Abstract: A storage system provides virtual ports, and is able to transfer the virtual ports among physical ports located on multiple storage control units making up the storage system. The storage system is able to manage logical volumes and/or virtual volumes and virtual ports as a group when considering whether to move logical/virtual volumes and/or virtual ports to another storage control unit in the storage system. When the storage system is instructed to transfer volumes, virtual ports, or a group of volumes and virtual ports among the storage control units, the storage system determines whether an inter-unit network will be required to be used following the transfer. When the storage system determines that the inter-unit network will be required if the transfer takes place, the storage system determines and presents an alternate storage control unit for the transfer to avoid use of the inter-unit network, thereby avoiding degraded performance.

Abstract: Provided is a computer system including: one first server; a plurality of second servers; and a plurality of storage subsystems, in which the computer system applies to each file stored in the storage subsystems one of a first file storage mode and a second file storage mode in a distributive manner, the first server integrates directory structures that are unique throughout the respective second servers to provide the integrated directory structures as a directory structure that is unique throughout the computer system to the client computer, and at least one of the first server and the second servers analyzes a utilization state of the file and switches a file storage mode that is currently applied to the file to the other file storage mode based on a change in the analyzed file utilization state.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for graceful cache device degradation. The method may include determining the risk of data loss on the cache device, which may increase (as with Flash memory) with use and age. If the risk of data loss on the cache devices exceeds a threshold risk level, a modified cache policy may be implemented for the cache device to reduce the risk of data loss below the threshold level. This process may iterate until the cache device cannot guarantee performance sufficient to merit continued use of the cache device, and the cache device is logically removed from the system. The changes in cache policy and in the risk of data loss may be hidden from clients that make use of the cache device. The cache policies may transition, for example, in the following order: write back; write through; write around; read only; and bypass.

Abstract: A storage apparatus includes a storage unit and a controller, wherein control of inputting/outputting data from/to a device provided in said storage unit is executed in accordance with a request received by said storage apparatus. An actual device of the storage apparatus corresponds to a virtual device which is external to said storage apparatus. The controller operates to perform a process for mapping an actual device address corresponding to a virtual device address, in accordance with a specification of the actual device to be mounted or unmounted to correspond to the virtual device, and storing and retaining mapping information obtained from the mapping in a first table. The controller also performs data input/output process for receiving, an access request for data input/output in which said virtual device address is specified, obtaining the actual device address mapped to said specified virtual device address in said first table, and accessing the actual device by said obtained actual device address.

Abstract: Methods and systems for managing RAID volumes are disclosed. Metadata is associated with storage devices that comprise a RAID volume. The metadata identifies each of a plurality of portions as being either initialized or non-initialized. The number of I/O operations performed by a storage controller coupled with the storage devices is reduced in response to a request for the RAID volume based on the metadata.

Abstract: Method and system for providing a topology view for a storage system. Storage system includes a storage device, a management server and host devices in communication together. The host devices are used by users. The management server is in control of an administrator. The storage device is divided into logical partitions that are assigned to users. An icon is assigned to each user, each storage unit and to each virtual storage device. The topology view displays the associations between users and physical data storage units or virtual storage devices by drawing a linkage between each user icon and icons for the associated physical or virtual storage devices on a user interface of the management server for viewing by the administrator. Consolidated storage is shown to the administrator as a single element while partitioned storage is shown as multiple elements.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a drive array, a first cache circuit, a plurality of second cache circuits and a controller. The drive array may comprise a plurality of disk drives. The plurality of second cache circuits may each be connected to a respective one of the disk drives. The controller may be configured to (i) control read and write operations of the disk drives, (ii) read and write information from the disk drives to the first cache, (iii) read and write information to the second cache circuits, and (iv) control reading and writing of information directly from one of the disk drives to one of the second cache circuits.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of copying and updating data in a processor memory during program run-time without suspending the program's access to its data in the memory during the data-copying and updating processes. In one aspect, the invention concerns a method of copying data from processor memory to a dump memory during run-time, including determining whether data in a segment of the processor memory is to be updated by a program and copying the data to a corresponding segment in the dump memory prior to the data being updated. According to one embodiment, a data-copying instance is utilized to obtain a point-in-time image of a data content of processor memory while the program is running.

