Methods of capturing and naming dynamic storage tiering configurations to support data pre-staging

A method, comprising:

• provisioning a virtual volume from at least one storage pool of a storage array;
• designating at least one virtual volume segment of the virtual volume for mapping a virtual volume range to a virtual drive range;
• creating a Point-in-Time copy (PiT) in a destination storage pool when the virtual volume includes at least one PiT;
• creating a PiT temporary virtual volume (PTVV) in the virtual volume, the PTVV configured to store changes made to the virtual volume since the PiT of the virtual volume was created to preserve a copy of the virtual volume that existed prior to changes made to the virtual volume since the PiT of the virtual volume was created;
• reconfiguring at least one virtual volume segment to contain a hot-spot when the virtual volume does not include at least one PiT, the at least one virtual volume segment configured to be moved to at least one corresponding storage pool;
• obtaining at least one Dynamic Storage Tiering (DST) configuration;
• determining whether the virtual volume included at least one PiT when the DST configuration was obtained;
• recording the at least one DST configuration when it is determined that the virtual volume included at least one PiT when the DST configuration was obtained;
• applying the at least one DST configuration to the storage array;
• verifying the validity of the at least one DST configuration;
• pre-staging data according to the at least one DST configuration prior to at least one of a peak production period or an off-peak production period;
• and
• including a delay period to be initiated upon application of the at least one DST configuration to the storage array, wherein during the delay period a DST module is disabled, and wherein after the delay period the DST module is enabled.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for pre-staging data, said method comprising:

• provisioning a virtual volume from at least one storage pool of a storage array;
• designating at least one virtual volume segment of the virtual volume for mapping a virtual volume range to a virtual drive range;
• creating a Point-in-Time copy (PiT) in a destination storage pool when the virtual volume includes at least one PiT;
• creating a PiT temporary virtual volume (PTVV) in the virtual volume, the PTVV configured to store changes made to the virtual volume since the PiT of the virtual volume was created to preserve a copy of the virtual volume that existed prior to changes made to the virtual volume since the PiT of the virtual volume was created;
• reconfiguring at least one virtual volume segment to contain a hot-spot when the virtual volume does not include at least one PiT, the at least one virtual volume segment configured to be moved to at least one corresponding storage pool;
• obtaining at least one Dynamic Storage Tiering (DST) configuration;
• determining whether the virtual volume included at least one PiT when the DST configuration was obtained;
• recording the at least one DST configuration when it is determined that the virtual volume included at least one PiT when the DST configuration was obtained;
• applying the at least one DST configuration to the storage array;
• verifying the validity of the at least one DST configuration;
• pre-staging data according to the at least one DST configuration prior to at least one of a peak production period or an off-peak production period;
• and
• including a delay period to be initiated upon application of the at least one DST configuration to the storage array, wherein during the delay period a DST module is disabled, and wherein after the delay period the DST module is enabled.