Dynamic partition allocation for tape file system

• US 10,564,902 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2015
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Abe, Atsushi, Hasegawa, Tohru
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Masud K
• Application Number:
  US14/967,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20170169051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,527 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/213 Tape storage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0644 Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0682 Tape device
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1201 on tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]

Abstract

A tape drive system that uses a tape cartridge having more than one file storage partition, sometimes herein referred to as “virtual tapes.” The tape file sub-system (which controls tape addressing) is identical to conventional single file storage partition tape cartridges, because: (i) a tape control sub-system controls writing of the multiple virtual tapes on a single tape cartridge, but communicates with the tape file sub-system as if the multiple virtual tapes were actually located on different physical tape cartridges; and (ii) a tape control sub-system controls reading of the multiple virtual tapes from a single tape cartridge, but communicates with the tape file sub-system as if the multiple virtual tapes were actually located on different physical tape cartridges. The multiple virtual tapes stored on a single physical tape cartridge are useful because they help circumvent certain “per tape restrictions” that are inherent in the tape file sub-system.

Claims

1. A tape drive system for use with a physical tape cartridge including a tape storage medium, the tape drive system comprising:

a tape reading/writing sub-system structured and/or programmed to read data from and write data to the tape storage medium, with the tape storage medium including a plurality of data storage partitions, with each given data storage partition of the plurality of data storage partitions including a set of data storage capacity rule(s);

a tape control sub-system structured and/or programmed to control the tape reading/writing sub-system to write a first set of data on a given data storage partition of the plurality of data storage partitions on the tape storage medium;

a tape file sub-system structured and/or programmed to control an addressing scheme so that each given data storage partition of the plurality of data storage partitions is addressed as an independent multiple partition file system, with the addressing scheme based, at least in part, upon the set of data storage capacity rule(s) that restricts a first number of files that can be written onto each given data storage partition of the plurality of data storage partitions;

the tape reading/writing sub-system structured and/or programmed to attempt to write the first set of data on a first data storage partition, with the first set of data including a first number of files that is in excess of the data storage capacity of the tape storage medium;

the tape control sub-system structured and/or programmed to write the first number of files of the first set of data to a first data storage partition, with the first number of files of the first set of data being a maximum number of files that can be stored on any given data storage partition that is determined by the set of data storage capacity rule(s); and

the tape control sub-system structured and/or programmed to write a second number of files of the first set of data to a second data storage partition, with the second number of files of the first set of data being the difference between the number of files in the first set of data, in both the first data storage partition and in the second data storage partition, and the number of files of the first set of data.

2. The tape drive system of claim 1 wherein the tape file sub-system is further structured and/or programmed to control the addressing scheme so that the first number of files within each given data storage partition of the plurality of data storage partitions is addressed as an independent linear tape file system (LTFS) file system.

3. The tape drive system of claim 1 wherein each given data storage partition respectively corresponds to a virtual tape, with each virtual tape being a set of data that is treated as an entirety of a single tape medium by computer components that read from and/or write to the virtual tape.

4. A computer program product for controlling operations of a tape drive system including a tape reading/writing sub-system structured and/or programmed to read data from and write data to the tape storage medium, a tape control sub-system, and a tape file sub-system, and a physical tape cartridge including a tape storage medium, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor(s) set of the tape drive system to cause the tape drive system to:

write, by the tape reading/writing sub-system under control of the tape control sub-system, a first set of data on a given data storage partition of a plurality of data storage partitions on the tape storage medium;

control, by the tape file sub-system, an addressing scheme so that each given data storage partition of the plurality of data storage partitions is addressed as an independent multiple partition file system, with the addressing scheme based, at least in part, upon a set of data storage capacity rule(s) that restricts a first number of files that can be written onto each given data storage partition of the plurality of data storage partitions;

attempt to write, by the tape reading/writing sub-system, the first set of data on a first data storage partition, with the first set of data including a first number of files that is in excess of the data storage capacity of the tape storage medium;

write, by the tape control sub-system, the first number of files of the first set of data to a first data storage partition, with the first number of files of the first set of data being a maximum number of files that can be stored on any given logical data storage partition that is determined by the set of data storage capacity rule(s); and

write, by the tape control sub-system, a second number of files of the first set of data to a second data storage partition, with the second number of files of the first set of data being the difference between the number of files in the first set of data, in both the first data storage partition and in the second data storage partition, and the number of files of the first set of data;

wherein;

the tape storage medium includes a plurality of data storage partitions; and

each given data storage partition of the plurality of data storage partitions includes a set of data storage capacity rule(s).

5. The computer program product of claim 4 wherein the control of the addressing scheme is performed by the tape file sub-system so that the first number of files of each given data storage partition of the plurality of data storage partitions is addressed as an independent linear tape file system (LTFS) file system.

6. The computer program product of claim 4 wherein each given data storage partition respectively corresponds to a virtual tape, with each virtual tape being a set of data that is treated as an entirety of a single tape medium by computer components that read from and/or write to the virtual tape.

7. A computer-implemented method for use with a tape drive system and a physical tape cartridge including a tape storage medium, the method comprising:

providing;

a tape reading/writing sub-system structured and/or programmed to read data from and write data to the tape storage medium,

a tape control sub-system, and

a tape file sub-system;

reading data from and writing data to the tape storage medium by tape reading/writing sub-system, with the tape storage medium including a plurality of data storage partitions, with each given data storage partition of the plurality of data storage partitions including a set of data storage capacity rule(s);

controlling, by the tape control sub-system, the tape reading/writing sub-system to write a first set of data on a given data storage partition of the plurality of data storage partitions on the tape storage medium;

controlling, by the tape file sub-system, an addressing scheme so that each given data storage partition of the plurality of data storage partitions is addressed as an independent multiple partition file system, with the addressing scheme based, at least in part, upon the set of data storage capacity rule(s) that restricts a first number of files that can be written onto each given data storage partition of the plurality of data storage partitions;

attempting to write, by the tape reading/writing sub-system, the first set of data on a first data storage partition, with the first set of data including a first number of files that is in excess of the data storage capacity of the tape storage medium;

writing, by the tape control sub-system, the first number of files of the first set of data to a first data storage partition, with the number of files of the first set of data being a maximum amount of data that can be stored on any given data storage partition that is determined by the set of data storage capacity rule(s); and

writing, by the tape control sub-system, a second number of files of the first set of data to a second data storage partition, with the second number of files of the first set of data being the difference between the number of files in the first set of data, in both the first data storage partition and in the second data storage partition, and the number of files of the first set of data.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

controlling the addressing scheme so that the first number of files within each given data storage partition of the plurality of data storage partitions is addressed as an independent linear tape file system (LTFS) file system.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein each given data storage partition respectively corresponds to a virtual tape, with each virtual tape being a set of data that is treated as an entirety of a single tape medium by computer components that read from and/or write to the virtual tape.