Abstract: A wire clearance apparatus is provided. The wire clearance apparatus includes a body. The body includes a clamp operable to releasably attach the body to a flange or rim of a panel housing. A pivoting member extends laterally from the body. The pivoting member includes a pivoting arm including a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end of the pivoting arm is connected to the body. The pivoting arm is operable to pivot about a longitudinal axis of the body. The distal end of the pivoting arm includes a hook.

Abstract: A wire clearance apparatus is provided. The wire clearance apparatus includes a body. The body includes a clamp operable to releasably attach the body to a flange or rim of a panel housing. A pivoting member extends laterally from the body. The pivoting member includes a pivoting arm including a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end of the pivoting arm is connected to the body. The pivoting arm is operable to pivot about a longitudinal axis of the body. The distal end of the pivoting arm includes a hook.

Abstract: A distribution board shield. The distribution board shield includes a drape formed of an elongated non-conductive material having a top end, a bottom end, a rear surface and a front surface. A connector is used to attach the drape within a distribution panel box so that the drape covers exposed bar buses, breaker busses and wires within the working area.

Abstract: A distribution board shield. The distribution board shield includes a drape formed of an elongated non-conductive material having a top end, a bottom end, a rear surface and a front surface. A connector is used to attach the drape within a distribution panel box so that the drape covers exposed bar buses, breaker busses and wires within the working area.

Abstract: A wire clearance apparatus is provided. The wire clearance apparatus includes a body. The body includes a clamp operable to releasably attach the body to a flange or rim of a panel housing. A pivoting member extends laterally from the body. The pivoting member includes a pivoting arm including a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end of the pivoting arm is connected to the body. The pivoting arm is operable to pivot about a longitudinal axis of the body. The distal end of the pivoting arm includes a hook.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for copying storage. Data sent from a first storage unit is synchronously copied at a second storage unit. The copied data is sent asynchronously from the second storage unit to a third storage unit.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for remote copying of updates to primary and secondary storage locations subject to a copy relationship. A first copy relationship is established between first and second storage locations in a first storage system and second storage system, respectively, wherein updates to the first storage locations are copied to the second storage locations. A second copy relationship is established between the first storage locations in the first copy relationship and third storage locations in a third storage system, wherein updates to the first storage locations are indicated in a first bitmap. A suspended third copy relationship is established between the second storage locations in the first copy relationship and the third storage locations, wherein updates to the second storage locations are indicated in a second bitmap.

Abstract: Resynchronization of data between a primary (production) data site and a secondary (recovery) site following a failure is enhanced when the size of a data track at the production site is different from the size of a data track at the recovery site. The recovery site reads an out-of-sync (OOS) bitmap created at the production site and expands or contracts the bitmap to accommodate the size difference. The resulting production site bitmap is merged with a OOS bitmap maintained at the recovery site to indicate those tracks which are to be transferred from the recovery site to the production site. Thus, only those tracks which are required to be transferred are transferred. Buffer space may be allocated in which to expand or contract the production site OOS bitmap. Buffer space may be conserved by sequentially reading portions of the production site OOS bitmap into a small buffer.

Abstract: A method for initiating a data storage facility recovery process in a data processing system having a first peer data storage facility and a second peer data storage facility communicating with the first peer data storage facility by a communication link. The method of initiating a recovery process is invoked by one peer data storage facility upon another peer data storage facility operating under a peer to peer remote copy (PPRC) protocol. Data copied from a first peer data storage facility to a second peer data storage facility is monitored for errors. Upon detection of an error by one peer data storage facility, recovery and data collection operations are initiated on the other peer data storage facility. Preferably, the initiation of recovery and data collection operations occurs out of band, over a second communication link between the peer data storage facilities.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for copying storage. Copy operations are performed on source storage units to copy to target storage units, wherein the copy operations create a consistent copy of the source storage units in the target storage units. While performing a copy operation to copy from one source storage unit to one target storage unit, a write operation is restricted from being performed on the one source storage unit, until the copy operations have been performed on the source storage units.

Abstract: A method is disclosed to write data to an information storage and retrieval system comprising (n) volumes and a data cache, where that information storage and retrieval system is capable of communicating with one or more host computers. The method receives from a host computer an update for the (i)th volume, and determines the (i)th delay, where that (i)th delay is associated with the (i)th volume. The method then writes the update to said data cache interposing the (i)th delay without indicating to said host computer that the information storage and retrieval system is unavailable.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for replicating point-in-time copies of local data to a remote site. The present invention mirrors point-in-time copy directives on the local data store to initiate a point-in-time copy operation on the remote copy of the local data, thereby efficiently providing remote access to a point-in-time copy of a dataset. Data integrity is ensured by committing local and remote point-in-time copy operations subsequent to successful initiation of both local and remote point-in-time copy operations. The present invention also, in one embodiment, rolls back a point-in-time copy operation in response to a failure to replicate the copy operation.

