Erasure techniques for emulating streamed data format for non tape media

• US 20060095657A1
• Filed: 05/06/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spectra Logic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Spectra Logic Corporation
• Inventors: Fenske, Larry Alan, Rector, Richard Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 8,108,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/111
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0652 Erasing, e.g. deleting, data cleaning, moving of data to a wastebasket
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and apparatus relating generally to erasure techniques for emulating a streamed data format for non tape media capable of being used with a data storage arrangement to generate replenished user data space. The data storage arrangement comprises a host computer and a storage system in communication with the host computer, the storage system comprising at least one random access storage medium. The random access storage medium is capable of receiving data by streaming protocol and storing the data emulated in a contiguous format. The data comprises at least one data file which further comprise a plurality of records wherein each of the records comprise user data and meta data. A deletion algorithm is adapted to issue at least one deletion command capable of deleting at least one portion of the data stored on the medium up to at least a last segment of the data to create replenished storage space. The replenished storage space is capable for storage of new data in an order following the last segment of data upon receiving the new data in the streaming protocol by the storage medium.

Claims

1. A data storage arrangement comprising:

a host computer;

a storage system in communication with the host computer, the storage system comprising at least one random access storage medium;

the random access storage medium capable of receiving data by streaming protocol and storing the data emulated in a contiguous format;

the data comprising at least one data file;

the data file comprising a plurality of records;

each of the records comprising user data and meta data;

a deletion algorithm adapted to issue at least one deletion command capable of deleting at least one portion of the data stored on the medium up to at least a last segment of the data to create replenished storage space;

the replenished storage space capable for storage of new data in an order following the last segment of data upon receiving the new data in the streaming protocol by the storage medium.

2. The data storage arrangement of claim 1 wherein the streaming protocol is a SCSI tape protocol.

3. The data storage arrangement of claim 1 wherein the data and the new data are stored in a format for the streaming protocol.

4. The data storage arrangement of claim 1 wherein the communication between the host and the storage system is by streaming protocol.

5. The data storage arrangement of claim 1 wherein the deletion command is issued by at least one of the group consisting of:

the host, the storage system and the random access storage device.

6. The data storage arrangement of claim 1 wherein the random access storage medium is from the group consisting of:

flash memory, optical media, magnetic disc drive, disc drive magazine, magneto-optical drive, RAM semiconductor memory, and floppy disc.

7. The data storage arrangement of claim 1 wherein the deleted portion of data is only user data.

8. The data storage arrangement of claim 1 wherein the deletion algorithm is adapted to issue the at least one deletion command automatically for deleting the portion of the data based on a predetermined time limit from when the data portion was originally stored.

9. The data storage arrangement of claim 1 wherein the portion of the data for the deleting is expired data.

10. The data storage arrangement of claim 9 wherein the expired data is the portion of data that has aged to (beyond) a time limit from when the portion of the data was originally stored.

11. The data storage arrangement of claim 9 wherein the expired data is from the group consisting of:

a name, a date, a quantity of data portions saved, a time interval.

12. The data storage arrangement of claim 1 wherein the at least one deletion command is capable of deleting the at least one portion of the data stored on the medium post at least a first segment of the data.

13. The data storage arrangement of claim 12 wherein the at least one portion of the deleted data comprises a plurality of non contiguous data portions relative the emulated format.

14. A method for replenishing storage space on a non-tape storage medium comprising the steps of:

storing data from a tape medium format to the non-tape storage medium;

deleting at least one portion of the data emulated in a contiguous format up to a last segment of the data to create replenished storage space; and

using the replenished storage space for storing new data in an order following the last segment of data from the tape medium format to the non-tape medium.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the deleting step is done when the portion of the data has aged to (beyond) a time limit from when the portion of the data was originally stored.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the portion of data is only user data.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the deleting step is done when the portion of the data contains expired data.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising copying the portion of the data to an archive able medium prior to deleting the portion from the non-tape storage medium.

19. A means for replenishing storage space on a non-tape storage medium comprising:

means for storing data from a tape medium format to the non-tape storage medium;

means for deleting a portion of the data up to a last segment of the data to create replenished storage space; and

means for utilizing the replenished storage space for storing new data in an order following the last segment of data from the tape medium format to the non-tape medium.

20. The means of claim 19 further comprising a means for determining the portion.

21. The means for claim 19 further comprising means for copying the portion to an achievable medium prior to deleting the portion from the non-tape storage medium.

22. A library for storing and retrieving data, comprising

at least one non-tape medium having a storage capacity and data stored therein in a tape medium format,

wherein the storage capacity of the non-tape medium is refreshed by deleting at least one portion of the data emulated in a contiguous format up to a last segment of the data.