Abstract: A method of, and a system for, controlling attributes of a group of storage devices presents to a user a set attribute choices for one or more groups of storage devices. The user interacts with the presentation of the set of attribute choices to choose attributes for the group. In response to selection of attribute choices, the system verifies the selected attribute choices. The system automatically applies the verified selected attributes to the group.

Abstract: An amount of storage capacity used during mirroring operations is reduced by applying de-duplication operations to the mirror volumes. Data stored to a first volume is mirrored to a second volume. The second volume is a virtual volume having a plurality of logical addresses, such that segments of physical storage capacity are allocated for a specified logical address as needed when data is stored to the specified logical address. A de-duplication operation is carried out on the second volume following a split from the first volume. A particular segment of the second volume is identified as having data that is the same as another segment in the second volume or in the same consistency group. A link is created from the particular segment to the other segment and the particular segment is released from the second volume so that physical storage capacity required for the second volume is reduced.

Abstract: In accordance with new technique, a computerized data recovery system includes a storage subsystem and a backup server operatively coupled to backup storage medium, the storage subsystem including a continuous data protection system.

Abstract: A tiered storage system according to the present invention provides for the management of migration groups. When a migration group is defined, a reference tier position is determined and the relative tier position of each constituent logical device is determined. Movement of a migration group involves migrating data in its constituent logical devices to target logical devices. The migration group is then defined by the target devices. A virtualization system makes the transition transparent to host devices.

Abstract: Restoration of data is facilitated in the storage system by combining data snapshots made by the storage system itself with data recovered by application programs or operating system programs. This results in snapshots which can incorporate crash recovery features incorporated in application or operating system software in addition to the usual data image provided by the storage subsystem.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method enable access to a storage system by distinguishing SCSI Object-Based Storage Device Commands (OSD) commands from block-based SCSI commands on the same port and storage subsystem. The storage subsystem has the capability of identifying the storage protocol from a corresponding command, and processes the command accordingly for a storage device formatted for use with the respective storage protocol. This way, a storage subsystem can consolidate data from several dedicated command ports to a single physical port, while also enabling a single storage system to store and provide access to data in multiple different storage protocol formats.

Abstract: The system includes a host, a backup server, a storage system having a journaling capability described above and a media library system. The storage system makes snapshots for restoring with journal at predetermined intervals in accordance with established process. Moreover, in correspondence to an instruction of the 1st type from the backup server, the storage system generates a marker of the 1st type to make snapshot to be provided to the backup. The storage system makes and provides a snapshot to the backup server according to the process of the 1st intended marker. Then the backup server takes a backup data from the snapshot. Furthermore, in correspondence to an instruction of the 2nd type from the backup server, the storage system generates a marker of the 2nd type to stop replication in the storage system. The storage system provides a quiescence image of a volume according to the process of the 2nd intended marker. Then the backup server takes a backup data from the quiescence image.

Abstract: Restoration of data is facilitated in the storage system by combining data snapshots made by the storage system itself with data recovered by application programs or operating system programs. This results in snapshots which can incorporate crash recovery features incorporated in application or operating system software in addition to the usual data image provided by the storage subsystem.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method enable access to a storage system by distinguishing SCSI Object-Based Storage Device Commands (OSD) commands from Fibre Channel (FC) SCSI commands on the same port and storage subsystem. The storage subsystem has the capability of identifying the storage protocol from a corresponding command, and processes the command accordingly for a storage device formatted for use with the respective storage protocol. This way, a storage subsystem can consolidate data from several dedicated command ports to a single physical port, while also enabling a single storage system to store and provide access to data in multiple different storage protocol formats.

Abstract: Methods and systems that enable migration of CDP volumes without the need to take the system offline and without losing continuity of data protection. Primary, journal, and baseline volumes are defined in the target storage subsystem and are paired with the corresponding volumes in the source storage subsystem. Various sequence of operations enable transferring the data from the source CDP volumes to the target CDP volumes without losing continuity of usage and protection.

Abstract: A method of, and a system for, controlling attributes of a group of storage devices presents to a user a set attribute choices for one or more groups of storage devices. The user interacts with the presentation of the set of attribute choices to choose attributes for the group. In response to selection of attribute choices, the system verifies the selected attribute choices. The system automatically applies the verified selected attributes to the group.

Abstract: A storage virtualization system is disclosed for performing data migration operations among the virtual LU (logical units) defined by the system. In one aspect of the present invention, the selection of a target virtual LU is based on a policy that makes a recommendation relating to the target virtual LU. The recommendation is based on the I/O activity of the physical devices which constitute the virtual LUs. In another aspect of the present invention, a replacement policy is recommended to replace a current policy. The replacement policy is based on the I/O activity of the physical devices which constitute the virtual LUs.

