Apparatus and method to maintain information in one or more virtual volume aggregates comprising a plurality of virtual volumes
First Claim
1. A method for maintaining information in one or more virtual volume aggregates, comprising the steps of:
- maintaining a plurality of virtual volumes in a first information storage medium;
forming one or more virtual volume aggregates, wherein each of said plurality of virtual volumes is assigned to one of said one or more virtual volume aggregates;
providing a plurality of second information storage media;
identifying the least recently used virtual volume; and
writing the virtual volume aggregate comprising said least recently used virtual volume to one or more second information storage media.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for maintaining information in one or more virtual volume aggregates comprising a plurality of virtual volumes. The method maintains a plurality of virtual volumes in a first information storage medium, and forms one or more virtual volume aggregates, where each of the of virtual volumes is assigned to one of the virtual volume aggregates. The method further provides a plurality of second information storage media. The method then identifies the least recently used virtual volume, and writes the virtual volume aggregate comprising that least recently used virtual volume to one or more second information storage media. Thereafter, the method determines if space is required on said first information storage medium. If space is required on said first information storage medium, the method selects the virtual volume aggregate comprising the least recently used virtual volume and removes from said first information storage medium each virtual volume in that selected virtual volume aggregate that has been written to one or more second information storage media.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for maintaining information in one or more virtual volume aggregates, comprising the steps of:
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maintaining a plurality of virtual volumes in a first information storage medium;
forming one or more virtual volume aggregates, wherein each of said plurality of virtual volumes is assigned to one of said one or more virtual volume aggregates;
providing a plurality of second information storage media;
identifying the least recently used virtual volume; and
writing the virtual volume aggregate comprising said least recently used virtual volume to one or more second information storage media. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for maintaining information in one or more virtual volume aggregates, comprising the steps of:
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maintaining a plurality of virtual volumes in a first information storage medium;
forming one or more virtual volume aggregates, wherein each of said plurality of virtual volumes is assigned to one or more virtual volume aggregates;
providing a plurality of second information storage media;
identifying the least recently used virtual volume;
writing the virtual volume aggregate comprising said least recently used virtual volume to one or more second information storage media;
determining if space is required on said first information storage medium;
operative if space is required on said first information storage medium;
selecting the virtual volume aggregate comprising the least recently used virtual volume;
removing from said first information storage medium each virtual volume in said selected virtual volume aggregate that has been written to one or more second information storage media.
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11. An article of manufacture comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to maintain a plurality of virtual volumes in one or more virtual volume aggregates, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:
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maintaining a plurality of virtual volumes in a first information storage medium;
forming one or more virtual volume aggregates, wherein each of said plurality of virtual volumes is assigned to one or more virtual volume aggregates;
providing a plurality of second information storage media;
identifying the least recently used virtual volume; and
writing the virtual volume aggregate comprising said least recently used virtual volume to one or more second information storage media. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An article of manufacture comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to maintain a plurality of virtual volumes in one or more virtual volume aggregates, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:
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maintaining a plurality of virtual volumes in a first information storage medium;
forming one or more virtual volume aggregates, wherein each of said plurality of virtual volumes is assigned to one or more virtual volume aggregates;
providing a plurality of second information storage media;
identifying the least recently used virtual volume;
writing the virtual volume aggregate comprising said least recently used virtual volume to one or more second information storage media;
determining if space is required on said first information storage medium;
operative if space is required on said first information storage medium;
selecting the virtual volume aggregate comprising the least recently used virtual volume;
removing from said first information storage medium each virtual volume in said selected virtual volume aggregate that has been written to one or more second information storage media.
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21. A computer program product usable with a programmable computer processor having computer readable program code embodied therein to maintain a plurality of virtual volumes in one or more virtual volume aggregates, comprising:
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computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to maintain a plurality of virtual volumes in a first information storage medium;
computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to form one or more virtual volume aggregates, wherein each of said plurality of virtual volumes is assigned to one of said one or more virtual volume aggregates;
computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to identify the least recently used virtual volume; and
computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to write the virtual volume aggregate comprising said least recently used virtual volume to one or more second information storage media. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A computer program product usable with a programmable computer processor having computer readable program code embodied therein to maintain a plurality of virtual volumes in one or more virtual volume aggregates, comprising:
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computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to maintain a plurality of virtual volumes in a first information storage medium;
computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to form one or more virtual volume aggregates, wherein each of said plurality of virtual volumes is assigned to one of said one or more virtual volume aggregates;
computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to provide a plurality of second information storage media;
computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to identify the least recently used virtual volume;
computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to write the virtual volume aggregate comprising said least recently used virtual volume to one or more second information storage media;
computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to determine if space is required on said first information storage medium;
computer readable program code which, if space is required on said first information storage medium, causes said programmable computer processor to select the virtual volume aggregate comprising the least recently used virtual volume, and to remove from said first information storage medium each virtual volume in said selected virtual volume aggregate that has been written to one or more second information storage media.
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Specification