Abstract: A protocol controller disposed between switches in a fiber channel fabric switch circuit and disk drive units for converting a protocol to enable one-to-one connectivity established between controllers and disk drive units.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a data storage device is provided, which has a cache controller that performs cache control, by using a buffer memory divided into segments, which are managed. The cache controller performs sequential hit judge on each segment, in accordance with the requested access range designated by a read or write command coming from a host system. The cache controller updates the hit upper-limit LBA set for each segment if the result of the hit judge is a mishit.

Abstract: A technique for limiting an amount of write data stored in a cache memory includes determining a usable region of a non-volatile storage (NVS), determining an amount of write data in a current write request for the cache memory, and determining a failure boundary associated with the current write request. A count of the write data associated with the failure boundary is maintained. The current write request for the cache memory is rejected when a sum of the count of the write data associated with the failure boundary and the write data in the current write request exceeds a determined percentage of the usable region of the NVS.

Abstract: A method is disclosed. The method includes a compute node retrieving an object, the compute node receiving a local cache indicator associated with the object providing information as to whether the object is to be cached at the compute node and the compute node processing the object.

Abstract: A non-volatile memory-based mass storage device that includes a host interface attached to a package, at least one non-volatile memory device within the package, a memory controller connected to the host interface and adapted to access the non-volatile memory device in a random access fashion through a parallel bus, a volatile memory cache within the package, and co-processor means within the package for performing hardware-based compression of cached data before writing the cached data to the non-volatile memory device in random access fashion and performing hardware-based decompression of data read from the non-volatile memory device in random access fashion.

Abstract: Ease of operation is improved by making it easier for the operator to monitor and select a storage medium device connected to a computer device. The device is a USB hard disk connected to a personal computer, and includes a disk, a cache memory, a push-button, and an LED. When the push-button is pushed (S110; YES), the data held in the cache memory is written to the disk (Step S220).

Abstract: Methods and apparatus relating to processing out of order transactions for mirrored subsystems are described. In one embodiment, a device (that is mirroring data from another device) includes a cache to track out of order write operations prior to writing the data from the write operations to memory. A register may be used to track the state of the cache and cause acknowledgement of commitment of the data to memory once all cache entries, as recorded at a select point by the register, are emptied or otherwise invalidated. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods relating to pinning selected data to sectors in non-volatile memory. A graphical user interface allows a user to specify certain data (e.g., directories or files) to be pinned. A list of pinned sectors can be stored so that a driver or controller that operates on a sector basis and not a file or directory basis can identify data to be pinned.

Abstract: A unified enterprise level method and system for enhancing a performance of applications and storage subsystems in a storage network are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for enhancing the performance of the storage network having applications and storage subsystems includes collecting performance data associated with the applications and the storage subsystems, and generating performance profiles for a set of combinations of the applications and the storage subsystems implemented in the storage network based on the performance data. The method also includes receiving desired performance criteria for an application of the storage network, and applying a performance profile to configure the application and a storage subsystem assigned to the application substantially similar to the desired performance criteria.

Abstract: A data storage system includes a non-volatile memory, a disc recording medium, a non-volatile memory buffer, operatively disposed between a host interface and the non-volatile memory, which stores a portion of data stored in the non-volatile memory, and a disc buffer, operatively disposed between the host interface and the disc recording medium, which stores a portion of data stored in the disc recording medium. The data storage system may be configured to receive an access address from a host operatively connected to the host interface, and sequentially determine whether the access address exists in one of the non-volatile memory buffer, the non-volatile memory, the disc buffer, and the disc recording medium, in that order.

