Abstract: A method of managing CPU cores in a data storage apparatus (DSA) configured to perform both host I/O (Input/Output) processing and background storage processing is provided. The method includes (a) selectively classifying background storage tasks in one of a first classification for longer-running tasks and a second classification for shorter-running tasks; (b) selecting CPU cores that are running fewer than a threshold number of first-classification background tasks to process host I/O requests; and (c) processing the host I/O requests on their selected CPU cores. An apparatus, system, and computer program product for performing a similar method are also provided.

Abstract: Various systems and methods are presented herein regarding controlling operation of central processing units (CPUs) to reduce power consumption at a data center(s). A first subset of CPUs located on a computer system can be operationally adjusted while a second subset of CPUs can be designated as having to be available at all times with a default operating condition (e.g., to run background operations). As operational demand placed on the computer system reduces, operation of the first subset of CPUs can be throttled back (e.g., clock speed reduced) while the second subset of CPUs remain at the default operating condition. As operational demand subsequently increases respective CPUs in the first subset of CPUs can have their operating condition (e.g., clock speed) increased. By adjusting the operating condition of one or more CPUs, power consumption at the data center can be reduced during periods of low operational demand.

Abstract: A power controller for a data storage system automatically selects different power modes based on changing forecasts of availability of renewable energy. The power modes indicate settings for each of a plurality of hardware resources, such as processors, fans, memory, and drives. At times when the storage system can operate at less than the maximum level of performance in terms of IO latency or IOPS, power consumption of one or more of the hardware resources is reduced to a degree corresponding to availability of renewable energy. For example, the hardware resources may be operated in a relatively higher power mode when renewable energy is available than when renewable energy is unavailable. The storage system may be configured to automatically implement a low power mode when power from all sources is in limited supply, e.g., during a brownout.

Abstract: Architectures and techniques are described that can provide file system level attack mitigation techniques for a data storage service system or other network service system. By operating at a file system level, the disclosed techniques can access information that is unavailable at the block volume level and which can be leveraged to accurately identify a source of a potential attack. By accurately identifying a source of the potential attack, additional options are available for mitigating the potential attack.

Abstract: A data storage system is operated for reduced power consumption, including regularly scanning usage patterns of data stored on a set of production storage devices to identify cold data whose usage is below a predetermined usage threshold, and adding the cold data of each scan to a collection of cold data. The production storage devices are operated in a normal power mode having normal per-device power consumption. Upon the collection of cold data reaching a predetermined size, (1) one of the production storage devices is designated as a green tier device, and (2) the collection of cold data is moved to the green tier device. The green tier device is operated in a low power mode having a lower per-device power consumption to realize energy savings.

Abstract: One or more aspects of the present disclosure relate to enhancing modular device snapshot-to-encryption-key associations. In embodiments, an input/output (IO) workload can be received at a storage array. The IO workload can include an IO request to write encrypted data on the storage array. The IO request's metadata can also be parsed for information such as snap parameters. Further, an encryption key identifier (ID) can be received from a host, and snapshots of a storage unit can be created with the parsed information and the key ID.

Abstract: A power controller for a data storage system automatically selects different power modes based on changing forecasts of availability of renewable energy. The power modes indicate settings for each of a plurality of hardware resources, such as processors, fans, memory, and drives. At times when the storage system can operate at less than the maximum level of performance in terms of IO latency or IOPS, power consumption of one or more of the hardware resources is reduced to a degree corresponding to availability of renewable energy. For example, the hardware resources may be operated in a relatively higher power mode when renewable energy is available than when renewable energy is unavailable. The storage system may be configured to automatically implement a low power mode when power from all sources is in limited supply, e.g., during a brownout.

Abstract: Techniques for supporting a native pipeline element abstract for use in processing and storing data objects in a storage environment. The techniques include providing a data object processing pipeline for execution on a storage system, ingesting, by the data object processing pipeline, data objects collected by a plurality of computerized devices coupled to the storage system, performing queuing and processing of the data objects at a series of processing elements of the data object processing pipeline, and providing the processed data objects from the storage system to a host computer for subsequent use or analysis. In this way, the number of storage requests needed to be handled by the storage system can be reduced. Moreover, because the data object processing pipeline can be implemented and executed on the storage system, the processing and storage of data objects in the storage environment can be performed more efficiently and optimized more easily.

Abstract: A technique is directed to simulating a ransomware attack in a testing environment. The technique involves obtaining access to a testing environment in which to perform a simulated ransomware attack. The technique further involves, after obtaining access to the testing environment, loading prepared data into the testing environment. The technique further involves performing, as the simulated ransomware attack, a set of input/output (IO) operations based on a set of IO traces corresponding to an actual ransomware attack, the set of IO operations accessing the prepared data.

