Abstract: A large population of mass-produced devices (80) such as a particular model of computer hard disk drive, are distributed around the world. Each device (80) includes an arrangement for collecting failure analysis data of the device (50). Each device (80) is arranged to transmit this data to the device manufacturers server (10) via the internet (20). The server (10) analyses the data in order to determine trends in failure performance of the population of devices in order to improve future designs and to provide updated software for distribution to the devices (80) via the internet (20).

Abstract: Apparatus for non-disruptive error recovery in a clustered system, comprises a node instance configuration activity quiescing component for quiescing configuration activity at a first virtual node instance; a node instance creation component for creating a second virtual node instance with I/O access blocked; a configuration transfer component for transferring configuration data from the first to the second virtual node instance; a commit component for committing the changeover from the first to the second virtual node instance; a node instance communications blocking component for blocking inbound communications to a first virtual node instance; a node instance communications unblocking component for unblocking I/O access at the second virtual node instance; a communication control component for monitoring outbound communications from the first virtual node instance and signalling completion of all pending outbound communications; and a node instance deletion component for deleting the first virtual node ins

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recovery from faults in a loop network (500) is provided. The loop network (500) has a plurality of ports (520, 530, 532, 534) serially connected with means for bypassing the ports (520, 530, 532, 534) from the loop network (500). A control device (522, 524) is provided with bypass control over at least one of the ports (530, 532, 534). A host means (502) sends a command to the control device (522, 524) at regular intervals and the control device (522, 524) has a counter which restarts a time period at the receipt of each command. If the time period expires, the control device (522, 524) activates the means for bypassing all the ports (530, 532, 534) under its control. The loop network (500) may have two loops (516, 518) with at least some of the ports (520, 530, 532, 534) common to both loops (516, 518).

Abstract: A method for managing operations in a data storage system comprising at least a first storage controller operating according to a plurality of operation states set by a managing entity is provided. The method comprises the first storage controller performing a first operation associated with a first operation state, in response to the managing entity updating state information stored in a data structure readable by the first storage controller.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for splitting writes between a storage controller and replication engine. A splitter executing in a storage controller manages access to primary volumes. An initialization command is received to communicate with a replication engine. A replication command is received for one primary volume and the primary volume is indicated as subject to replication. A write request is received to write data to a target primary volume of the primary volumes that is indicated as subject to the replication. The data in the write request is written to the target primary volume. The data in the write request is sent to the replication engine. The replication engine executes a copy services function associated with the target primary volume to write the data to a replication engine volume.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for a replication engine communicating with a splitter to split writes between a storage controller and replication engine. Communication is initiated with the splitter implemented in a storage controller managing access to primary volumes. A command is sent to the splitter to copy writes to one primary volume to the replication engine. Write data is received from the splitter to one of the primary volumes following the splitter receiving the command to copy the writes to the replication engine. A determination is made of a copy services function to use for the received data. The determined copy services function is invoked to transfer the received data to a secondary storage volume.

Abstract: An arrangement and method for update of configuration cache data in a disk storage subsystem in which a cache memory (110) is updated using two-phase (220, 250) commit technique. This provides the advantage that known changes to the subsystem do not require an invalidate/rebuild style operation on the cache. This is especially important where a change will invalidate the entire cache.

Abstract: An arrangement and method for update of configuration cache data in a disk storage subsystem in which a cache memory (110) is updated using two-phase (220, 250) commit technique. This provides the advantage that known changes to the subsystem do not require an invalidate/rebuild style operation on the cache. This is especially important where a change will invalidate the entire cache.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for controlling access to logical units, a logical unit being an addressable entity that accept commands. A plurality of logical units are accessible by one or more ports, a port being an addressable entity that sends commands. A communication means which may be a storage area network (SAN) (102, 202) provides access to the plurality of logical units by the one or more ports. One or more ports that require access to the same logical units are grouped in a named set (301, 302, 303) in a first location. The named set (301, 302, 303) is associated (300) in a subsequent location with selected logical units (304) thereby controlling the access to the logical units. Identification information for the ports in a named set is extracted at the subsequent location by referencing the named set. The sets can be physically defined, for example, by switch zoning, or logically defined by logically grouping port names.

Abstract: A copy engine (104) is provided as an interface between firmware (108) and memory space (106) for carrying out copy operations. The copy engine has a first register (202, 203) to point to a first address and a second register (204, 205) to point to a second address. One of the first and second addresses is a source address and one is a destination address for data to be copied. The copy engine (104) also has a control register (201). The control register (201) includes a count of the amount of memory space required by a copy operation, an indication of the direction of the copy operation from the first address to the second address or from the second address to the first address, and an indication of whether the first memory address is incremented or decremented. The copy engine (104) includes a locking mechanism for locking the copy engine (104) during a copy operation. The copy engine (104) also includes a serialisation mechanism in which a write is made to the control register (201) of zero count.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for improving performance of a loop network, in particular a Fiber Channel Arbitrated Loop. The loop network has two loops and a plurality of dual-ported devices each with one port on each loop. The method includes selectively bypassing redundant ports on the loops by a first command means in the form of a Fiber Channel Arbitrated Loop command to balance port accesses and to reduce the loop overhead by reducing the number of ports in each loop. In the event of a fault, bypassing the port of a device by a second command means in the form of a non Fiber Channel Arbitrated Loop command and enabling all the bypassed redundant ports with a single command to all ports using the first command means. The first command means does not enable the port bypassed by the second command means.

