Abstract: Various embodiments for an Input/Output (I/O) path selection based on workload types are provided. A port workload controller is adapted to control the workload types of ports for accessing a storage device. A storage access command is received by the port workload controller from an application being executed on a virtual server on a physical server. The workload types related to the storage access command are determined. Storage access paths between the application and the storage device having the same workload types as the determined workload types related to the storage access command are determined. Storage access paths mapping data that is controlled by the port workload controller is used. A selected storage access path is selected out of the determined storage access paths having the least utilization. The storage device is accessed via the selected one of the plurality of storage access paths.

Abstract: A method of de-duplicating duplicate data in a data storage system that includes identifying a plurality of portions of data, comparing each portion of the data to identify duplicate data and identifying a link associated with each duplicate data, determining whether a Hamming link-separation-distance between the identified link and all other existing links is greater than twice the Hamming radius of an error correction code in the data storage system, and then replacing the duplicate data with the identified link.

Abstract: A method for deduplicating and managing data blocks within a file system includes adding a deduplication identifier to each pointer pointing to a data block to indicate whether the data block is deduplicated, detecting duplicate data blocks, determining whether one of the duplicate data blocks has been deduplicated, when detected, determining that one duplicate data block is a master copy when it is determined that one duplicate data block has been deduplicated, selecting one of the duplicate data blocks to be a master copy when it is determined that the duplicate data blocks have not been deduplicated, and setting the deduplication identifier of the selected duplicate data block to indicate deduplication, and determining that the other duplicate data block is a new duplicate data block and setting the deduplication identifier of the other duplicate data block to indicate deduplication and directing the respective pointer to the master copy.

Abstract: A method and system for client backup data management and storage using virtual tape libraries (VTLs). A VTL controller executing a software method receives metadata that distinguishes among a plurality of different versions of backup data. The VTL controller determines a latest version of the backup data. The VTL controller determines a migration set of zero or more versions of the backup data. The latest version and any version included in the migration set are included in the plurality of different versions. The VTL controller determines that a storage of the latest version in a first storage medium (e.g., magnetic disk) of the VTL is complete. The VTL controller migrates the migration set to a second storage medium (e.g., magnetic tape) of the VTL if the migration set includes at least one version of the backup data.

Abstract: A mirrored storage system for applications is provided, which enables and supports the variation and dynamic adaptation of the Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) based on policies. Furthermore, methods are provided for running such a mirrored storage system. Said mirrored storage system comprises a first storage system and at least one further storage system, wherein said first and said further storage system are connected via at least one mirror link. An application accesses said mirrored storage system via a network. Therewith, the data to be stored as response to a write command of said application can be mirrored according to a configurable time-varying RPO requirement of the application transmitting the corresponding write command.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for reducing the collective power consumption of a plurality of storage devices including a plurality of associated storage volumes is provided. The storage volumes are grouped by a last access time according to a plurality of ranks. The plurality of ranks corresponds to a level of power consumption based on device activity. A volume of the plurality of storage volumes is moved between the plurality of ranks according to an access pattern of the volume.

Abstract: Various embodiments for differentiating between data and stubs pointing to a parent copy of deduplicated data are provided. Undeduplicated data is stored with a first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) seed. A stub pointing to the parent copy of the deduplicated data is stored with a second CRC seed. Subsequent to reading the deduplicated data, the first CRC seed is associated with the undeduplicated data, and the second CRC seed is associated with the stub. A CRC check is performed using one of the first and second CRC seeds. If the CRC check is positive, an I/O operation is allowed to proceed. If the CRC check is negative, an additional CRC check is performed using another one of the first and second CRC seeds.

Abstract: A method and infrastructure are provided for monitoring and analyzing the storage media quality and the drive hardware performance of a media library. The media library comprises a plurality of removable storage media, a plurality of drive units for said storage media and means for moving said storage media to and from appropriate drive units. The media library is managed by a management system being connected to said media library. At least one reference medium of a known and proven quality to compare the performance of at least one of said storage media in a given drive unit with the performance of said reference medium in said given drive unit and/or to test the performance of at least one given drive unit of said media library when acting on said reference medium.

Abstract: A method to access a data in a RAID array comprising a plurality of data storage media, wherein information is written to said plurality of data storage media using a RAID configuration, wherein the method receives from a requester a command comprising a data access priority indicator. If a RAID rebuild is in progress, the method determines if the data access priority indicator is set. If the data access priority indicator is set, the method executes a command selected from the group consisting of writing information to the target logical block array range, and returning to the requestor information read from the target logical block array range.

Abstract: A method, computer management apparatus, and computer program product are provided for processing data stored on a sequential storage media within a computational computing environment. A block reference table and most often read blocks are loaded from a modified tape format of a sequential storage media into an internal memory of a sequential storage media device. During write command processing, a data deduplication procedure is performed using a modified block reference table. It is determined if entries from the block reference table must be deleted and responsive to this identifying and deleting host block and device block entries from the block reference table.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to store data are disclosed. The method provides a data storage system comprising a fossilized data management apparatus interconnected with one or more data storage devices. The method provides to the fossilized data management apparatus information and meta data associated with that information, wherein the meta data comprises a format field, a context field, a retention field, a data management field, and a storage management field. The fossilized data management apparatus instructs the one or more data storage devices to write the information to the one or more data storage devices based upon the meta data format field.