Abstract: Rebalancing the workload of logical devices across multiple nodes may include dynamically modifying preferred paths for one or more logical devices in order to rebalance the I/O workload of the logical devices among the nodes of the data storage system. Determining whether to rebalance the I/O workload between the two nodes may be performed in accordance with one or more criteria. Processing may include monitoring the current workloads of both nodes over time and periodically evaluating, in accordance with the one or more criteria, whether the current workloads of the nodes are imbalanced. Responsive to determining, in accordance with the criteria, that rebalancing of workload between the nodes is needed, the rebalancing may be performed. A notification may be sent to the host regarding any path state changes made as a result of the workload rebalancing.

Abstract: A data storage system can include a deduplicated data cache used to store unique deduplicated data portions. Data portions can be promoted to the deduplicated data cache in connection with servicing I/O operations. Servicing the I/O operation that reads data from, or writes data to, a logical address can include determining whether a data portion stored at the logical address meets criteria for promoting the data portion to a deduplicated data cache. The criteria can include a condition that the data portion is a duplicate of content stored at multiple logical addresses, and can include a condition that the data portion has a reference count that is at least a minimum threshold where the reference count denotes a number of logical addresses at which the data portion is stored. Responsive to determining the data portion meets the criteria, the data portion can be stored in the deduplicated data cache.

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 achieving data mobility between storage systems having different block sizes includes identifying a baseline size that is common to the block sizes of the storage systems. The technique further includes generating fingerprints of blocks based on extents having the common baseline size. Fingerprint-based data mobility is then achieved by comparing extent-based fingerprints, or combinations thereof, across different storage systems to identify matching data.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computer system for receiving, by a computing device, a write request, wherein the write request may be received by a file system of the computing device. Data associated with the write request may be stored in a cache of the file system and a cache of a block storage system corresponding to the file system. A tag associated with the data in the cache of the block storage system may be received by the block storage system. The data in the cache of the block storage system may be freed after flushing the data to persistent storage based upon, at least in part, the tag associated with the data in the cache of the block storage system. As a result, there is optimization for the read path due to no double caching in the block cache.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for defining a quantity of discrete storage portions within a storage system; entering an expansion mode during which the discrete storage portions are incrementally assigned to at least one processing node until a first assignment level target is achieved; once the first assignment level target is achieved, entering a utilization mode during which the utilization of the assigned discrete portions is increased until a first utilization level target is achieved; and once the first utilization level target is achieved, reentering the expansion mode during which additional discrete storage portions are incrementally assigned to the at least one processing node until a second assignment level target is achieved.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computing system for processing a plurality of operations on a storage object within a file storage system at a file level. The plurality of operations are monitored for at least a threshold number of file modification operations within the file storage system. In response to monitoring the at least a threshold number of file modification operations within the file storage system, file modification information associated with the at least a threshold number of file modification operations is provided to a block level of the file storage system. A potential ransomware attack on the file storage system is identified, at the block level, based upon, at least in part, the file modification information provided from the file level.

Abstract: Techniques for providing host applications the ability to dynamically manage application-specific functionality of storage applications. The techniques include providing, on a storage system, a storage application such as a data object processing pipeline including a series of pipeline elements (PEs), and receiving, at the storage system from a host computer, a command containing parameters for configuring an application of a specified PE from among the series of PEs.

Abstract: Techniques for supporting a native pipeline element abstract for use in processing and storing data objects in a storage environment. The techniques include providing a data object processing pipeline for execution on a storage system, ingesting, by the data object processing pipeline, data objects collected by a plurality of computerized devices coupled to the storage system, performing queuing and processing of the data objects at a series of processing elements of the data object processing pipeline, and providing the processed data objects from the storage system to a host computer for subsequent use or analysis. In this way, the number of storage requests needed to be handled by the storage system can be reduced. Moreover, because the data object processing pipeline can be implemented and executed on the storage system, the processing and storage of data objects in the storage environment can be performed more efficiently and optimized more easily.

Abstract: Techniques for rebuilding space accounting counters in mapping layers of storage appliances. The techniques include uniquely associating top levels of a mapping layer of a storage appliance with respective storage objects. The techniques further include determining amounts of logical storage space consumed by the respective storage objects from mappings of LBAs of the respective storage objects to virtual blocks of a virtual layer of the storage appliance. The techniques further include determining amounts of physical storage space consumed by the respective storage objects from logged information pertaining to each leaf pointer of a leaf level of the mapping layer that points to a virtual block in the virtual layer, each virtual block being mapped to a physical block in a physical layer of the storage appliance. The techniques further include using multi-threading to determine amounts of logical storage space consumed by dynamically adjustable ranges of the respective storage objects.

Abstract: One or more aspects of the present disclosure relate to enhancing modular device snapshot-to-encryption-key associations. In embodiments, an input/output (IO) workload can be received at a storage array. The IO workload can include an IO request to write encrypted data on the storage array. The IO request's metadata can also be parsed for information such as snap parameters. Further, an encryption key identifier (ID) can be received from a host, and snapshots of a storage unit can be created with the parsed information and the key ID.