International Business Machines Corporation

Paul Nicholas Cashman

Robert Bruce Nicholson

Barry Douglas Whyte

Robert Frank Maddock

Reginald Beer

Paul Hooton

Carlos Francisco Fuente

Ian David Judd

Ben Sasson

Neil Morris

Lee Jason Sanders

Roderick Guy Charles Moore

William James Scales

Timothy Finbarr McCarthy

Florent Rostagni

Paul Jonathan Quelch

Jonathan W Short

Roderick G Moore

Gemma Izen

Barry Douglas White

Jonathan L Settle

Lokesh M Gupta

Jonathan Ian Settle

Michael John Jones

Gareth John Nicholls

Dominic Tomkins

Matthew David Bomhoff

Andrew Ellis Seidel

Jonathan W L Short

Roderick G C Moore

Mark Keith Elliott

Michael Alan Veal

Barry D Whyte

Kenney Nian Gan Giu

Jonathan William Lewis Short

Roderick Guy Moore

Timothy Finbarr Mccarthy

A method, computer program product, and computer system for copying of data in a storage system between storage drives that have embedded compression. The method includes determining that a copy operation of data is required from a source drive to a target drive and determining that the source drive and the target drive use the same compression algorithm. The method includes: reading the data in a compressed form from the source drive including bypassing a decompression algorithm; transmitting the compressed data from the source drive to the target drive; and receiving and writing the compressed data at the target drive including bypassing a compression algorithm at the target drive.

Copying of data in a storage system between storage drives that have embedded compression

A system for managing a storage array in a storage system may include an analysis component for analyzing a set of compression ratios used for a set of storage blocks written on a first storage device and a second storage device to determine a pattern. The system may include a determination component for determining, responsive to the pattern, a first compression ratio and a second compression ratio; the first compression ratio may be different from the second compression ratio. The system may include a data read/write component for writing a storage block to the first storage device with the first compression ratio and writing the storage block to the second storage device with the second compression ratio.

Storage data copies with differing compression algorithms

A method, system, computer program product and computer program for managing a storage system, the storage system comprising a first storage device, a second storage device, a source storage device, a target storage device, and a cache, the method comprising: receiving a first host access request for a data block on the first storage device; receiving a mapping between the source storage device and the target storage device; and in response to the first host access request and the mapping: accessing a corresponding data block on the second storage device; and updating metadata for the cache.

Maintaining cache validity

A method, system, and computer program product for managing a storage system, comprising: analyzing an access request for a first storage block of the set of storage blocks; in response to the access request comprising a read request: in response to the first storage block residing in the cache: processing the read request from the cache; promoting the first storage block within the cache; and destaging the first storage block to the storage device with the first compression ratio; and in response to the first storage block not residing in the cache: processing the read request from the storage device; and copying the first storage block to the cache; in response to the access request comprising a write request: writing the first storage block to the cache; and destaging the first storage block to the storage device using the first compression ratio.

Reactive deep-frozen adaptive replacement cache and drive interface

A plurality of functions to configure a unit of a storage volume is maintained, wherein each of the plurality of functions, in response to being applied to the unit of the storage volume, configures the unit of the storage volume differently. Statistics are computed on growth rate of data and access characteristics of the data stored in the unit of the storage volume. A determination is made as to which of the plurality of functions to apply to the unit of the storage volume, based on the computed statistics.

Automated selection of functions to reduce storage capacity based on performance requirements

A method, computer program product and computer system are provided. A processor receives a host input/output write operation, wherein the host input/output write operation includes host metadata regarding data represented by the host input/output write operation. The processor stores the host input/output write operation in one or more physical storage data units. A processor assigns a priority to the one or more physical storage data units. In response to receiving a host volume delete command associated with at least one of the one or more physical storage data units, a processor prioritizes data units of the host volume for deletion based, at least in part, on the assigned priority of the data units of the host volume, wherein data units with a lower priority are permanently deleted before data units with a higher priority.

Prioritization of stored data during a delete process in a virtualized storage system

Embodiments of the present invention provide concepts for handling a handover of ownership of data from a source to a referrer in a data deduplication environment. By performing a handover of the ownership of the data from the source to the referrer, the number of processes required to access the data may be reduced and so the performance of the system may be improved. The identification of a source for performing the handover on may be performed by way of a volatile cache.

Data deduplication

Storing data volumes in virtual and physical address spaces such that the data units are contiguous in virtual address space but fragmented in physical address space. The mapping between virtual and physical address space is managed by a storage controller that is configured to implement deletes reversibly with a so-called soft delete, the soft delete being reversible up to a later permanent or hard delete. A soft delete triggers a compaction in which the data units of the to-be-deleted volume are gathered together in physical address space. During the time between compaction and hard delete (or restore), the soft deleted volume is thus stored in a space efficient manner. Moreover, the subsequent hard delete can be performed more quickly than if the soft deleted volume were still fragmented across physical address space freeing up space quicker.

Deletion of volumes in data storage systems

Systems for transmitting an application message between nodes of a clustered data processing system are disclosed. One system includes a determination of whether one or more application messages may currently be transmitted to a first node of a plurality of nodes from a second node of the plurality of nodes. The system further includes processing the one or more application messages in response to a determination that the one or more application messages may be currently transmitted.

Method and system for transmitting an application message between nodes of a clustered data processing system

A method for use in a computerized storage system comprising one or more replaceable units, for managing testing of one or more replacement units, where the storage system is automatically placed in a testing mode in response to a given unit being replaced and if testing fails the storage system automatically fails back to a service mode.

Computerized storage system comprising replaceable units for managing testing of replacement units

Computerised storage system comprising replaceable units for managing testing of replacement units

Growing community of inventors

Alton, United Kingdom

Paul Nicholas Cashman