Method, system, and program for moving data among storage units

• US 20040044854A1
• Filed: 08/29/2002
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kishi, Gregory Tad, Peake, Jonathan Wayne, Gibble, Kevin Lee
• Granted Patent: US 7,103,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0686 Libraries, e.g. tape libraries, jukebox
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/026 by using processor, e.g. microcomputer

Abstract

Provided are a method, system, and program for managing data in storage units. Storage pool information indicates an assignment of a plurality of storage units to a plurality of storage pools, wherein each pool is assigned zero or more storage units, wherein data associated with one storage pool is stored in a storage unit assigned to the storage pool, wherein the storage pool information for each pool indicates a threshold and target storage pool, and wherein the target storage pool is capable of being different from the storage pool. One storage unit associated with a source storage pool is selected and a determination is made of the threshold from the storage pool information for the source storage pool. A determination is made of whether the selected storage unit satisfies the determined threshold and if the selected storage unit satisfies the determined threshold, then a target storage unit in the target storage pool is selected if the storage pool information for the source storage pool indicates a target storage pool different from the source storage pool. Data from the selected storage unit is copied to the selected target storage unit.

Claims

1. A method for managing data in storage units, comprising:

maintaining storage pool information indicating an assignment of a plurality of storage units to a plurality of storage pools, wherein each pool is assigned zero or more storage units, wherein data associated with one storage pool is stored in a storage unit assigned to the storage pool, wherein the storage pool information for each pool indicates a threshold and target storage pool, and wherein the target storage pool is capable of being different from the storage pool;

selecting one storage unit associated with a source storage pool;

determining the threshold from the storage pool information for the source storage pool;

determining whether the selected storage unit satisfies the determined threshold;

if the selected storage unit satisfies the determined threshold, then selecting a target storage unit in the target storage pool if the storage pool information for the source storage pool indicates a target storage pool different from the source storage pool; and

copying data from the selected storage unit to the selected target storage unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two of the storage pools have different thresholds.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected storage unit satisfies the determined threshold if an amount of active data in the selected storage unit is less than the threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the target storage unit from the source storage pool if a different target storage pool is not indicated in the storage pool information for the source storage pool.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold for the source storage pool is lower than the threshold for the target storage pool.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage units in the source storage pool have a lower storage capacity than the storage units in the target storage pool.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the source storage pool comprises a first storage pool, wherein the target storage pool comprises a second storage pool, wherein a third storage pool is identified as a target storage pool in the storage pool information for the second storage pool, and whereby data from one selected storage unit in the second storage pool is moved to the third storage pool when the threshold for the second storage pool is reached.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the source storage pool stores data transferred from a storage device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the storage device has a higher data access rate than the storage units.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the storage units comprise tape cartridges, and wherein the storage device operates as a tape buffer to which data is written using tape Input/Output commands.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the storage units comprise tape cartridges in a virtual tape server and wherein the storage device comprises a virtual tape buffer in said virtual tape server.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage units comprise sequential access tape cartridges.

13. A system for managing data, comprising:

storage units;

means for maintaining storage pool information indicating an assignment of a plurality of storage units to a plurality of storage pools, wherein each pool is assigned zero or more storage units, wherein data associated with one storage pool is stored in a storage unit assigned to the storage pool, wherein the storage pool information for each pool indicates a threshold and target storage pool, and wherein the target storage pool is capable of being different from the storage pool;

means for selecting one storage unit associated with a source storage pool;

means for determining the threshold from the storage pool information for the source storage pool;

means for determining whether the selected storage unit satisfies the determined threshold;

means for selecting, if the selected storage unit satisfies the determined threshold, a target storage unit in the target storage pool if the storage pool information for the source storage pool indicates a target storage pool different from the source storage pool; and

means for copying data from the selected storage unit to the selected target storage unit.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein at least two of the storage pools have different thresholds.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the selected storage unit satisfies the determined threshold if an amount of active data in the selected storage unit is less than the threshold.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

selecting the target storage unit from the source storage pool if a different target storage pool is not indicated in the storage pool information for the source storage pool.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the threshold for the source storage pool is lower than the threshold for the target storage pool.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the storage units in the source storage pool have a lower storage capacity than the storage units in the target storage pool.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the source storage pool comprises a first storage pool, wherein the target storage pool comprises a second storage pool, wherein a third storage pool is identified as a target storage pool in the storage pool information for the second storage pool, and whereby data from one selected storage unit in the second storage pool is moved to the third storage pool when the threshold for the second storage pool is reached.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the source storage pool stores data transferred from a storage device.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the storage device has a higher data access rate than the storage units.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the storage units comprise tape cartridges, and wherein the storage device operates as a tape buffer to which data is written using tape Input/Output commands.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the storage units comprise tape cartridges in a virtual tape server and wherein the storage device comprises a virtual tape buffer in said virtual tape server.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the storage units comprise sequential access tape cartridges.

25. An article of manufacture for managing data in storage units, wherein the article of manufacture causes operations to be performed, the operations comprising:

maintaining storage pool information indicating an assignment of a plurality of storage units to a plurality of storage pools, wherein each pool is assigned zero or more storage units, wherein data associated with one storage pool is stored in a storage unit assigned to the storage pool, wherein the storage pool information for each pool indicates a threshold and target storage pool, and wherein the target storage pool is capable of being different from the storage pool;

selecting one storage unit associated with a source storage pool;

determining the threshold from the storage pool information for the source storage pool;

determining whether the selected storage unit satisfies the determined threshold;

if the selected storage unit satisfies the determined threshold, then selecting a target storage unit in the target storage pool if the storage pool information for the source storage pool indicates a target storage pool different from the source storage pool; and

copying data from the selected storage unit to the selected target storage unit.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein at least two of the storage pools have different thresholds.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the selected storage unit satisfies the determined threshold if an amount of active data in the selected storage unit is less than the threshold.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 25, further comprising:

selecting the target storage unit from the source storage pool if a different target storage pool is not indicated in the storage pool information for the source storage pool.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the threshold for the source storage pool is lower than the threshold for the target storage pool.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the storage units in the source storage pool have a lower storage capacity than the storage units in the target storage pool.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the source storage pool comprises a first storage pool, wherein the target storage pool comprises a second storage pool, wherein a third storage pool is identified as a target storage pool in the storage pool information for the second storage pool, and whereby data from one selected storage unit in the second storage pool is moved to the third storage pool when the threshold for the second storage pool is reached.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the source storage pool associated with includes storage units storing data transferred from a storage device.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 32, wherein the storage device has a higher data access rate than the storage units.

34. The article of manufacture of claim 33, wherein the storage units comprise tape cartridges, and wherein the storage device operates as a tape buffer to which data is written using tape Input/Output commands.

35. The article of manufacture of claim 32, wherein the storage units comprise tape cartridges in a virtual tape server and wherein the storage device comprises a virtual tape buffer in said virtual tape server.

36. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the storage units comprise sequential access tape cartridges.