Abstract: Embodiments for facilitating data transfer between a nonvolatile storage (NVS) write cache and a pool of target storage devices are provided. Each target storage device in the pool of target storage devices is determined as one of a hard disk drive (HDD) and a solid-state drive (SSD) device, and classified into one of a SSD rank group and a HDD rank group. If no data is received in the NVS write cache for a predetermined time to be written to a target storage device classified in the SSD rank group, a threshold of available space in the NVS write cache is set to allocate at least a majority of the available space to the HDD rank group. Upon receipt of a write request for the SSD rank group, the threshold of the available space is reduced to allocate a greater portion of the available space to the SSD rank group.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and computer-implemented methods are provided for the hybridization of cache memory utilizing both magnetic and solid-state memory media. A solid-state cache controller apparatus can be coupled to a host computing system to maximize efficiency of the system in a manner that is transparent to the high-level applications using the system. The apparatus includes an associative memory component and a solid-state cache control component. Solid-state memory is configured to store data blocks of host read operations. If a host-read operation is requested, the controller communicates with a solid-state cache memory controller to determine whether a tag array data structure indicates a cached copy of the requested data block is available in solid-state memory.

Abstract: The storage system includes a disk controller for receiving write commands from a computer, and a plurality of disk devices in which data is written in accordance with the control of the disk controller. The size of the first block which constitutes the data unit handled in the execution of the input/output processing of the data in accordance with the write command by the disk controller is different from the size of the second block which constitutes the data unit handled in the execution of the input/output processing of data by the plurality of disk devices. The disk controller issues an instruction for the writing of data to the disk devices using a third block unit of a size corresponding to a common multiple of the size of the first block and the size of the second block.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk apparatus comprises a volatile memory for storing write commands and data accompanying the commands supplied from a host system, and a flush control unit for classifying the write commands into a first group of commands and a second group of commands based on a time required to write the data accompanying the commands on a magnetic disk, writing the data accompanying the first group of commands to the magnetic disk, and writing the second group of commands and the data accompanying the second group of commands to a nonvolatile memory.

Abstract: Disclosed is a storage system architecture. An Environmental service module (ESM) is coupled to one or more array controllers. The ESM is configured with a central processing unit and one or more assist functions. The assist functions may include nonvolatile memory. This nonvolatile memory may be used for write caching, mirroring data, and/or configuration data. The assist functions, or the ESM, may be controlled by the array controllers using SCSI or RDMA commands.

Abstract: A DAS system that implements RAID technology is provided in which an array of solid state disks (SSDs) that is external to the DAS controllers of the DAS system is used by the DAS controllers as WB cache memory for performing WB caching operations. Using the external SSD array as WB cache memory allows the DAS system to be fully cache coherent without significantly increasing the complexity of the DAS system and without increasing the amount of bandwidth that is utilized for performing caching operations. In addition, using the external SSD array as WB cache memory obviates the need to mirror DAS controllers.

Abstract: Several methods and a system of an extended virtual memory system in a computer cluster are disclosed. In one aspect, a method of computer network is disclosed. The method of a computer network includes generating a virtual address space associated with a data of a local computer, translating the virtual address space to a local physical address space with a page table entry of the local computer, and declaring, with a remote memory management module of a remote computer, a set of remote kernel data structures to a local memory management module. The method also includes translating the virtual address space to a remote address of a remote memory with the local memory management module. The method may also include communicating a piece of data to the remote memory management module according to a protocol. The piece of data may be any data available on the remote computer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a storage system. The storage system includes a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) controller. The RAID controller includes a flash memory controller coupled to a flash memory. The flash memory controller may perform background management tasks. These include logging and error reporting, address translation, cache table management, bad block management, defect management, wear leveling, and garbage collection. The array controller also allows the flash memory to be divided into multiple mappings.

