International Business Machines Corporation

David Ray Kahler

Karl Allen Nielsen

Robert Akira Kubo

James Lee Hafner

David Frank Mannenbach

Richard Anthony Ripberger

Xue Feng Gao

Kurt Allen Lovrien

Carl Evan Jones

Jacob Lee Sheppard

Krishnakumar Rao Surugucchi

Anjul Mathur

James A O'Conner

Glen Alan Jaquette

James A O'Connor

Micah Robison

Bo Cheng

Chiahong Chen

Michael John Jones

Richard B Stelmach

Hai Bo Qian

Keith Geoffrey Morrison

Roah Jishi

Jeremy Leigh Royall

Krishnakumar S Rao

Michael T Benhase

Robert Edward Galbraith

Cheng-Chung Song

Jonathan Ian Settle

Michael P Vageline

Joanna Katharine Brown

Michael Steven Faunce

Joseph R Edwards

William Henry Travis

Alastair Cooper

Ronald J Venturi

Roderick Guy Charles Moore

Tram Thi Mai Nguyen

Scott Alan Bauman

Roderick G C Moore

Jeremy Andrew Cohn

Thomas Van Der Veen

Michael R Groseclose, Jr

Michael J Anderson

YuCheng Hsu

Michael T Roble

David Lawrence Leskovec

Mark Yadlosky

Provided are techniques for capturing compression efficiency metrics for processing data. In response to retrieving native data for a first operation, perform the first operation; perform a second operation to generate a compression efficiency metric from the native data based on a ratio of the native data to compressed native data; and store the compression efficiency metric persistently for subsequent use in prioritizing compression of the native data.

Capturing compression efficiency metrics for processing data

A method, system, and computer program product for safeguarding nonvolatile storage (NVS) data by a processor in communication with a memory device following a power loss event is provided. A first portion of the NVS data is encrypted using a first buffer module. Subsequently the first portion of the NVS data is transferred to at least one shared storage device, while a second portion of the NVS data is simultaneously encrypted using a second buffer module. The second portion of the NVS data is subsequently transferred to the at least one shared storage device.

Rapid safeguarding of NVS data during power loss event

In one embodiment, a method includes moving data from an original, unmoved stride from an original array to target stripes of a target stride in a distributed array in response to a determination that all target stripes of the target stride are in a blank state indicating no data is stored therein, delaying movement of the data from the original stride to the target stripes of the target stride in response to a determination that any of the target stripes of the target stride are in an old state indicating unmoved data is stored therein, and moving the data from the original stride to the target stripes of the target stride after delaying and in response to a determination that all the target stripes of the target stride that were in the old state have switched to the blank state.

System and method for transferring traditional raid to distributed array

In one embodiment, a method includes iteratively selecting an original, unmoved stride from an original array until all original strides have been moved, determining a target stride location in a distributed array, determining a state of the target stride from the following states: an old state indicating unmoved data, a blank state indicating no data, and a new state indicating migrated data, determining that all target stripes are blank, moving data from the original stride to the target stripes when all the target stripes are blank, delaying the moving of the data from the original stride to the target stripes in the target stride when any of the target stripes of the target stride are in the old state and waiting until all the target stripes of the target stride are in the blank state, and determining that all original strides from the original array have been moved.

System and method for transferring traditional RAID to distributed array

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and system for reducing a probability of generating an unrecoverable error on a disk array during a disk rebuild. In a step, an exemplary embodiment identifies a disk to be replaced in the disk array, the disk array including a spare disk. In another step, an exemplary embodiment locates a region in the disk array that incurs a high number of reads and writes during a period prior to replacing the disk in the disk array. In another step, an exemplary embodiment scrubs data in a region in the disk array that has incurred a high number of accesses. In another step, an exemplary embodiment replaces the disk identified to be replaced with the spare disk in the disk array. In another step, an exemplary embodiment rebuilds data on the replaced disk on the spare disk in the disk array.

Preventing unrecoverable errors during a disk regeneration in a disk array

A method and controller for implementing dynamic banding of a storage device, such as a Self Encrypting Device (SED) in a data storage array, and a design structure on which the subject controller circuit resides are provided. The controller dynamically identifies band boundaries for the storage device at the time a data storage array is created, when one or more devices are added into an existing data storage array, and when a replacement device is rebuilt into an exposed array, or an array with a failed device. A storage device band definition is provided based upon the dynamically identified band boundaries for the storage device.

