International Business Machines Corporation

Yao Peng

Tang Ren Yao

Karl Allen Nielsen

Brian Anthony Rinaldi

Xue Feng Gao

Chao Li

Zhi Jun Wang

Cheng-Chung Song

Jing Zhou

Qiang Xie

Zhen Xiang Yang

Chao G Li

Provided is a method, computer program product, and system for transferring data between block and file storage systems. A remote server may receive, from a host device, a request to restore data to the host device. The remote server may store the data as one or more objects, with each object corresponding to an extent of a logical volume on the host device. A set of strides on the host device that correspond to the one or more objects may be determined using metadata for the one or more objects. Each of the one or more objects may be split into a set of data pieces using the metadata. Each data piece may then be transmitted from the remote server to the host device.

Transferring data between block and file storage systems

A processor may receive a request to transmit a logical volume to a cloud-based server. The logical volume may be stored in a data storage subsystem that includes one or more ranks. Each rank may include one or more extents, which may include one or more stride. The processor may determine an extent of the one or more extents that includes data of the logical volume. The processor may determine a set of strides associated with the extent. The processor may copy the set of strides into a stride buffer and combine the set of strides into a block extent file. The processor may transmit the block extent file to the cloud server.

The method includes identifying, by one or more computer processors, at least one source rank selected for depopulation in a storage pool. The method further includes identifying, by one or more computer processors, one or more source extents for depopulation, wherein the identified one or more source extents belongs to the identified at least one source rank selected for depopulation. The method further includes obtaining, by one or more computer processors, for each identified source extent of the identified one or more source extents to be depopulated, at least one I/O workload. The method further includes sorting, by one or more computer processors, the one or more source extents to be depopulated, based at least in part on the at least one I/O workload for each identified source extent of the identified one or more source extents.

I/O statistic based depopulation of storage ranks

A method for improving the performance of a RAID under rebuild is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method includes identifying a RAID requiring rebuild, such as by identifying a RAID having one or more failed storage-drive components. The method then automatically performs the following in response to identifying the RAID: the method identifies hot extents (i.e., extents most heavily accessed) in the RAID; the method migrates the hot extents from the identified failed RAID to a normal RAID not requiring rebuild, such as to an underused RAID; and the method rebuilds the failed RAID. The migration of the hot extents will ideally occur while the RAID is being rebuilt but may also be performed prior to the rebuild process. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also disclosed.

Performance enhancement technique for raids under rebuild

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Shanghai, China

Yao Peng