International Business Machines Corporation

Lu Nguyen

Mark James Seaman

John Richard Paveza

Delbert B Hoobler, Iii

Balakrishna Raghavendra Iyer

Vahit Hakan Hacigumus

Steven Daryl Cook

Neena A Cherian

Dante Aligheri Aubert

Sanjoy Das

John T Flynn

Prasenjit Sarkar

Lisa R Martinez

Mark Sean Fleming

Jeffry Lynn Larson

Syed Mohammad Amir Ali Jafri

A method, apparatus and computer program product for performing database maintenance. A database running in a computer includes a first data file and a first log file. A snapshot copy of the first data file is created. Database maintenance is performed on the first snapshot copy of the first data file to produce a maintained snapshot copy of the first data file. A snapshot restore operation is performed on the database by replacing the first data file with the maintained snapshot copy of the first data file. The maintained snapshot copy of the first data file is updated according to logged transactions in the first log file which occurred after the snapshot copy of the first data file was created. In this way, a new data file is created which is both a product of the database maintenance as well as the database transactions which occurred while the database maintenance occurred.

Database maintenance using backup and restore technology

A backup computing device detects an interruption while receiving a backup copy of a transaction log of a primary database and directs a secondary computing device to continue generation of the backup copy of the transaction log, based on the copy of the transaction log of the primary database. A primary computing device directs a secondary computing device to generate a backup copy of the data file and the primary computing device generates a backup copy of the transaction log, of a primary database. A primary computing device accesses a snapshot of a plurality of snapshots of a primary database, and generates a first portion of a backup copy of the database. The primary computing device directs a second computing device to generate a non-overlapping portion of the backup copy of the database based on a second snapshot of the plurality of snapshots.

Use of replicated copies to improve database backup performance

The invention provides a method, apparatus and system for reducing power consumption involving data storage devices. One embodiment involves storing data in a first memory; in response to the first memory exceeding a first threshold, migrating the data from the first memory to a second memory; in response to the second memory exceeding a second threshold, then activating a third memory if the third memory is in active; and in response to the second memory exceeding a third threshold greater than the second threshold, migrating the data from the second memory to a third memory; wherein the second memory is sized and configured to store data targeted for the third memory to intelligently maintain a portion of the third memory in an inactive state.

Method, apparatus and system for reducing power consumption based on storage device data migration

An automated, computer-implemented method to configure a data storage system comprising a host computer, a storage controller in communication with said host computer, and a plurality of data storage media in communication with said storage controller, wherein the method provides a configuration algorithm encoded as computer readable program code, and executes that computer readable program code. The configuration algorithm creates a command procedure comprising a plurality of physical configuration commands to establish a physical configuration for the data storage system. The configuration algorithm further creates a command procedure comprising a plurality of logical configuration commands to establish a logical configuration for the data storage system.

Automated method to configure a data storage system

Provided are a computer readable medium and a system for communicating in a computing system. An example of the method includes establishing a local communications interface at a local site. This example also includes writing local site communication information to the local communications interface, which comprises storing the local site communication information on a first site storage device at the local site, and sending the local site communication information from the first site storage device, to a third site storage device at a remote site, wherein the local site communication information is sent using a remote data replication protocol. The remote site communications interface may read the local site communication information from a third site storage device, and may send the local site communication information to a remote application at the remote site. Similarly, the remote application may send information to a local application at the local site.

Communicating in a computing system

A mechanism to permit consolidation of storage subsystem volumes into larger, more easily managed volumes and an operating system device driver which includes a trap mechanism for intercepting calls from a host into logical unit devices that were previously consolidated into a single physical volume. A map converts such calls to a logical unit device into a corresponding offset in the single physical volume. A driver accesses the single physical volume with corresponding offsets to transfer data associated with a particular logical unit device. So, logical unit devices can be consolidated and reconsolidated to single physical volumes and other physical volumes without requiring changes to the operating system or its application software and without requiring application or host downtime.

