Maintaining an aggregate including active files in a storage pool in a random access medium

• US 20070043787A1
• Filed: 08/17/2005
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Martin, Howard, Cannon, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,634,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1873 Versioning file systems, temporal file systems, e.g. file system supporting different historic versions of files
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

Provided are a method, system, and program for maintaining an aggregate including active files in a storage pool in a random access medium. An active-only storage pool is configured in a random access device. The active-only storage pool is intended to include only active files and not inactive versions of files. A plurality of files in the active-only storage pool are associated with a precursor aggregate in the active-only storage pool. One file associated with the precursor aggregate in the active only storage pool is deactivated to produce an inactive version of the deactivated file. The precursor aggregate is associated with the inactive version of the file in response to the deactivation. A determination is made of the inactive version of at least one file in the precursor aggregate. The determined inactive version of the at least one file is deleted from the active only storage pool.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing an active-only storage pool in a random access device, wherein the active-only storage pool is intended to include only active files and not inactive versions of files;

associating a plurality of files in the active-only storage pool with a precursor aggregate in the active-only storage pool;

deactivating one file associated with the precursor aggregate in the active only storage pool to produce an inactive version of the deactivated file, wherein the precursor aggregate is associated with the inactive version of the file in response to the deactivation;

determining the inactive version of at least one file in the precursor aggregate; and

deleting the determined inactive version of the at least one file from the active only storage pool.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the file is deactivated as a result of an update to the file, wherein updating the file produces an active version of the file in addition to the inactive version of the file, further comprising:

removing an indication of the association of the deleted inactive version of the at least one file with the precursor aggregate, wherein the precursor aggregate is associated with only the active version of files in response to removing the indication.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

copying the files associated with the precursor aggregate to an aggregate managed file in an additional storage pool before deleting the determined inactive version of the at least one file, wherein the aggregate managed file maintains the inactive version of the at least one file deleted from the active only storage pool.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the files are written sequentially to the aggregate managed file and wherein the aggregate managed file comprises a sequential file.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the additional storage pool is implemented in a sequential access device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the precursor aggregate has a first identifier and the aggregate managed file has a second identifier, further comprising:

providing a data structure having information on defined aggregates including an aggregate identifier and storage pool including the aggregate for each indicated aggregate; and

indicating in the information for the aggregate identified by one aggregate identifier whether the aggregate is a precursor aggregate comprising an association of files or an aggregate managed file in which files are written.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein indicating in the data structure information that the aggregate is the precursor aggregate comprises indicating that the precursor aggregate has an aggregate size of zero and wherein indicating in the information that the aggregate is the aggregate managed file comprises indicating that the aggregate managed file has an aggregate size that is a cumulative size of the files written in the aggregate managed file.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the information for each aggregate in the data structure includes a logical size and an actual size, wherein indicating that the precursor aggregate has the aggregate size of zero comprises indicating that the actual size of the precursor aggregate is zero and wherein indicating that the aggregate managed file has the aggregate size that is the cumulative size comprises indicating that the actual size of the aggregate managed file is the cumulative size, further comprising:

indicating in the information for the precursor aggregate and the aggregate managed file that the logical size is the cumulative size of the files associated with the precursor aggregate and written to the aggregate managed file, respectively.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the file is deactivated as a result of an update to the file, wherein updating the file produces an active version of the file in addition to the inactive version of the file, further comprising:

adding information to the data structure for the updated file having a third identifier and indicating that the updated file is in the active-only storage pool.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the data structure comprises a first data structure, further comprising:

providing a second data structure having information on each file grouped in one aggregate including the aggregate identifier of the aggregate including the file, wherein the aggregate identifier for the files associated with the precursor aggregate comprises the first identifier and wherein the aggregate identifier for the files written to the aggregate managed file comprises the second identifier.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

deleting the information in the second data structure for the inactive version of the at least one file having the first identifier that was deleted from the active storage pool, wherein the second data structure includes information on the inactive version of the at least one file having the second identifier maintained in the aggregate managed file.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the information for the files in the second data structure indicates an offset and file size of the file, wherein files associated with one precursor aggregate have an offset of zero and wherein files included in one aggregate managed file have an offset at which the file is stored in the aggregate managed file.