Abstract: In accordance with the present disclosure, a system and method for an information handling system having transportable cache module is disclosed herein. The information handling system has a memory controller coupled to a central processing unit and a plurality of memory modules. The transportable cache module has a protected memory module, a nonvolatile memory module, a module controller, and an independent power source. The module controller is operative to copy a protected memory region from the protected memory module to a nonvolatile memory region on the nonvolatile memory module. The independent power source is operative to supply power to the protected memory module, the nonvolatile memory module, and the module controller.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes a first caching processing module which starts a caching moving image data stored in a storage medium in a memory device when the storage medium is loaded in a media drive, and a second caching processing module which erases all of moving image data items cached in the memory device when the storage medium is ejected from the media drive.

Abstract: A virtual tape server (VTS) and a method for managing shared first level storage, such as a disk cache, among multiple virtual tape servers are provided. Such a system and method manage first level storage to accommodate two or more host processing systems by maintaining adequate free space in the cache for each host and by preventing one host, such as a mainframe, from taking over free space from another host, such as a Linux system.

Abstract: Provided is a storage system having a storage device including memory drives formed of the non-volatile memory, a group is constituted by the memory drives whose number is larger than the number of memory drives necessary to provide the memory capacity, the divided storage areas are managed in each of segments that includes at least one of the divided storage areas, the data storage area or the temporary storage area is allocated to the divided storage areas, upon receiving a data write request, the data storage area in which the write data is written and the segment are specified, the updated data is written in the temporary storage area included in the specified segment, the temporary storage area in which the data is written is set as a new data storage area, and data stored in the data storage area is erased and set as a new temporary storage area.

Abstract: A first interconnect card is configured, wherein a first controller is included in the first interconnect card. A second interconnect card coupled to the first interconnect card is configured, wherein a second controller is included in the second interconnect card. In response to a failure of the first controller included in the first interconnect card, the first interconnect card is controlled via the second controller included in the second interconnect card. In response to a failure of the second controller included in the second interconnect card, the second interconnect card is controlled via the first controller included in the first interconnect card.

Abstract: A storage apparatus 10 includes channel devices (each being CHA_PK 11) and microprocessors (each being MP_PK 12). CHA_PK 11 and MP_PK 12 respectively store therein control information being information designating logical volumes (LDEVs) 171 accessible by respective MP_PKs 12. Upon receipt of an I/O request from a management apparatus 20, CHA_PK 11 transmits, based on the control information stored therein, an I/O command to MP_PK 12 having an access right to a logical volume to which the I/O request is directed. In the storage apparatus 10, MP_PK 12 having received the I/O command from CHA_PK 11 judges based on the control information stored therein whether MP_PK 12 itself has an access right to the logical volume, and transmits the control information therein to CHA_PK 11 when judging that it does not have the access right, whereby the control information in CHA_PK 11 is updated.

Abstract: A storage system coupled to a host computer, including: a non-volatile medium that stores data; a disk cache that temporarily stores data stored in the non-volatile medium, where the disk cache is divided into a plurality of independent disk cache partitions; a control unit that controls an input and an output of data to and from the non-volatile medium; and a memory unit that stores information used by the control unit, including consistency control information setting respective commands permitted for each of the disk cache partitions, to guarantee consistency of the data; wherein the control unit is configured to determine whether or not to execute a requested command for a given disk cache partition, by referring to the consistency control information setting respective commands permitted for each of the disk cache partitions.

Abstract: Several methods and a system to implement data compression inline with an eight byte data path are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes acquiring a data from a host. In addition, the method includes applying an eight byte data path to the data. The method also includes compressing the data inline. The method may further include writing the data in a memory through a memory controller using a RAID engine. The method may also include manipulating the data through the RAID engine. In addition, the method may include reading the data through a Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) core. The method may further include writing the data to a non-volatile storage. The method may include applying a compression technique based on a data history. The method may also include maintaining a consistent order of a sequence of the data during a data compression operation and a decompression operation.