Abstract: Methods, systems, computer program products and methods for deploying computing infrastructure for clearing metadata in a storage subsystem. The method includes identifying one or more metadata tracks to clear, receiving a request from a client to clear the identified tracks, quiescing any active processes, clearing the identified tracks and resuming the quiesced processes. The request may be a single request operable to clear all metadata tracks. Alternatively, target volumes having metadata tracks to be cleared are identified and a request is received from a client for each target volume. A dynamic function list may also be created for each target volume, the list including list of functions in which the target volume is associated. After active processes are quiesced, each function in the dynamic function list of each target volume is invoked whereby the metadata tracks are cleared. The quiesced processes are then resumed.

Abstract: A method of transmitting information from a primary storage control unit to a secondary storage control unit in an asynchronous data copying system. The method includes building multiple descriptor blocks for transmission from the primary storage control unit, and encrypting multiple payloads according to one of n encryption methods. In addition, the n encryption methods are associated with the primary storage control unit and n decryption keys relating to the n encryption methods are associated with the secondary storage control unit. An index to the n encryption keys is associated with the multiple descriptor blocks. The method further includes encrypting each of the payloads according to one of the n encryption methods and indicating, in the index associated with a selected descriptor block, which decryption key relates to the encryption method used for any payload associated with a select descriptor block.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for performing a copy operation. An instant virtual copy operation is issued from a first portion of data to a primary mirroring portion of data, wherein the primary mirroring portion of data corresponds to a secondary mirroring portion of data, and wherein the primary mirroring portion of data and the secondary mirroring portion of data are in a mirroring relationship. The mirroring relationship is transitioned to a duplex pending state in response to determining that the mirroring relationship is in a full duplex state. When the mirroring relationship is in a duplex pending state, each block of data involved in the instant virtual copy operation is transferred from the primary mirroring portion of data to the secondary mirroring portion of data.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for copying data. A request is received at a first storage control unit having a first set of volumes, wherein the first storage unit is coupled via a link to a second storage control unit having a second set of volumes that are peer-to-peer copies of the first set of volumes, and wherein the request is for generating a copy of the first and second set of volumes in a third set of volumes in the second storage control unit. A command is transmitted via the link, from the first storage control unit to the second storage control unit, wherein the transmitted command is capable of causing the second storage control unit to generate the copy of the first and second set of volumes in the third set of volumes in the second storage control unit.

Abstract: Methods, system and computer program product are provided to improve the efficiency of data transfers in a PPRC environment. A block of data to be transferred is divided into tracks. Each track is allocated to a data mover task control block (TCB) with a master TCB being assigned to supervise the data mover TCBs. The tracks are then transferred from the primary storage controller to the secondary controller in a piped fashion over a link coupling the primary and secondary storage controllers. However, the usage of resources is monitored by a resource management algorithm and, if too many TCBs are being used for a transfer or if the supply of data mover TCBs is exhausted, the transfer is automatically switched to a serial, non-piped transfer with the master TCB serving as the data mover TCB for the remaining tracks. In addition, the various links coupling the primary and secondary storage controllers is monitored to determine which link will provide the fastest transfer.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for forming a consistency group of data. A command is received to form a consistency group with respect to data received at a first storage site that is mirrored to a second storage site. A first data structure is provided indicating updates to the first storage site not included in the consistency group that are received after the command and a second data structure is provided indicating updates to the first storage site in the consistency group to be formed. A command is transmitted to cause data copied to the second storage site that is part of the consistency group to be copied to a third storage site. Indication is received when the data in the second storage site that is part of the consistency group is copied to the third storage site.

Abstract: A method to coordinate interconnected information storage and retrieval systems, where each of the information and storage systems is capable of communicating with one or more host computers. The method provides a plurality of controllers and one or more information storage and retrieval systems, where each of the plurality of controllers is disposed in one of the one or more information storage and retrieval systems. The method designates one of the plurality of controllers as a master controller and the remaining controllers as target controllers. The method then generates one or more master controller commands by the master controller, and provides those one or more master controller commands to each of said target controllers, where the one or more master controller commands cause said target controllers to adjust the flow of data into and out of the one or more information storage and retrieval systems.

Abstract: Disclosed is a technique for maintaining consistency of data. One or more blocks of data identified by a first structure are copied to form a consistent set of data. While not acknowledging completion of write requests to any blocks of data, a second structure is created, wherein the second structure indicates which blocks of data are modified while the consistent set of data is being formed. Also disclosed is a technique for asynchronous copy. Indicators are updated in a first structure for one or more blocks of data, wherein each indicator in the first structure indicates whether a corresponding block of data was modified since the block of data was last sent to remote storage.