Method and apparatus for managing and formatting data in an autonomous operation

• US 20040243736A1
• Filed: 05/29/2003
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daedalus Blue LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chambliss, David Darden, Hattrup, Glen, Lay, Jeou-Rong, Martin, Howard Newton
• Granted Patent: US 7,356,622 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0656 Data buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0661 Format or protocol conversion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method for managing and formatting data in an autonomous data transfer operation are provided. An initialization module is configured to prepare metadata corresponding to a data source. A loader loads autonomous operation instructions corresponding to the data source into a first location and loads autonomous operation instructions corresponding to the metadata into a second location. An assembler selectively assembles, according to a set of formatting rules, autonomous operation instructions from the first location and the second location into a set of autonomous operation instructions. By assembling an ordered set of autonomous operation instructions, a third party autonomous operation may effectively insert metadata into and remove metadata from a contiguous data stream of a data source without altering the data.

Claims

1. An apparatus for formatting a data source and corresponding metadata in an autonomous operation, comprising:

an initialization module configured to prepare metadata corresponding to a data source for an autonomous operation conducted by a third party;

a loader configured to load autonomous operation instructions corresponding to the data source into a first location and autonomous operation instructions corresponding to the metadata into a second location; and

an assembler configured to selectively assemble, according to a set of formatting rules, autonomous operation instructions from the first location and the second location into a set of autonomous operation instructions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a translator configured to convert the set of autonomous operation instructions into a parameter set for the autonomous operation.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a generator configured to generate autonomous operation instructions corresponding to the data source and autonomous operation instructions corresponding to the metadata.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the set of autonomous operation instructions are assembled into a third location.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the autonomous operation comprises a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) third party extended copy command.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first location and the second location comprise virtual First-In-First-Out (FIFO) buffers.

7. An apparatus for formatting a data source and corresponding metadata in an autonomous operation, comprising:

a third party device configured to execute an autonomous operation on a data source according to a set of autonomous operation instructions, wherein the set of autonomous operation instructions are selectively assembled from the first location and the second location according to a set of formatting rules, the first location comprising autonomous operation instructions corresponding to metadata and the second location comprising autonomous operation instructions corresponding to the data source; and

at least one storage device in communication with the third party device, the at least one storage device configured to respond to I/O (Input/Output) instructions that result from the set of autonomous operation instructions executed by the third party device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the autonomous operation comprises a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) third party extended copy command.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first location and the second location comprise virtual First-In-First-Out (FIFO) buffers.

10. A system for formatting a data source and corresponding metadata in an autonomous operation, comprising:

a data mover configured to communicate with a first storage device and a second storage device over a network;

a processor in communication with the data mover and configured to initiate a third party extended copy command by way of the data mover to transfer data between the first storage device and the second storage device, wherein the processor is configured to prepare metadata for the third party extended copy command, the metadata corresponding to a data source stored on the first storage device, load third party extended copy command instructions corresponding to the data source into a first location and load third party extended copy command instructions corresponding to the metadata into a second location, and selectively assemble third party extended copy command instructions from the first location and the second location according to a set of formatting rules into a of third party extended copy command instructions suitable for the data mover.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor further assembles the third party extended copy command instructions into a third location.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first location and the second location comprise virtual First-in-First-Out (FIFO) buffers.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the data mover provides a result for the third party extended copy command to the processor.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the first storage device comprises random access media and the second storage device comprises sequential access media.

15. A method for formatting a data source and corresponding metadata in an autonomous operation, comprising:

preparing metadata corresponding to a data source for an autonomous operation conducted by a third party;

loading autonomous operation instructions corresponding to the data source into a first location and loading autonomous operation instructions corresponding to the metadata into a second location; and

selectively assembling autonomous operation instructions from the first location and the second location according to a set of formatting rules.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the autonomous operation instructions are assembled without altering data of the data source.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising converting the set of autonomous operation instructions into a parameter set for the autonomous operation.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising generating autonomous operation instructions corresponding to the data source and autonomous operation instructions corresponding to the metadata.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the set of autonomous operation instructions are assembled into a third location.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the autonomous operation comprises a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) third party extended copy command.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the first location and the second location comprise virtual First-In-First-Out (FIFO) buffers.

22. An apparatus for formatting a data source involved in an autonomous operation with metadata, comprising:

means for preparing metadata corresponding to a data source for an autonomous operation conducted by a third party;

means for loading autonomous operation instructions corresponding to the data source into a first location and autonomous operation instructions corresponding to the metadata into a second location; and

means for selectively assembling autonomous operation instructions from the first location and the second location according to a set of formatting rules.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising means for converting the set of autonomous operation instructions into a parameter set for the autonomous operation.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising means for generating autonomous operation instructions corresponding to the data source and autonomous operation instructions corresponding to the metadata.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the set of autonomous operation instructions are inserted into a third location.

26. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a processor and embodying one or more instructions executable by a processor to perform a method for formatting a data source involved in an autonomous operation with metadata, the method comprising:

preparing metadata corresponding to a data source for an autonomous operation conducted by a third party;

loading autonomous operation instructions corresponding to the data source into a first location and autonomous operation instructions corresponding to the metadata into a second location; and

selectively assembling autonomous operation instructions from the first location and the second location according to a set of formatting rules.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the metadata comprises a plurality of metadata sources.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the metadata comprises a metadata generator configured to generate metadata corresponding to the data source.