Abstract: A first data set is obtained specifying configuration information associated with elements of a computing system. A second data set is also obtained specifying dependency information associated with the elements of the computing system. A third data set is also obtained specifying deployment constraint information associated with the elements of the computing system. A plan for migrating one or more of the elements of the computing system is automatically generated based on at least a portion of the first data set, at least a portion of the second data set, and at least a portion of the third data set. The automatic generation of the migration plan checks for one or more conflicts between configuration information, dependency information and deployment constraint information and generates the migration plan to at least substantially eliminate the one or more conflicts.

Abstract: Example embodiments provide various techniques for modeling network storage environments. To model a particular storage environment, component models that are associated with the components of the storage environment are loaded. Each component model is programmed to mathematically simulate one or more components of the storage environment. A system model is then composed from the component models and this system model is configured to simulate the storage environment.

Abstract: An improved technique involves generating a predictive model for data storage system configuration management. A customer support center generates such a predictive model from detailed customer configuration and transaction history. For example, a population of customers submits transaction logs to the customer support center; such transaction logs provide details as to how the customers responded to various events. The population of customers may also submit data including various statistics such as load intensity, workload characteristics, data access patterns, data change patterns, and data fingerprints to the customer support center. The customer support center then performs an analysis on the data and, from the analysis, computes values of model parameters that define a predictive model. This predictive model is configured to take in a particular state of any data storage system and produce a configuration that optimizes performance of that data storage system.

Abstract: Example embodiments provide various techniques for modeling network storage environments. To model a particular storage environment, component models that are associated with the components of the storage environment are loaded. Each component model is programmed to mathematically simulate one or more components of the storage environment. A system model is then composed from the component models and this system model is configured to simulate the storage environment.

Abstract: An improved technique involves consulting a predictive model to optimize a configuration of a data storage system. A customer at a data storage system requests a configuration optimization from a customer support center by sending values of input parameters to the customer support center. Such input parameters represent a current state of the data storage system, e.g., initial configuration. The customer support center then receives configuration parameters in response to inputting the input parameters into a predictive model running on a host computer. The customer uses the configuration parameters to define the configuration state in which the data storage system runs.

Abstract: A network storage server system includes a distributed object store, a presentation layer, a metadata subsystem, and a content management subsystem. The object store has no namespace and provides location-independent addressing of data objects. The presentation layer provides multiple interfaces for accessing data stored in the object store, including a NAS interface and a Web Service interface, and provides at least one namespace for accessing data via the NAS interface or the Web Service interface. The Web Service interface allows access to stored data via the namespace or without using the namespace (“raw object” access). The metadata subsystem stores user-specified and/or system-generated metadata relating to data objects and allows data objects to be identified and retrieved by searching on the metadata.

Abstract: Provided are techniques for workload balancing. A message is received on a channel. A thread in a thread pool is selected to process the message. In response to determining that the message has been processed and a response has been sent on the channel by the thread, it is determined whether a total number of threads in the thread pool is greater than a low water mark plus one and whether the channel has more than a maximum number of threads blocked on a receive, wherein the low water mark represents a minimum number of threads in the thread pool. In response to determining that a number of threads in the thread pool is greater than the low water mark plus one and that the channel has more than the maximum number of threads blocked on a receive, the thread is terminated.

Abstract: Example embodiments provide various techniques for modeling a storage environment at various times. A computer model can be composed to simulate a storage environment at various time periods. In an example, the computer model may simulate the storage environment in the past. As the storage environment is running, it continuously stores its existing state. This existing state can be accessed and a simulated workload may be applied to this previous state to identify an impact of the simulated workload on the existing state. A computer model may also simulate the storage environment in the future. Here, the future state of the storage environment may be projected from the existing state. Various extrapolation techniques may be used to project the future state of the storage environment.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture that maintain a plurality of nodes coupled over a network, wherein a first node of the plurality of nodes initially owns a plurality of storage objects accessible via the network. A serialization lock is maintained in association with the plurality of storage objects, wherein the first node becomes unavailable. A second node of the plurality of nodes determines that the second node is to preemptively assume ownership of a selected storage object of the plurality of storage objects initially owned by the first node that has become unavailable. The second node acquires the serialization lock. The second node secures ownership of the selected storage object, subsequent to acquiring the serialization lock.

Abstract: Example embodiments provide various techniques for modeling network storage environments. To model a particular storage environment, component models that are associated with the components of the storage environment are loaded. Each component model is programmed to mathematically simulate one or more components of the storage environment. A system model is then composed from the component models and this system model is configured to simulate the storage environment.