On-line volume coalesce operation to enable on-line storage subsystem volume consolidation

One aspect of the invention is a method for backing up data. An example of the method includes querying a backup infrastructure to ascertain backup capabilities of the backup infrastructure. This example also may include broadcasting the capabilities of the backup infrastructure, wherein the capabilities are broadcasted by the backup infrastructure. This example also includes determining if the backup infrastructure supports a desired backup type. If the backup infrastructure supports a desired backup type, this example may also include performing a backup of data using the desired backup type.

Method for performing a backup by querying a backup infrastructure

Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for performing backup operations for a volume group of volumes. Information on a volume group associating a plurality of volumes and backup settings is maintained. A volume group is selected to which the backup settings apply. A volume group associates hosts and volumes, indicating the hosts that are enabled to access the volumes in the volume group. Automatic backup operations for the selected volume group are invoked to generate backup information for the volume group indicating backups performed with respect to the volumes associated with the volume group, process the backup information for the volume group to determine whether to perform a backup with respect to the volume group according to the backup settings, and backup each volume in the volume group in response to determining to perform the backup operation for the volume group.

Performing backup operations for a volume group of volumes

The invention provides a method, apparatus and system for reducing power consumption involving data storage devices. One embodiment involves a process for storing data in a first memory, and in response to the first memory exceeding a first threshold, migrating the data from the first memory to a second memory. In response to the second memory exceeding a second threshold, the process then involves migrating the data from the second memory to the third memory, wherein the second memory is sized and configured to store data targeted for the third memory to intelligently maintain a portion of the third memory in an inactive state.

Method, apparatus and system for reducing power consumption involving data storage devices

Provided are a system, and article of manufacture in which data is received at the first storage unit. A first information unit, a second information unit, and a third information unit are generated, wherein the first information unit, the second information unit, and the third information unit each include a portion of the received data and computed parity data. The first information unit is stored in the first storage unit at the first site. The second information unit is distributed to the second storage unit at the second site for storage. The third information unit is distributed to the third storage unit at the third site for storage.

Storing parity information for data recovery

A system and method for providing an integrated storage appliance is disclosed. The storage appliance includes a storage subsystem, a process cluster coupled to the storage subsystem, and a customizable software stack that includes storage-access application so executed by the processor cluster, wherein subsystem, processor cluster and software stack are integrated such that the storage appliance exhibits greater combined reliability, higher availability, and higher serviceability characteristics than would be provided by a sum of the characteristics unintegrated components.

Integrated storage appliance

One aspect of the invention is a method for communicating in a computing system. An example of the method includes establishing a local communications interface at a local site. This example also includes writing local site communication information to the local communications interface, which comprises storing the local site communication information on a first site storage device at the local site, and sending the local site communication information from the first site storage device, to a third site storage device at a remote site, wherein the local site communication information is sent using a remote data replication protocol. The remote site communications interface may read the local site communication information from a third site storage device, and may send the local site communication information to a remote application at the remote site. Similarly, the remote application may send information to a local application at the local site.

Method for communicating in a computing system

Techniques are provided for on-demand resource allocation in a cluster having at least one initial virtual machine. It is determined that resource requirements have changed. At least one new virtual machine is created on at least one physical machine based on the changed resource requirements. The at least one new virtual machine is added to the initial cluster. Transactions for the at least one initial virtual machine are failed over to the at least one new virtual machine.

Providing on-demand capabilities using virtual machines and clustering processes

One aspect of the invention is a method for backing up data. An example of the method includes creating a description of a backup. The description of the backup may be created in response to receiving a request to perform a backup. This example also includes receiving a block of data to be backed up. This example further includes generating a packet that includes the block of data and metadata, wherein the block of data and the metadata are included in a common information protocol object. This example additionally includes transmitting the packet. This example may also include extracting the block of data from the packet, and storing the block of data on a storage device. If desired, this example may further include restoring the data block from the storage device.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Lu Nguyen