International Business Machines Corporation

Stephen A Byrd

Scott Joseph Colbeck

Li Zhou

Bernhard Julius Klingenberg

David Lynn Merbach

Sunil Bharadwaj

Kevin Joseph Webster

Bruce Light Hillsberg

Steven Czerwinski

J Kristofer Fox

Rajesh Francisco Krishnan

Balaji Thirumalai

Benjamin J Randall

Sumant Padbidri

Christian Bolik

William Tuminaro

Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for adjusting synchronization rates of volumes. Volumes and their copies (i.e., mirrored volumes) provide physical or virtual storage on a data storage medium. Depending on the function (i.e., the purpose) of mirrored volumes, a certain synchronization rate is recommended. Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for an automatic dynamic adjustment of individual synchronization rates by adapting to changes in system workloads in order to avoid degradation of user-driven input/output (IO) and to efficiently achieve nearly 100% synchronization for all mirrored volumes.

Adjustment of volume synchronization

For automatic updates to fabric alert definitions, a method monitors fabric alert definitions defined for a storage area network having a plurality of switches and a plurality of fabrics. The fabric alert definitions define alert conditions within the storage area network relevant to events occurring within one or more of the plurality of fabrics. The method further detects one or more changes to the plurality of fabrics by discovering relationships between each fabric and each switch within the storage area network and comparing current relationships against previous relationships. In addition, the method automatically modifies fabric alert definitions having a reference to changed fabrics responsive to detection of the one or more changes to the plurality of fabrics.

Automatic updates to fabric alert definitions

A method, computer program product, and system for determining an optimal volume placement on a storage system. The method includes acquiring at least a desired response time range for each storage volume associated with an application. The degree of optimization of volume placement is evaluated utilizing numeric scores assigned by a fitness function, and a recommendation is provided for storage volumes that should be moved to different storage pools, such that desired response times are met.

Optimizing volume placement based upon desired response time and priority

A mechanism is provided in a data processing system for volume placement across remote replication relationships. Responsive to applying a volume placement optimization to a source storage pool having at least one volume with a replication target in a target storage pool, the mechanism determines whether the source storage pool and the target storage pool have identical storage volume membership. Responsive to determining the source storage pool and the target storage pool not having the same storage volume membership, the mechanism generates workload performance data for each non-shared storage volume in the target storage pool that does not have a corresponding member of the source storage pool. The mechanism generates a hardware profile for hardware of the target storage pool. The mechanism generates a volume placement optimization for the storage volumes in the target storage pool based on the workload performance data for each non-shared storage volume in the target storage pool and the hardware profile for the hardware of the target storage pool.

Optimal volume placement across remote replication relationships

Techniques for identifying and selecting equivalent sets of agents with defined capabilities to perform certain actions are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, determining agents to gather information for a storage area network fabric may be performed through the use of fabric discovery operations which identify agents capable of performing various actions within the fabric. From the determined capabilities of the agents, a dynamic capability grid may be populated to assist with the generation of a list of equivalent subsets to perform the various actions. The most efficient set of agents from each equivalent subset may then be selected to perform actions, with other sets of agents in the equivalent subset available as secondary choices in case of an unexpected failure. For example, a fabric probe may be executed in a storage area network using discovered agents from a list of equivalent subsets to most efficiently accomplish network operations such as zoning and topology.

Method of determining equivalent subsets of agents to gather information for a fabric

The present disclosure provides techniques for updating fabric alert definitions defined for a fiber channel or other fabric-based network within a storage management system. One embodiment provides techniques for detecting fabric merges, fabric segmentations, and principal switch changes of the fabric and modifying fabric alert definitions as a result of these changes. Thus, any alert definitions scoped by fabric will remain relevant even after fabric structural changes, and duplicate and/or redundant alerts may be reduced within the storage management system. In a further embodiment, detection of fabric changes is performed by first storing relationships between fabrics and switches, and comparing the current relationships between the fabrics and the switches against the stored relationships. Upon recognition of changes within the fabrics, the fabric alert definitions may be automatically analyzed and updated.

Automatic updates to fabric alert definitions for fabric segmentation, fabric merge, and fabric principal switch changes

An apparatus, system, and method are provided for gathering trace data indicative of resource activity on a computer system. The present invention includes a monitoring module that initiates one or more activity monitors on a target computer system to detect different types of resource activity. A determination module determines activity indicators involving resources of the target computer system using the one or more activity monitors. The activity indicators may comprise a variety of information useful in identifying one or more separate resource activities. A collection module organizes the activity indicators into trace data representative of the resource activity. Preferably, the monitoring module, determination module, and collection module operate continuously on the target computer system. In this manner, the trace data includes an accurate set of both current activity indicators as well as historical activity indicators.

Apparatus, system, and method for gathering trace data indicative of resource activity

An apparatus, system, and method are provided for analyzing the association of a resource to a business process. The invention includes an origination module, an evaluation module, and an identification module. The origination module receives an identifier and derives a seed resource associated with the identifier. The evaluation module applies heuristic routines to trace data and derives a set of candidate resources, and each heuristic routine assigns each candidate resource a probability value. The evaluation module further combines the probabilities for each candidate resource into a combined probability. The identification module identifies a resource associated to a business process by examining the combined probability of a candidate resource with a threshold value. The heuristic routines, thresholds, techniques for combining probabilities and the like are modifiable to accommodate user needs and system changes over time.

Apparatus, system, and method for analyzing the association of a resource to a business process

An apparatus, system, and method are provided for automatically discovering and grouping files and other resources used by a business process. The present invention includes a monitoring module that collects trace data representative of operational behavior of software applications. An analysis module analyzes the trace data to discover resources affiliated with the business process. A determination module defines a logical application corresponding to the business process and includes the resources discovered by the analysis module. The logical application is automatically defined such that business policies may be readily implemented on the logical application as a whole. Manual identification of resources for a business process is eliminated or substantially reduced.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Stephen A Byrd