Abstract: Method and system for changing size of volumes in a CDP environment. The administrator can reduce the amount of work necessary to change the size of the primary volume protected by a CDP system. The system operates in conjunction with all three implementations of the CDP, including the After-Journal(JNL), After-Journal with snapshot and Before-Journal. In the After-JNL implementation, the CDP manager writes the journal data to the JNL volume, which corresponds to the changes in the primary volume occurring after a point in time copy of the primary volume has been created in the base volume. Upon the change of the primary volume size, the CDP automatically reconfigures the related volumes used by the CDP. According to one method, CDP records a size event into the journal and uses this size event to reconfigure the related volumes. In accordance with another method, the CDP reconfigures the related volumes based on the primary volume size.

Abstract: Described is method and system for protecting file on volume based CDP and restoring data consistency between files and database managed by database application. One of the benefits of an implementation of the inventive concept is that administrator can protect a specific file by inserting a marker, which is stored on a journal volume after the close operation for a file. The data consistency between files and database is achieved even if the restore point is specified using a file attribute. One implementation includes host and storage subsystem. The storage subsystem may include multiple volumes for separately storing database tables and data files. The storage subsystem also includes a volume based CDP protecting the content of the storage volumes. The storage subsystem further includes an inventive consistency manager, which manages data consistency between the file volume(s) and the database volume(s).

Abstract: A method of, and a system for, controlling attributes of a group of storage devices presents to a user a set attribute choices for one or more groups of storage devices. The user interacts with the presentation of the set of attribute choices to choose attributes for the group. In response to selection of attribute choices, the system verifies the selected attribute choices. The system automatically applies the verified selected attributes to the group.

Abstract: A system including a plurality of servers each executing an application, a plurality of Wide Area File System (WAFS) clients which are correspondingly connected to the servers, a WAFS server which is connected to each WAFS client, a storage system or network attached storage (NAS), connected to the WAFS server, which stores data in a plurality of volumes or filesystem forming a consistency group, and a backup server for controlling backup of the consistency group. Each WAFS client includes a cache for temporarily storing data, and a cache manager for managing the cache. The WAFS server includes a backup agent that responds to the backup server, and a consistency manager that maintains consistency among the caches. The system is implemented to bring to a state of consistency the caches in the WAFS clients and the corresponding volumes in the WAFS server.

Abstract: A storage virtualization system is disclosed for performing data migration operations among the virtual LU (logical units) defined by the system. In one aspect of the present invention, the selection of a target virtual LU is based on a policy that makes a recommendation relating to the target virtual LU. The recommendation is based on the IO activity of the physical devices which constitute the virtual LUs. In another aspect of the present invention, a replacement policy is recommended to replace a current policy. The replacement policy is based on the IO activity of the physical devices which constitute the virtual LUs.

Abstract: Described is a computerized system for continuous data protection. The system includes a host executing a user application and a storage subsystem coupled to the host via a network interconnect. The storage subsystem comprises a storage controller and a storage disc coupled to the storage controller. The storage disc is apportioned into logical partitions. The storage subsystem additionally includes a primary volume storing current data associated with the user application; a base volume storing a point-in-time copy of the data associated with the user application; a journal volume storing data associated with the user application; and a journal manager configured to intercept a data write request sent by the host to the storage subsystem and to write data associated with the intercepted request to the primary volume and the base volume and to write the second data associated with the user application into the journal volume.

Abstract: A tiered storage system according to the present invention provides for the management of migration groups. When a migration group is defined, a reference tier position is determined and the relative tier position of each constituent logical device is determined. Movement of a migration group involves migrating data in its constituent logical devices to target logical devices. The migration group is then defined by the target devices. A virtualization system makes the transition transparent to host devices.

Abstract: A system and method for managing disk space in a thin-provisioned storage subsystem. If a number of free segments in a free segment pool at a storage subsystem is detected as below a desired minimum, one or more of the following is performed: selecting and adding logical devices (LDEVs) from an internal storage as free segments to the free segment pool, transitioning LDEVs to a virtual device (VDEV), and/or selecting and adding LDEVs from an external storage as free segments to the free segment pool. The transitioning includes identifying partially used or completely used LDEVs and transitioning these to the VDEV. Data migration may also occur by: selecting a source segment at a VDEV for migration, reading data from the source segment, writing the data to a target segment, the target segment being a free segment from the free segment pool, and assigning the target segment to the VDEV.