Abstract: Example embodiments provide various techniques for modeling a storage environment at various times. A computer model can be composed to simulate a storage environment at various time periods. In an example, the computer model may simulate the storage environment in the past. As the storage environment is running, it continuously stores its existing state. This existing state can be accessed and a simulated workload may be applied to this previous state to identify an impact of the simulated workload on the existing state. A computer model may also simulate the storage environment in the future. Here, the future state of the storage environment may be projected from the existing state. Various extrapolation techniques may be used to project the future state of the storage environment.

Abstract: Provided are techniques for workload balancing. A message is received on a channel. A thread in a thread pool is selected to process the message. In response to determining that the message has been processed and a response has been sent on the channel by the thread, it is determined whether a total number of threads in the thread pool is greater than a low water mark plus one and whether the channel has more than a maximum number of threads blocked on a receive, wherein the low water mark represents a minimum number of threads in the thread pool. In response to determining that a number of threads in the thread pool is greater than the low water mark plus one and that the channel has more than the maximum number of threads blocked on a receive, the thread is terminated.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture that maintain a plurality of nodes coupled over a network, wherein a first node of the plurality of nodes initially owns a plurality of storage objects accessible via the network. A serialization lock is maintained in association with the plurality of storage objects, wherein the first node becomes unavailable. A second node of the plurality of nodes determines that the second node is to preemptively assume ownership of a selected storage object of the plurality of storage objects initially owned by the first node that has become unavailable. The second node acquires the serialization lock. The second node secures ownership of the selected storage object, subsequent to acquiring the serialization lock.

Abstract: An intermediate content transcoder. An intermediate content transcoder can include a communicative receiver configured to receive master content while in transit from a content source to at least one content sink in a content distribution network, and a communicative transmitter configured to transmit transcoded content to one or more of the content sinks. A set of content transformations also can be provided. Furthermore, the intermediate content transcoder can include a set of conditions for selecting individual ones of the content transformations to be applied to master content received through the communicative receiver. Finally, the intermediate content transcoder can include a transcoder configured to apply the selected individual ones of the content transformations to the master content. The application of the content transformations can produce transcoded content. The communicative transmitter, in turn, can forward the produced transcoded content to one or more of the content sinks.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer implemented instructions for managing data in a network data processing system. A packet containing data associated with content is received. A determination is made as to whether the packet is enabled for content distribution by examining the data packet. Responsive to the packet being enabled for content distribution, the content is distributed in response to a request for the content without requiring a validity check. If the packet is not enabled for content distribution, a validity check is performed on the content using control information contained within the header of the data packet.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for addressing the name space mismatch between content caching systems (which use Uniform Resource Locators, or “URLs”) and content servers (which use file and path names). A file name-to-URL mapping is created for use by content caching systems, and data in protocol response messages (and optionally in protocol request messages) is augmented to transmit information for use in creating this mapping, enabling a content caching system to automatically and dynamically populate its file name-to-URL mapping. By having the file name available, the caching system can now respond to content management messages which identify the cached content by only the content's associated file name.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer implemented instructions for minimizing inconsistency between a set of data sources in a data processing system. A first signal is sent indicating that new content is present for the set of data sources. The new content is transmitted to the set of data sources in which the new content is unavailable for distribution by the set of data sources until a second signal is received by the set of data sources. The second signal is sent to the set of data sources if an acknowledgment is received from all of the sets of data sources.

Abstract: An intermediate content transcoder. An intermediate content transcoder can include a communicative receiver configured to receive master content while in transit from a content source to at least one content sink in a content distribution network, and a communicative transmitter configured to transmit transcoded content to one or more of the content sinks. A set of content transformations also can be provided. Furthermore, the intermediate content transcoder can include a set of conditions for selecting individual ones of the content transformations to be applied to master content received through the communicative receiver. Finally, the intermediate content transcoder can include a transcoder configured to apply the selected individual ones of the content transformations to the master content. The application of the content transformations can produce transcoded content. The communicative transmitter, in turn, can forward the produced transcoded content to one or more of the content sinks.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer implemented instructions for minimizing inconsistency between a set of data sources in a data processing system. A first signal is sent indicating that new content is present for the set of data sources. The new content is transmitted to the set of data sources in which the new content is unavailable for distribution by the set of data sources until a second signal is received by the set of data sources. The second signal is sent to the set of data sources if an acknowledgment is received from all of the sets of data sources.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for addressing the name space mismatch between content servers (which use Uniform Resource Locators, or “URLs”) and content caching systems (which use file and path names). A file name-to-URL mapping is created for use by content caching systems, and data in protocol response messages (and optionally in protocol request messages) is augmented to transmit information for use in creating this mapping, enabling a content caching system to automatically and dynamically populate its file name-to-URL mapping. By having the file name available, the caching system can now respond to content management messages which identify the cached content by only the content's associated file name.