Abstract: The present invention is able to improve the processing performance of a storage system by respectively virtualizing the external volumes and enabling the shared use of such external volumes by a plurality of available virtualization storage devices. By virtualizing and incorporating the external volume of an external storage device, a first virtualization storage device is able to provide the volume to a host as though it is an internal volume. When the load of the first virtualization storage device increases, a second virtualization storage device 2 is newly introduced, and connected to the storage system. When a transfer direction is issued from a management terminal, the external volume relating to the selected logical volume is transferred from the first virtualization storage device to the second virtualization storage device.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods, devices and computer-readable medium for implementing a caching policy and/or a cache flushing policy in a peripheral non-volatile storage device operatively coupled to a host device. In some embodiments, data is stored to a cache area of a non-volatile memory within the peripheral non-volatile storage device in accordance with a historical rate at which other data was received by the peripheral storage device from the host device and/or a historical average time interval between successive host write requests received and/or an assessed rate at which data is required to be written to the non-volatile memory and/or a detecting by the peripheral non-volatile memory device that the host has read the storage ready/busy flag. In some embodiments, data is copied from a cache storage area of the non-volatile memory to a main storage area in accordance with the historical rate and/or the historical average time interval.

Abstract: A system and device for central bios level management of direct-attached storage subsystems is disclosed. A system includes a plurality of DAS subsystems, with each DAS subsystem including a host bus adapter (HBA) having a local area network (LAN) port and a LAN communication module for providing a LAN communication based on an internet protocol (IP) address of the HBA. The system further includes a management console coupled to the plurality of DAS subsystems using the LAN port for managing the plurality of DAS subsystems by directly communicating with the HBA of said each DAS subsystem using the IP address of the HBA. The system also includes a network switch for controlling data traffic between the plurality of DAS subsystems and the management console.

Abstract: Several methods and apparatus to single XOR operation weaver reconstruction of a failed drive of a raid are disclosed. A failed drive of the drive group implemented in a WEAVER code with an (n,t,t) layout is determined. A set of scatter/gather lists is produced from a number of the other drives of the drive group. A scatter/gather list is created by modifying a pointer data of the set of scatter/gather lists. An additional scatter/gather list is generated from the set of scatter/gather lists. A single XOR operation is performed on the data segment, the parity segment, the additional data segment and the additional parity segment to form a resulting scatter/gather list including a resulting data segment and a resulting parity segment. The resulting data segment and the resulting parity segment are written as sequenced in the resulting scatter/gather list to a replacement drive.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a data storage system includes a controller which accesses a first storage device using a first module on startup and accesses the first storage device using a second module after the startup. The first module records, when the write-target data is written to the first storage device, trace information indicating the write command in a second storage device. The second module determines, when taking over a reception of a command instructing writing/reading of data from the first module, whether or not unupdated data to be updated as a result of a writing of the first module is cached in the second storage device based on the trace information, and invalidates a data block including the unupdated data when the unupdated data is cached.

Abstract: A controller for a disk drive includes first memory storing first write operations and second write operations received in a first order. A processor arranges the first write operations and the second write operations in a second order based on respective track sectors associated with the first and the second write operations. The second order is different than the first order. A memory controller transfers write operation data corresponding to the first write operations and the second write operations to a disk formatter in the second order in response to a single command from the processor.

Abstract: A memory system includes a controller and a memory array that stores partial-page data and complete-page data in separate areas. Data received from a host is sent from a memory controller to an on-chip cache prior to determining whether the data is partial-page data or complete-page data. After a determination is made, the data is stored at an address in the corresponding area.

Abstract: A caching technique involves receiving a cache request to move data into a cache (or a particular cache level of a cache hierarchy), and generating a comparison between content of the data and content of other data already stored within the cache. The caching technique further involves providing a caching response based on the comparison between the content of the data and the content of the other data already stored within the cache. The caching response includes refraining from moving the data into the cache when the comparison indicates that the content of the data is already stored within the cache. The caching response includes moving the data into the cache when the comparison indicates that the content of the data is not already stored within the cache. Such a technique is capable of eliminating data redundancies within a cache (or within a particular cache level of a cache hierarchy).

