Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for reassigning storage volumes from a failed processing system to a surviving processing system. A first processing system detects a failure of a second processing system. The first processing system determines device groups of storage devices managed by the failed second processing system and determines for each determined device group, hosts that connect to storage devices in the device group. The first processing system sends, for each device group, a unit check to each determined host indicating failure of each device group through one storage device in the device group to which the determined host connects. The determined hosts execute instructions to terminate any I/O operations in progress on the storage devices in the device group in response to the unit check indicating failure of one storage device in the device group and issue, a command to one storage device for the device group to end the busy condition.

Abstract: A computational device receives input information on characteristics of customer data, critical metadata, and non-critical metadata, and characteristics of disk array configurations, wherein customer data is to be stored encrypted, wherein critical metadata is to be stored non-encrypted, and wherein non-critical metadata is to be stored encrypted or non-encrypted. The computational device determines band boundary information based on the received input information. Encrypting disks with pre-established bands are created based on the band boundary information and the encrypting disks are pre-initialized.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for safeguarding nonvolatile storage (NVS) data by a processor in communication with a memory device following a power loss event is provided. A first portion of the NVS data is encrypted using a first buffer module. Subsequently the first portion of the NVS data is transferred to at least one shared storage device, while a second portion of the NVS data is simultaneously encrypted using a second buffer module. The second portion of the NVS data is subsequently transferred to the at least one shared storage device.

Abstract: Provided is a method for configuring volumes in a storage system. Information is provided on a plurality of storage device groups, wherein each storage group includes storage devices having common storage device attributes. Selection is received of at least one storage device group and an array type. An array is configured as the selected array type using storage devices included in the at least one selected storage group. Configured arrays are assigned to extent pools. A plurality of extents are configured in the extent pools, wherein each extent in one extent pool comprises a portion of one array assigned to the extent pool. A volume is configured to include at least one extent from one extent pool.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for managing volumes in volume groups configured in a storage system. A first set of volumes is assigned to a first volume group and a first host is assigned to the first volume group. A second set of volumes is assigned to a second volume group and a second host is assigned to the second volume group. The first host may only access volumes in the first volume group and the second host may only access volumes in the second volume group, wherein one volume is assigned to both the first and second volume groups to be accessible to both the first and second hosts.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for assigning alias addresses to base addresses. An assignment is provided of base addresses to the devices. The base addresses are used to access the devices assigned to the base addresses. An assignment is provided of a plurality of alias addresses to an alias address pool. The alias addresses in the alias address pool are capable of being dynamically assigned to the devices to service I/O requests to the devices. An Input/Output (I/O) request to access one target device comprising one of the devices is processed. A determination is made as to whether the base address assigned to the target device is available. One alias address is assigned to the target device in response to determining that the base address is not available. The I/O request is issued to the assigned alias address to transmit the request to the target device.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program maintaining and using nexus information on a host, port and device connection. A login is received from a host port on a storage controller port, wherein the host port has been configured on the storage controller to access one or more devices. An entry is added to a host-storage controller ports data structure for the host port and storage controller port involved in the login. At least one pointer is initialized in the entry in the host-storage controller ports data structure to point to at least one entry in at least one intermediate data structure. One pointer is initialized in each entry in one intermediate data structure addressed by one initialized pointer in the host-storage controller ports data structure to point to a nexi data structure having a plurality of entries.

Abstract: Provided are techniques for spare device management. Candidate devices are sorted into spare coverage groups by type. One or more candidate devices having closest fitting characteristics of a desired type are identified from the spare coverage groups. The identified one or more candidate devices are assigned to be spare devices for the spare coverage group. It is determined whether a desired number of spare devices have been assigned to the spare coverage group. In response to determining that the desired number of spare devices have not been assigned, a spare device having the closest fitting characteristics for every predetermined number of candidate devices having the closest fitting characteristics is assigned, until the desired number of spare devices having the closest fitting characteristics are assigned.