Implementing dynamic banding of self encrypting drive

For preventing data loss in storage systems a detection is made that a storage device in a plurality of storage devices is experiencing a malfunction. The type of malfunction is determined. A SMART rebuilding technique, a normal building technique, a data migration technique, or a user data backup technique is selected to preserve the data in the storage device based on the determined type of the malfunction. The selected technique is performed on the storage device.

Systems and methods for preventing data loss

For preventing data loss in storage systems, a detection is made that a storage device in a plurality of storage devices is experiencing a malfunction. The type of malfunction is determined. A SMART rebuilding technique, a normal building technique, a data migration technique, or a user data backup technique is selected to preserve the data in the storage device based on the determined type of the malfunction. The selected technique is performed on the storage device.

A method according to one embodiment includes defining a new encryption band with a length that is consistent with a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) parity strip; freeing a working extent in a working stride on the RAID. In an iterative process until each stride in a source band is depleted of data: marking a source extent in a source stride from which to gather data to be re-encrypted; marking parity inconsistent in the working stride in the new encryption band; performing a second iterative process; and freeing the working extent. The second iterative process is performed until each extent in a source stride is depleted of data. Additional systems, methods and computer program products are also presented.

Methods for process key rollover/re-encryption and systems thereof

Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for error checking addressable blocks in storage. Addressable blocks of data are stored in a storage in stripes, wherein each stripe includes a plurality of data blocks for one of the addressable blocks and at least one checksum block including checksum data for the addressable block. A write request is received to modify data in one of the addressable blocks. The write and updating the checksum are performed in the stripe having the modified addressable block. An indication is made to perform an error checking operation on the stripe for the modified addressable block in response to the write request, wherein the error checking operation reads the data blocks and the checksum in the stripe to determine if the checksum data is accurate. An error handling operation is initiated in response to determining that the checksum data is not accurate.

Error checking addressable blocks in storage

Provided are a computer program product, system and method for a redundant key server encryption environment. A key server receives from at least one remote key server public keys associated with the at least one remote key server. The key server receives a request for an encryption key from a requesting device and generates the encryption key for use by the requesting device to unlock a storage. The key server generates a first wrapped encryption key by encrypting the encryption key with a requesting device public key, a second wrapped encryption key by encrypting the encryption key with a public key associated with the key server, and at least one additional wrapped encryption key by encrypting the encryption key with the at least one public key provided by the at least one remote key server. The key server transmits the generated keys to the requesting device.

Redundant key server encryption environment

Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for error checking addressable blocks in storage. Addressable blocks of data are stored in a storage in stripes, wherein each stripe includes a plurality of data blocks for one of the addressable blocks and at least one checksum block including checksum data derived from the data blocks for the addressable block. A write request is received to modify data in one of the addressable blocks. The write and updating the checksum are performed in the stripe having the modified addressable block. An indication is made to perform an error checking operation on the stripe for the modified addressable block in response to the write request, wherein the error checking operation reads the data blocks and the checksum in the stripe to determine if the checksum data is accurate. An error handling operation is initiated in response to determining that the checksum data is not accurate.

Provided are a computer program product, system and method for a redundant key server encryption environment. A key server transmits public keys associated with the key server and at least one device to at least one remote key server. The key server receives from the at least one remote key server public keys associated with the at least one remote key server. The key server receives a request for an encryption key from a requesting device comprising one of the at least one device and generates the encryption key for use by the requesting device to unlock a storage. The key server generates a first wrapped encryption key by encrypting the encryption key with a requesting device public key associated with the requesting device. The key server generates a second wrapped encryption key by encrypting the encryption key with a public key associated with the key server. At least one additional wrapped encryption key is generated for each of the at least one remote key server by encrypting the encryption key with the at least one public key provided by the at least one remote key server. The key server transmits the first, second and the at least one additional wrapped encryption key to the requesting device.

A computational device receives input information on characteristics of customer data, critical metadata, and non-critical metadata, and characteristics of disk array configurations, wherein customer data is to be stored encrypted, wherein critical metadata is to be stored non-encrypted, and wherein non-critical metadata is to be stored encrypted or non-encrypted. The computational device determines band boundary information based on the received input information. Encrypting disks with pre-established bands are created based on the band boundary information and the encrypting disks are pre-initialized.

Pre-configuring of encryption bands on a disk for use in a plurality of array configurations

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

David Ray Kahler