Abstract: Systems and methods for dissolving the bottleneck issue of management task requested from management client to the storage virtualizer which consolidates externally attached storage arrays while providing a single management point of the entire system to the management client. Specifically, by utilizing the storage virtualizer to distribute received management tasks to respective external attached arrays, it can off load tasks, thus reducing the workload on the storage virtualizer itself. Because of the task distribution, the storage virtualizer consequently does not need to copy and hold detailed information of each storage volume in the respective attached storage arrays, thereby avoiding any inconsistent information between the arrays and the virtualizer when the configuration change has been done on the external array.

Abstract: A storage unit includes a cache memory, a cache controller which accesses the cache memory, one or more disk units, a data receiving unit, a merge interpolation determination unit, a data readout unit, a write data generation unit and a data write unit. The data receiving unit receives, from the cache controller, unit readout data that includes update records updated by the cache controller and is unit of data read from the cache memory. The merge interpolation determination unit determines whether the received unit readout data is merge interpolated. The data readout unit reads, from the disk unit, data corresponding to the unit readout data when the unit readout data is determined to be merge interpolated. The write data generation unit generates data to be written to the disk unit by merge interpolating the unit readout data. The data write unit writes, to the disk unit, the generated data.

Abstract: In order to manage the various types of attribute information within the storage system, the storage system includes the following databases within a file-access controlling memory: a database for managing index information for managing contents of the files, and an index retrieval program, a database for managing the attribute information on the files, and a database for managing storage positions of blocks configuring a file. When the storage system receives an access request to a file, the utilization of these databases allows the storage system to make the access to the access-target file.

Abstract: Disclosed is a data caching system and a method for implementing a large capacity cache. The system includes: a record processing apparatus and a record storage apparatus which is configured with a first storage unit configured in a disk unit, a second storage unit and a third storage unit.

Abstract: Embodiments for operation of a storage system following a power loss are provided. The system switches to the local power supply, prevents the receipt of input/output commands and copies the content of cache memory to a local storage device. On detecting resumption of external power, the system charges a local power supply, copies the content of the local storage device to the cache memory and processes the content of the cache memory with respect to at least one storage volume. When the charge stored on the local power supply exceeds the charge required to copy the content of the cache memory to the local storage device by a predetermined amount, the system allows the receipt of input/output commands using a reduced portion of the cache memory. Once the charge stored on the local power supply has reached a predetermined level, the system allows the receipt of input/output commands using all cache memory.

Abstract: The disk controller has a plurality of channel control units, a plurality of cache memories, a plurality of disk control units, and a plurality of internal switch units. Each channel control unit or disk control unit sends to one of the cache memory units a request packet requesting execution of processing. The cache memory unit sends a response packet in response to the received request packet. Each internal switch unit monitors the request packet sent from the channel control unit or disk control unit, and judges whether or not the response packet to the request packet has passed through the internal switch unit within a first given time period since the passage of the request packet. In the case where the response packet has not passed through the internal switch unit within the first given time period, the internal switch unit sends a failure notification.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture to manage storage resources in a storage system. Requests by processing systems are received for access to a control block providing information on an address assigned to one of the storage resources to access. A token is generated for each processing system requesting the control block uniquely identifying the processing system and the control block. The processing systems are provided copies of the requested control blocks to use to access the storage resource. A request is received to modify one of the control blocks for one of the storage resources. A determination is made as to whether at least one of the tokens was generated for the control block to modify. At least one processing system associated with the determined at least one token is provided a copy of the modified control block to use to access the storage resource associated with the control block.

Abstract: The invention is directed towards a system and method that utilizes external memory devices to cache sectors from a rotating storage device (e.g., a hard drive) to improve system performance. When an external memory device (EMD) is plugged into the computing device or onto a network in which the computing device is connected, the system recognizes the EMD and populates the EMD with disk sectors. The system routes I/O read requests directed to the disk sector to the EMD cache instead of the actual disk sector. The use of EMDs increases performance and productivity on the computing device systems for a fraction of the cost of adding memory to the computing device.