Virtual storage system

• US 20060190680A1
• Filed: 07/24/2001
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Jean-Marc, Delbosc, Chaude, Blanchet, Hubert, Azambre
• Granted Patent: US 7,660,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/111
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0866 for peripheral storage systems, e.g. disk cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0686 Libraries, e.g. tape libraries, jukebox

Abstract

The invention concerns a system for saving data derived from a mainframe characterized in that it comprises a computer equipment including an input/output interface for exchanging data with the guest computer, said interface comprising a backup document reader/inscriber emulator, at least one intermediate storage device and a tape document reader/inscriber, the equipment further comprising a processor for transfer between the input/output interface or the intermediate storage device and the key-to-tape reader/inscriber, the system further including a supervisor comprising a storage unit for recording data concerning key-to-tape recordings of the computer equipment, and for controlling said computer equipment according to instructions coming from the guest computer.

Claims

1. A method for saving data originating from a host computer composed of a computer equipment including an input-output interface for exchanging data with the host computer, the said interface comprising a backup reader-inscriber emulator, at least one intermediate storage device and a tape reader-inscriber, the equipment also comprising a processor for making transfers between the input-output interface or the intermediate storage device interface and the tape reader-inscriber, wherein the system also comprises a supervisor comprising a memory for saving information about records on the computer equipment tape, and to control the said computer equipment as a function of instructions originating from the host computer, and a memory for making use of a database containing identification labels of the backed up data.

2. A method for saving data according to claim 1, wherein the emulator is composed of a computer for analysing signals originating from the host computer and for generating a response corresponding to the type of simulated cassette reader-inscriber.

3. A method for saving data according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate storage device is composed of at least one hard disk.

4. A method for saving data according to claim 2, wherein the intermediate storage device is composed of at least one hard disk.

5. A method for saving data according to claim 3, wherein the numeric data forming the identification labels include the volume name, the medium on which it is stored and the position on the medium.

6. A method for saving data according to claim 4, wherein the numeric data forming the identification labels include the volume name, the medium on which it is stored and the position on the medium.

7. A method for saving data according to claim 1, wherein the supervisor station is connected to the backup equipment and to the host machine through serial links.

8. A method for saving data according to claim 2, wherein the supervisor station is connected to the backup equipment and to the host machine through serial links.

9. A method for saving data according to claim 3, wherein the supervisor station is connected to the backup equipment and to the host machine through serial links.

10. A method for saving data according to claim 4, wherein the supervisor station is connected to the backup equipment and to the host machine through serial links.

11. A method for saving data according to claim 5, wherein the supervisor station is connected to the backup equipment and to the host machine through serial links.

12. A method for saving data according to claim 6, wherein the supervisor station is connected to the backup equipment and to the host machine through serial links.

13. A method for saving data according to claim 1, wherein the backup equipment is connected to the host machine through an SCSI or FC type link.

14. A method for saving data according to claim 2, wherein the backup equipment is connected to the host machine through an SCSI or FC type link.

15. A method for saving data according to claim 3, wherein the backup equipment is connected to the host machine through an SCSI or FC type link.

16. A method for saving data according to claim 4, wherein the backup equipment is connected to the host machine through an SCSI or FC type link.

17. A method for saving data according to claim 5, wherein the backup equipment is connected to the host machine through an SCSI or FC type link.

18. A method for saving data according to claim 6, wherein the backup equipment is connected to the host machine through an SCSI or FC type link.

19. A method for saving data according to claim 7, wherein the backup equipment is connected to the host machine through an SCSI or FC type link.

20. A method for saving data according to claim 8, wherein the backup equipment is connected to the host machine through an SCSI or FC type link.

21. A method for saving data according to claim 9, wherein the backup equipment is connected to the host machine through an SCSI or FC type link.

22. A method for saving data according to claim 10, wherein the backup equipment is connected to the host machine through an SCSI or FC type link.

23. A method for saving data according to claim 11, wherein the backup equipment is connected to the host machine through an SCSI or FC type link.

24. A method for saving data according to claim 12, wherein the backup equipment is connected to the host machine through an SCSI or FC type link.

25. A method for saving data from a host computer wherein the input-output interface of a backup equipment is emulated so that the behaviour of the backup equipment is identical to the behaviour of a streamer, as far as the host machine is concerned, the said backup equipment comprising an intermediate storage means that is not the same as the streamer.