during a next time interval is predicted. A number of bytes that can be written to each set of flash drives is determined. A wear metric representative of a wear rate is determined for each set of flash drives. A write quota and an interval period is determined for one or more sets of flash drives. If the wear metric exceeds the write quota for one or more sets of flash drives during the time interval, reduce the wear rate for the one or more sets of flash drives.

Abstract: Described are techniques for performing data movement optimization processing comprising: receiving a list of proposed data movements; ranking the list in accordance with one or more criteria associated with each of the proposed data movements of the list, wherein the one or more criteria for each proposed data movement, that moves a data portion to a target storage tier, includes at least one characteristic about each proposed data movement other than I/O workload directed to the data portion; selecting a subset of the proposed data movements of the list; implementing the subset of the proposed data movements by performing each of the proposed data movements of the subset; and revising the list to remove proposed data movements of the subset implemented in said implementing. A new list may be obtained each time period. A subset of the ranked list may be implemented each time period in a cycle.

Abstract: A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for managing data commonality in a Merkle tree is disclosed. Reference counts are associated with a node in the Merkle tree. Data commonality is detected and the root of the detected data commonality is determined. If a node is the root node of the detected data commonality, the nodes reference count is incremented. When an object is deleted, the root node of the object is determined. The reference count of the node is decremented. If the count reaches zero, the node is removed from the Merkle tree, and its child nodes are decremented.