Migrating data to disk without interrupting running backup operations

• US 10,101,913 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2015
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Kochunni, Jaidev O., Klose, Michael F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Birkhimer, Christopher D
• Application Number:
  US14/843,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20170060431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

Systems and methods for migrating stored backup data between magnetic disks (e.g., from an existing magnetic disk to another disk), such as a new or different magnetic disk in a magnetic storage library, without interrupting or otherwise affecting secondary copy operations (e.g., operations currently writing data to the storage library) utilizing the magnetic storage library, are described. In some embodiments, the systems and methods mark one or more mount paths as full when a running secondary copy operation associated with the mount path has completed a job (regardless of the actual current capacity or intended use of the mount path), and migrate each of the one or more data volumes to a second magnetic disk of the magnetic library when the mount path associated with the data volume is marked as full.

Claims

1. A method, performed by a media agent of an information management system, for refreshing mount paths of a magnetic disk data storage library, the method comprising:

accessing a request to replace an existing magnetic disk storing one or more data volumes and associated with one or more mount paths associated with a new magnetic disk,

wherein the request is accessed while secondary copy operations associated with the one or more mount paths are currently running,

wherein the secondary copy operations include transferring data to one or more partitions of the existing magnetic disk, and

wherein the one or more partitions are mapped to the one or more mount paths of the magnetic disk data storage library;

for all non-active mount paths, migrating, at a first time, data volumes associated with the non-active mount paths to the new magnetic disk;

for all active mount paths associated with currently running secondary copy operations;

marking each mount path as non-active when a running secondary copy operation associated with the mount path has completed a job; and

migrating, at a second time later than the first time, data volumes associated with the mount path marked as non-active to the new magnetic disk; and

for all mount paths migrated to the new magnetic disk, marking each mount path as resident on the new magnetic disk.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating one or more temporary mount paths on the new magnetic disk for all the active mount paths associated with the currently running secondary copy operations;

sending all jobs performed by the currently running secondary copy operations to the one or more created temporary mount paths; and

when the mount paths marked as non-active are marked as resident on the new magnetic disk, returning all jobs performed by the currently running secondary copy operations to the mount paths marked as resident on the new magnetic disk.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

predicting a time period, commencing with the first time to migrate the data volumes associated with the non-active mount paths to the new magnetic disk; and

for all the active mount paths associated with the currently running secondary copy operations;

marking the mount paths as non-active when the predicted time period lapses; and

migrating the data volumes associated with the mount paths marked as non-active to the new magnetic disk.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the magnetic disk data storage library is a virtual storage library that represents a list of mount paths through which data is transferred from the media agent to magnetic disks.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more mount paths represented by the magnetic disk data storage library contain volume folders associated with data volumes stored to magnetic disks via the one or more mount paths.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the media agent performs secondary copy operations using a fill and spill mount path allocation policy.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the media agent performs secondary copy operations using a spill and fill mount path allocation policy.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein marking each mount path of the active mount paths as non-active when a running secondary copy operation associated with the mount path has completed a job includes marking a non-full mount path as full when the running secondary copy operation completes a currently running copy job.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein marking each mount path of the active mount paths as non-active when a running secondary copy operation associated with the mount path has completed a job includes performing a database operation within the magnetic disk data storage library to indicate a mount path cannot perform another job associated with running backup operations.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein marking each mount path of the active mount paths as non-active when a running secondary copy operation associated with the mount path has completed a job includes marking each mount path as full until data volumes associated with the mount path marked as full have completed a migration to the new magnetic disk.

11. A system, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one data storage device coupled to the at least one processor and storing instructions for implementing a process to migrate data volumes between magnetic disks, wherein the process comprises;

accessing, via an access component, a request to migrate data volumes stored on an existing magnetic disk to a new disk,

wherein the request is accessed while secondary copy operations are currently running to transfer data to the existing magnetic disk; and

for all active mount paths associated with the currently running secondary copy operations transferring data to the existing magnetic disk, marking, via a migration component, each mount path as full when a running secondary copy operation associated with the mount path has completed a job to transfer data to the existing magnetic disk, and

migrating, via the migration component, data volumes associated with the mount path marked as full to the new disk.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the migration component marks all mount paths migrated to the new disk as open to receive data to transfer to the new disk.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the migration component migrates data volumes associated with non-active mount paths to the new disk before migrating the data volumes associated with the active mount paths to the new disk.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the migration component migrates data volumes associated with non-active mount paths to the new disk before marking the active mount paths as full.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the process further comprises:

creating, via a temporary mount path component, one or more temporary mount paths on the new disk for all the active mount paths associated with the currently running secondary copy operations;

directing all jobs performed by the currently running secondary copy operations to the created temporary mount paths during migration of data volumes associated with mount paths marked as non-active to the new disk; and

when the mount paths marked as non-active are marked as open on the new disk, redirecting, all jobs performed by the currently running secondary copy operations to the mount paths marked as open on the new disk.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the migration component is further configured to:

determine an expected time period to migrate the data volumes associated with the non-active mount paths to the new disk; and

for all the active mount paths associated with the currently running secondary copy operations;

mark the mount paths as full when the predicted time period lapses; and

migrate the data volumes associated with the mount paths marked as full to the new disk.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the access component and the migration component are part of a media agent within an information management system that is configured to perform the currently running secondary copy operations.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein each of the one or more mount paths are represented by a virtual magnetic library containing volume folders associated with data volumes stored to magnetic disks via the one or more mount paths.

19. A computer-readable medium, excluding transitory propagating signals, storing instructions that, when executed by an information management system, cause the information management system to perform a secondary copy operation of data to magnetic disks of a magnetic library, the method comprising:

transferring data to one or more data volumes contained in one or more partitions of a first magnetic disk of the magnetic library,

wherein the one or more partitions are associated with one or more mount paths through which data is transferred to the one or more data volumes stored by the one or more partitions of the first magnetic disk;

marking each of the one or more mount paths as full when a running secondary copy operation associated with the mount path has completed a job; and

transferring each of the one or more data volumes to another data storage medium when the mount path associated with the data volume is marked as full.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the other data storage medium is a second magnetic disk, and wherein the method further comprises:

creating one or more temporary mount paths to the second magnetic disk;

directing jobs performed by the running secondary copy operations to the created temporary mount paths during migration of the one or more data volumes to the second magnetic disk; and

when the migration of the one or more data volumes to the second magnetic disk is complete, redirecting the jobs performed by the running secondary copy operations to the mount paths.