Abstract: A copy engine (104) is provided as an interface between firmware (108) and memory space (106) for carrying out copy operations. The copy engine has a first register (202, 203) to point to a first address and a second register (204, 205) to point to a second address. One of the first and second addresses is a source address and one is a destination address for data to be copied. The copy engine (104) also has a control register (201). The control register (201) includes a count of the amount of memory space required by a copy operation, an indication of the direction of the copy operation from the first address to the second address or from the second address to the first address, and an indication of whether the first memory address is incremented or decremented. The copy engine (104) includes a locking mechanism for locking the copy engine (104) during a copy operation. The copy engine (104) also includes a serialization mechanism in which a write is made to control register (201) of zero count.

Abstract: A large population of mass-produced devices (80) such as a particular model of computer hard disk drive, are distributed around the world. Each device (80) includes an arrangement for collecting failure analysis data of the device (50). Each device (80) is arranged to transmit this data to the device manufacturers server (10) via the internet (20). The server (10) analyses the data in order to determine trends in failure performance of the population of devices in order to improve future designs and to provide updated software for distribution to the devices (80) via the internet (20).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for relating a device name to a physical location of a device (202) on a network is provided. The network may be a serial loop network, for example a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop network. The network includes a plurality of devices (202) on or connected to the network (201) and a control device (205) with control over at least one of the devices (202). Each device (202) has a check output (204) independent of the network (201) with connection means (206) to a control device (205). The method includes the step of sending a device name from the check output (204) of a device (202) to the control device (205). The check output (204) of a device (202) is also connected to an external indication means for indicating the failure of the device (202).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for relating a device name to a physical location of a device (202) on a network is provided. The network may be a serial loop network, for example a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop network. The network includes a plurality of devices (202) on or connected to the network (201) and a control device (205) with control over at least one of the devices (202). Each device (202) has a check output (204) independent of the network (201) with connection means (206) to a control device (205). The method includes the step of sending a device name from the check output (204) of a device (202) to the control device (205). The check output (204) of a device (202) is also connected to an external indication means for indicating the failure of the device (202).

Abstract: This invention relates to an asynchronous remote copying (ARC) system adapted to operate as a remote copy pair by communicating between primary storage and remote storage of a remote copy pair. The system comprises a primary controller for receiving a write command and writing data to primary storage; a remote controller for receiving a write command and writing data to remote storage; an ARC controller for suppressing the release of the write command to the remote controller if a delay between receiving the write command and the time when the remote storage may accept the data is more than a threshold delay, and the primary controller suppresses recording the data in primary storage until release of the write command to the remote storage.

Abstract: A large population of mass-produced devices (80) such as a particular model of computer hard disk drive, are distributed around the world. Each device (80) includes an arrangement for collecting failure analysis data of the device (50). Each device (80) is arranged to transmit this data to the device manufacturers server (10) via the internet (20). The server (10) analyses the data in order to determine trends in failure performance of the population of devices in order to improve future designs and to provide updated software for distribution to the devices (80) via the internet (20).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detection of a port name in a loop network is provided, particularly a loop network in the form of a Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL). The loop network (100) has a plurality of devices (120) each device (120) having at least one port (211, 212) on the loop network (100). The method includes determining which ports (211, 212) are populated with devices (120) for which the unique port name (WWPN) is not known. The populated ports are then all bypassed and a mode is entered on the loop network (100) in which idle frames are transmitted around the loop network (100). One port is un-bypassed at a time and the port name from the un-bypassed port is received and recorded. The port name is received from the un-bypassed port in a Loop Initialisation Select Master (LISM) frame transmitted by the un-bypassed port.

Abstract: A method of storing data in a memory device is disclosed. The method comprises dividing data to be stored in a memory device into one or more data segments; storing the one or more data segments in the memory device; for a particular data segment among the one or more data segments, creating an error detection code; storing the error detection code in the memory device; for the particular data segment, determining an error correction segment that is a logical combination of the particular data segment with a second data segment, wherein the error correction can be used to reconstruct the particular data segment; and storing the error correction segment in the memory device.

Abstract: An arrangement and method for update of configuration cache data in a disk storage subsystem in which a cache memory (110) is updated using two-phase (220, 250) commit technique. This provides the advantage that known changes to the subsystem do not require an invalidate/rebuild style operation on the cache. This is especially important where a change will invalidate the entire cache.