International Business Machines Corporation

Michael L Lamb

Raymond M Swank

David W Groves

Kevin Joseph Webster

Mack Edward Phelps

Biswadeep Banerjee

Vishnukumar T Santharam

Edward Martin McCrickard

Alireza Razzaghi Daryan

Ramani Ranjan Routray

David Maxwell Cannon

Duane Mark Baldwin

Kavita Chavda

Gregory John Tevis

David Lynn Merbach

Sandip Agarwala

Daniel Graham Douglas

William Roy Yonker

Allen Robert Heitman

Gregory John Knight

Douglas Stephen Noddings

Douglas Paul Dunham

Paul Lawrence Bradshaw

Srinivas Jandhyala

Nancy Lott Hobbs

Brian Augustine Delaire

Justin Russell Bendich

Vincent Jomartin Hoang

Lisa Anne Huston

Vinh-Thuan Nguyen-Phuc

Timothy Clarence Willging

Roman David Druker

Barbara J Camacho

Rai Balwant

Stephen J Luko, Jr

Barry Lynn Eberly

Ron H Clark

Amir Nakhforoush

Storing and/or accessing data in a transactional database, with use of the following technique: (i) selecting a set of base tables in a transactional database; and (ii) creating a factless materialized query table, having maximum sparsity, for the set of base tables. The set of base tables includes at least two base tables. The set of base tables includes a set of keys including at least two distinct primary keys. The factless materialized query table includes one record associated with each record in the set of base tables. Each record in the materialized query table includes a value for every primary key in the set of base tables.

Reporting and summarizing metrics in sparse relationships on an OLTP database

A storage system graphical user interface (GUI) renders indication of a plurality of selected storage systems. Selection is received of selected storage systems from the rendered indication of selected storage systems and a determination is made of performance metrics common to the selected storage systems. A performance metric GUI enabling selection of the determined performance metrics common to the selected storage systems is generated. In response to user selection of at least one selected performance metric of the determined performance metrics in the performance metric GUI, determination is made of performance metric values for the at least one of the selected performance metrics for the selected storage systems. A computer renderable visualization providing a visual comparison for each of the at least one selected performance metric of the determined performance metric values is generated for the selected storage systems.

Providing a user interface to enable selection of storage systems, components within storage systems and common performance metrics for generating performance metric reports across storage systems and components

Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach for providing cluster-aware (storage) resource provisioning in a networked computing environment (e.g., a cloud computing environment) based upon policies, best practices, and/or storage cluster/environment configurations. In a typical embodiment, a set of characteristics (e.g., computing resources/components, etc.) of a storage environment will be determined. A set of requirements for a set of workloads to be processed by the components of the storage environment will then be identified. A set of policies and a set of best practices will then be determined to identify a configuration of the storage environment to optimize the processing of the set of workloads according to the set of requirements. Based on the configuration, a plan will be generated that indicates a data path through the set of computing resources that minimizes a potential for error in processing the set of workloads.

Cluster-aware resource provisioning in a networked computing environment

Provided are a method, system, and program for creating at least one volume in a disk storage system. A request is received to create at least one volume on the disk storage system indicating a volume size and number of volumes to create. Selection is made of a storage pool object representing one of a plurality of storage pools having available storage space to create the requested number of volumes. retrieving a storage configuration service of the disk storage system using an association of a disk storage system object representing the disk storage system and the selected storage pool object. The disk storage system object representing the disk storage system is associated with the retrieved storage configuration service. A volume size of the volume to create is set to a calculated size. The storage pool is set as the selected storage pool object. A method is invoked through the retrieved storage configuration service for each volume in the requested number of volumes to create.

Assigning or creating a resource in a storage system

Novel storage area networks (SANs) and methods of operation thereof utilize a plurality of hosts coupled via an interconnect with one or more storage units. A manager device, process or other functionality in communication with a plurality of agent processes, devices or other functionality, each of which is associated with a host. The agents identify attributes of (i) their associated hosts, (ii) interconnect to which that host is coupled, and/or (iii) storage units to which that host is coupled via the interconnect. The manager responds to these attributes identified by the agents to manage the SAN. The manager can be implemented on a first digital data processor and the hosts on further digital data processors. These digital data processors can be coupled via a first network, e.g., an IP or other network, to support communications between the manager and the agents. A second network, e.g., SCSI and/or fiber channel based fabric, separate from the first network, can be utilized as the interconnect between the hosts and the storage devices.

Storage area network methods and apparatus with centralized management

An example of a method for assigning a resource (for example, storage) includes receiving a request for a resource, wherein the request includes a list of paths. This example also includes retrieving a HardwareAccount, Controller, and an AccessAuthorization object for a first path in the list of paths. This example further includes making an attach device request to a CIMOM for a first available resource, using the Controller and the AccessAuthorization object. This example also includes determining if the first available resource was successfully attached, and if so, recording the assignment as successful, and if not, rolling back all assignments for the first available resource that were previously recorded as successful. Another aspect of the invention is a method for creating at least one LUN.

Method and system for assigning or creating a resource

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for provisioning storage resources according to a modeling policy. The modeling apparatus includes a monitoring module, a policy module, and a provisioning module. The monitoring module monitors the storage resources on the storage system. The policy module stores and maintains storage management, storage provisioning, and storage resource modeling policies. A user may access and specify these policies via a specification module. The provisioning module automatically provisions new storage resources, such as logical unit numbers (LUNs) according to the storage provisioning policies and modeling policies. The modeling policy defines a modeling strategy by which new storage resources are provisioned to include some or all of the attributes of a model storage resource.

Apparatus, system, and method for modeling for storage provisioning

One aspect of the invention is a method for responding to an inquiry. An example of the method includes receiving the inquiry, obtaining information from a CIMOM, and creating at least one Storage Object. This example of the method also includes populating the at least one Storage Object with information received from the CIMOM, and sending the at least one Storage Object to a calling function.

Common information model

An example of a method for assigning storage includes receiving a request for storage, wherein the request includes a requested amount of storage space and connectivity information. This example of the method also includes identifying storage that is accessible by a requesting device based on the connectivity information, and identifying all LUNs that are masked from all hosts, in the identified storage. This example of the method further includes selecting at least one identified LUN, and assigning the at least one selected LUN to the requesting device.

Method and system for assigning a resource

The invention provides improvements on storage area network (SAN) of the type having one or more host digital data processors in communication with one or more storage devices, where a host has an operating system that utilizes (i) a port driver to define a software interface between a class driver and an adapter to which one or more of the storage devices are coupled, and (ii) a class driver that claims storage devices for access, e.g., by the operating system and any applications programs executing therein, by invoking the port driver to which the host is coupled, e.g., via the interconnect fabric. The improvement comprises a software filter in communication with the port driver and the class driver. That filter intervenes to block claiming of one or more selected storage devices by the class driver.

Storage area network methods and apparatus for storage device masking

The invention provides an improved storage area network (SAN) of the type having a digital data processor, e.g., a host, in communication with one or more storage devices, e.g., a LUN and, further, of the type having a plug-and-play (PNP) manager that generates an event in response to a change in status of at least one of the storage devices. The improvement is characterized by at least a selected process, that executes on the host (or other digital data processor) and that references at least a selected one of the storage devices using a previously assigned logical identification, e.g., a LUN ID. The improvement is further characterized by the selected process responding to an event generated by the plug-and-play by querying for information the storage device (or an interface thereto) with respect to which the event was generated. From that information, the process generates a logical identification for the device.

Storage area network methods and apparatus for associating a logical identification with a physical identification

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Leander, TX, United States of America

Michael L Lamb