Abstract: A plurality of processing nodes in a storage system are partitioned into a plurality of logical processing units, wherein the plurality of logical processing units can respond to I/O requests from a host coupled to the storage system. At least two logical processing units are grouped, wherein data in a first storage coupled to a first logical processing unit of the least two logical processing units is mirrored by data in a second storage coupled to the second logical processing unit of the at least two logical processing units. In response to a failure of the first logical processing unit, an I/O request from the host is responded to via the second logical processing unit.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for presenting a storage volume as a virtual volume. An attribute module determines a primary volume physical attribute of a primary volume. A presentation module presents the primary volume physical attribute to a host as a target volume virtual attribute of a target volume. A translation module translates communications between a host and the target volume. In one embodiment, a copy module creates a point-in-time copy of the primary volume on the target volume.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for initiating and using information used for a host, control unit, and logical device connections receiving a request to create a host port to control unit port connection. In a volume group data structure, a volume group entry is defined having a plurality of pointers for the host port and control unit port pair. At least one device address is added to the volume group that is accessible to the host port and control unit port connection by initializing at least one pointer in the volume group entry to address at least one device data structure. For each of the at least one device addresses, indication is made in the at least one device data structure addressed by the at least one pointer in the volume group entry that the device address is accessible to the host port and control unit port connection.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for detecting data integrity. An indicator is written to invalidate a data block that is capable of being stored in a plurality of sectors of a storage device, wherein the indicator is written to the storage device in at least one sector that is not included in the plurality of sectors. A writing of entire contents of the data block to the plurality of sectors of the storage device is initiated, in response to the writing of the indicator. The indicator is updated to validate the data block, in response to a completion of the writing of the entire contents of the data block to the plurality of sectors of the storage device.

Abstract: Provided are a system and article of manufacture for providing an address format compatible with different addressing formats used for addressing different sized address spaces. An address format is used in an operating system to address storage space in a storage device comprising a first region and a second region of storage space. A first group of applications uses the address format to only address the storage space in the first region and is not coded to use the address format to access the second region and a second group of applications uses the address format to address the storage space in the first and second regions.

Abstract: Provided is a method, system, and article of manufacture for providing an address format compatible with different addressing formats used for addressing different sized address spaces. An address format is used in an operating system to address storage space in a storage device comprising a first region and a second region of storage space. A first group of applications uses the address format to only address the storage space in the first region and is not coded to use the address format to access the second region and a second group of applications uses the address format to address the storage space in the first and second regions.

Abstract: A plurality of storage devices of a plurality of types is provided. A plurality of criteria is associated for each of the plurality of storage devices, based on characteristics of the plurality of storage devices, wherein the plurality of criteria can be used to determine whether a selected storage device is a compatibility spare for a storage device in a storage device array, and whether the selected storage device is an availability spare for the storage device in the storage device array. A determination is made by a spare management application, based on at least the plurality of criteria and at least one optimality condition, of a first set of storage devices selected from the plurality of storage devices to be allocated to a plurality of storage device arrays, and of a second set of storage devices selected from the plurality of storage devices to be allocated as spares for the plurality of storage device arrays.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for facilitating copy protection. The apparatus includes a definition module, a request module, and a determination module, each coupled to a first storage sub-system. The definition module is configured to define a protection definition for a plurality of electronic storage devices of the first storage sub-system. The request module is configured to receive a copy request from a second storage sub-system. The determination module is configured to determine at the first storage sub-system a copy protection status of a destination device. The copy protection status may be indicated by the protection definition, which includes a protection indicator and may include one or more restriction indicators. The apparatus advantageously allows a user to protect a selected destination device against accidental or otherwise detrimental copying.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for storing and using metadata in multiple storage location. Signature data is stored in a system storage indicating a plurality of metadata copy locations, each locating identifying a storage device and a copy location within the storage device. Each location contains one copy of the metadata, wherein the metadata includes system configuration information. A copy of the signature data is stored with each copy of the metadata.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for reassigning storage volumes from a failed processing system to a surviving processing system. A first processing system detects a failure of a second processing system. The first processing system determines device groups of storage devices managed by the failed second processing system and determines for each determined device group, hosts that connect to storage devices in the device group. The first processing system sends, for each device group, a unit check to each determined host indicating failure of each device group through one storage device in the device group to which the determined host connects. The determined hosts execute instructions to terminate any I/O operations in progress on the storage devices in the device group in response to the unit check indicating failure of one storage device in the device group and issue, a command to one storage device for the device group to end the busy condition.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for copying tracks between a primary controller and secondary controller. A track is received from the primary controller that is part of a copy job comprising a sequence of tracks to copy along with a sequence number of the received track and a context number identifying computational resources in the primary controller used to transmit the track, sequence number, and context number. The context number and sequence number transmitted with the track are used to determine if a track preceding the received track was written to storage. The secondary-controller writes the received track to storage if the track preceding the received track was written to storage.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for storing and using metadata in multiple storage location. Signature data is stored in a system storage indicating a plurality of metadata copy locations, each locating identifying a storage device and a copy location within the storage device. Each location contains one copy of the metadata, wherein the metadata includes system configuration information. A copy of the signature data is stored with each copy of the metadata.