Abstract: A method to sequentially deduplicate data, wherein the method receives a plurality of computer files, wherein each of the plurality of computer files comprises a label comprising a file name, a file type, a version number, and file size, and stores that plurality of computer files in a deduplication queue. The method then identifies a subset of the plurality of computer files, wherein each file of the subset comprises the same file name but a different version number, and wherein the subset comprises a maximum count of version numbers, and wherein the subset comprises a portion of the plurality of computer files. The method deduplicates the subset using a hash algorithm, and removes the subset from said deduplication queue. During the deduplicating, the method receives new computer files comprising the same file name, stores those new computer files to the deduplication queue, but does not add those new computer files to the subset.

Abstract: A method and system for automatically sharing a tape drive in a heterogeneous computing environment that includes a first computer and second computer. The first computer receives a message that includes a shared tape drive identifier, a source port identifier of the second computer, and a reservation status change for the tape drive. Based on the tape drive identifier, the first computer determines that the tape drive is connected to the first computer. The source port identifier is determined to not identify any host bus adapter installed in the first computer. In response to the first computer determining that the reservation status change indicates a reservation or a release of the tape drive for the second computer, the first computer sets the tape drive offline or online, respectively, in an application executing in the first computer.

Abstract: A method to sequentially deduplicate data, wherein the method receives a plurality of computer files, wherein each of the plurality of computer files comprises a label comprising a file name, a file type, a version number, and file size, and stores that plurality of computer files in a deduplication queue. The method then identifies a subset of the plurality of computer files, wherein each file of the subset comprises the same file name but a different version number, and wherein the subset comprises a maximum count of version numbers, and wherein the subset comprises a portion of the plurality of computer files. The method deduplicates the subset using a hash algorithm, and removes the subset from said deduplication queue.

Abstract: A method of de-duplicating duplicate data in a data storage system that includes identifying a plurality of portions of data, comparing each portion of the data to identify duplicate data and identifying a link associated with each duplicate data, determining whether a Hamming link-separation-distance between the identified link and all other existing links is greater than twice the Hamming radius of an error correction code in the data storage system, and then replacing the duplicate data with the identified link.

Abstract: A load balancing method and system for identifying an input/output (I/O) network path from a set off I/O network paths is provided by the invention. The set off I/O network paths connect a host system via a network to a storage subsystem. The host system comprises at least one host bus adapter (HBA) and the storage subsystem comprises at least one I/O device and the network comprises at least one network device. Each of the HBA, the I/O device and the network device comprise at least one I/O port. For each I/O port of each HBA, an HBA port limit is determined. Additionally the set of I/O network paths which connect the I/O port of each of the HBA via the I/O ports of the network device to the I/O port of the I/O device is identified. Then a fabric utilization limit is determined for each I/O network path and a HBA port utilization is determined for each I/O port of the at least one HBA. All network paths are discarded for which the HBA port utilization is greater than the HBA port limit.

Abstract: A method for deduplicating and managing data blocks within a file system includes adding a deduplication identifier to each pointer pointing to a data block to indicate whether the data block is deduplicated, detecting duplicate data blocks, determining whether one of the duplicate data blocks has been deduplicated, when detected, determining that one duplicate data block is a master copy when it is determined that one duplicate data block has been deduplicated, selecting one of the duplicate data blocks to be a master copy when it is determined that the duplicate data blocks have not been deduplicated, and setting the deduplication identifier of the selected duplicate data block to indicate deduplication, and determining that the other duplicate data block is a new duplicate data block and setting the deduplication identifier of the other duplicate data block to indicate deduplication and directing the respective pointer to the master copy.

Abstract: The present invention can include an automated method that optimizes the selection of a node in a distributed file system (DFS) to fulfill a client request. Such a method can begin when a client request is received by a master node of a distributed file system (DFS). The DFS can include a multitude of DFS nodes capable of accessing various resources. Two or more DFS nodes can be preselected to fulfill the client request. Each preselected DFS node can then participate in a voting process to dynamically determine the response DFS node that can optimally respond to the client request. The client request can be fulfilled by response DFS node, utilizing the DFS node best capable of servicing the client request.

Abstract: A method and system for client backup data management and storage using virtual tape libraries (VTLs). A VTL controller executing a software method receives metadata that distinguishes among a plurality of different versions of backup data. The VTL controller determines a latest version of the backup data. The VTL controller determines a migration set of zero or more versions of the backup data. The latest version and any version included in the migration set are included in the plurality of different versions. The VTL controller determines that a storage of the latest version in a first storage medium (e.g., magnetic disk) of the VTL is complete. The VTL controller migrates the migration set to a second storage medium (e.g., magnetic tape) of the VTL if the migration set includes at least one version of the backup data.

Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for reducing the collective power consumption of a plurality of storage devices including a plurality of associated storage volumes is provided. The storage volumes are grouped by a last access time according to a plurality of ranks. The plurality of ranks corresponds to a level of power consumption based on device activity. A volume of the plurality of storage volumes is moved between the plurality of ranks according to an access pattern of the volume.