Abstract: A technique is directed to handling a storage device error within storage equipment that includes a client and a driver. The technique involves providing an IO status communication from the driver to the client. The IO status communication indicates status of an IO operation performed by a storage device coupled with the driver. The technique further involves, in response to the IO status communication indicating that an error occurred while the storage device performed the IO operation, providing a query communication from the client to the driver. The query communication requests sense data corresponding to the IO operation. The technique further involves, in response to the query communication, providing the sense data corresponding to the IO operation from the driver to the client.

Abstract: A technique involves, in response to encountering a predefined number of consecutive I/O errors using a drive path to a storage drive, transitioning the drive path from online to quarantined to temporarily deny further I/O operations from being processed using the drive path. The technique further involves starting a quarantine timer that defines a quarantine time period. The technique further involves performing an update operation that updates the drive path. The update operation (i) changes the drive path from quarantined to removed to continue denying further I/O operations from being processed using the drive path when a removal notification is received before the quarantine time period expires, and (ii) changes the drive path from quarantined to back to online to allow further I/O operations to be processed using the drive path when a removal notification is not received before the quarantine time period expires.

Abstract: A technique involves, in response to encountering a predefined number of consecutive I/O errors using a drive path to a storage drive, transitioning the drive path from online to quarantined to temporarily deny further I/O operations from being processed using the drive path. The technique further involves starting a quarantine timer that defines a quarantine time period. The technique further involves performing an update operation that updates the drive path. The update operation (i) changes the drive path from quarantined to removed to continue denying further I/O operations from being processed using the drive path when a removal notification is received before the quarantine time period expires, and (ii) changes the drive path from quarantined to back to online to allow further I/O operations to be processed using the drive path when a removal notification is not received before the quarantine time period expires.

Abstract: There are disclosed herein techniques for use in acquiring data storage metrics. The techniques comprise monitoring an I/O operation relating to data storage. The techniques also comprise producing a metric value in connection with the I/O operation. The techniques also comprise determining a current metric value associated with a memory location in an operating system kernel. The techniques also comprise performing a computation to generate a new metric value. The computation is based on the metric value and the current metric value. The techniques further comprise storing the new metric value in the memory location in the operating system kernel.

Abstract: A method is used in managing data in a data storage system. A first set of flash drives in arranged into a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) group and a wear indicator for each of the flash drives in the first set of flash drives is determined. A second set of flash drives are configured, where the second set of flash drives are configured as spare flash drives and a wear metric is determined for each of the flash drives in the second set of flash drives. A first flash drive in the first set of flash drives that is to be replaced is identified. A spare flash drive from the second set of flash drives is selected, where the spare flash drive is selected based on a wear metric. A rebuild process is initiated where the first flash drive is replaced with the selected spare flash drive.

Abstract: Technique provides resiliency to RAID group including storage devices. Technique involves operating RAID group in normal state in which each storage device is initially online to perform write and read operations and configured to go offline in response to a media error count for that storage device reaching an end-of-life threshold and other storage devices in RAID group being healthy. Technique involves receiving a notification that a storage device of RAID group has encountered an error situation. Technique involves determining whether other storage devices of RAID group are healthy. Technique involves transitioning, in response to receiving notification and determining that other storage devices are healthy, RAID group from normal state to high resiliency degraded state in which the storage device is taken offline and the other storage devices are configured to remain online for facilitating the reconstruction of data associated with the storage device.

Abstract: A method is used in managing drive problems in data storage systems. It is determined, by a physical drive object, whether an I/O with a drive is able to be retried by another object. An overall retry time for the I/O is tracked. If the overall retry time is excessive, the drive is taken offline.