13. A system in communication with a random access device, comprising:

a processor;

a computer readable medium including a program executed by the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

configuring an active-only storage pool in the random access device, wherein the active-only storage pool is intended to include only active files and not inactive versions of files;

associating a plurality of files in the active-only storage pool with a precursor aggregate in the active-only storage pool;

deactivating one file associated with the precursor aggregate in the active only storage pool to produce an inactive version of the deactivated file, wherein the precursor aggregate is associated with the inactive version of the file in response to the deactivation;

determining the inactive version of at least one file in the precursor aggregate; and

deleting the determined inactive version of the at least one file from the active only storage pool.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the file is deactivated as a result of an update to the file, wherein updating the file produces an active version of the file in addition to the inactive version of the file, and wherein the operations further comprise:

removing an indication of the association of the deleted inactive version of the at least one file with the precursor aggregate, wherein the precursor aggregate is associated with only the active version of files in response to removing the indication.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

copying the files associated with the precursor aggregate to an aggregate managed file in an additional storage pool before deleting the determined inactive version of the at least one file, wherein the aggregate managed file maintains the inactive version of the at least one file deleted from the active only storage pool.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the files are written sequentially to the aggregate managed file and wherein the aggregate managed file comprises a sequential file.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the additional storage pool is implemented in a sequential access device.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the precursor aggregate has a first identifier and the aggregate managed file has a second identifier, further comprising:

a memory accessible to the processor;

wherein the operations further comprise;

providing a data structure in the memory having information on defined aggregates including an aggregate identifier and storage pool including the aggregate for each indicated aggregate; and

indicating in the information for the aggregate identified by one aggregate identifier whether the aggregate is a precursor aggregate comprising an association of files or an aggregate managed file in which files are written.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein indicating in the data structure information that the aggregate is the precursor aggregate comprises indicating that the precursor aggregate has an aggregate size of zero and wherein indicating in the information that the aggregate is the aggregate managed file comprises indicating that the aggregate managed file has an aggregate size that is a cumulative size of the files written in the aggregate managed file.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the information for each aggregate in the data structure includes a logical size and an actual size, wherein indicating that the precursor aggregate has the aggregate size of zero comprises indicating that the actual size of the precursor aggregate is zero and wherein indicating that the aggregate managed file has the aggregate size that is the cumulative size comprises indicating that the actual size of the aggregate managed file is the cumulative size, and wherein the operations further comprise:

indicating in the information for the precursor aggregate and the aggregate managed file that the logical size is the cumulative size of the files associated with the precursor aggregate and written to the aggregate managed file, respectively.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the file is deactivated as a result of an update to the file, wherein updating the file produces an active version of the file in addition to the inactive version of the file, and wherein the operations further comprise:

adding information to the data structure for the updated file having a third identifier and indicating that the updated file is in the active-only storage pool.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the data structure comprises a first data structure, and wherein the operations further comprise:

providing a second data structure in the memory having information on each file grouped in one aggregate including the aggregate identifier of the aggregate including the file, wherein the aggregate identifier for the files associated with the precursor aggregate comprises the first identifier and wherein the aggregate identifier for the files written to the aggregate managed file comprises the second identifier.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the operations further comprise:

deleting the information in the second data structure for the inactive version of the at least one file having the first identifier that was deleted from the active storage pool, wherein the second data structure includes information on the inactive version of the at least one file having the second identifier maintained in the aggregate managed file.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the information for the files in the second data structure indicates an offset and file size of the file, wherein files associated with one precursor aggregate have an offset of zero and wherein files included in one aggregate managed file have an offset at which the file is stored in the aggregate managed file.

25. An article of manufacture including code capable of communicating with a random access device and causing operations to be performed, the operations comprising:

configuring an active-only storage pool in the random access device, wherein the active-only storage pool is intended to include only active files and not inactive versions of files;

associating a plurality of files in the active-only storage pool with a precursor aggregate in the active-only storage pool;

deactivating one file associated with the precursor aggregate in the active only storage pool to produce an inactive version of the deactivated file, wherein the precursor aggregate is associated with the inactive version of the file in response to the deactivation;

determining the inactive version of at least one file in the precursor aggregate; and

deleting the determined inactive version of the at least one file from the active only storage pool.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the file is deactivated as a result of an update to the file, wherein updating the file produces an active version of the file in addition to the inactive version of the file, further comprising:

removing an indication of the association of the deleted inactive version of the at least one file with the precursor aggregate, wherein the precursor aggregate is associated with only the active version of files in response to removing the indication.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the operations further comprise:

copying the files associated with the precursor aggregate to an aggregate managed file in an additional storage pool before deleting the determined inactive version of the at least one file, wherein the aggregate managed file maintains the inactive version of the at least one file deleted from the active only storage pool.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 27, wherein the files are written sequentially to the aggregate managed file and wherein the aggregate managed file comprises a sequential file.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 28, wherein the additional storage pool is implemented in a sequential access device.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the code is further in communication with a memory, wherein the precursor aggregate has a first identifier and the aggregate managed file has a second identifier, and wherein the operations further comprise:

providing a data structure in the memory having information on defined aggregates including an aggregate identifier and storage pool including the aggregate for each indicated aggregate; and

indicating in the information for the aggregate identified by one aggregate identifier whether the aggregate is a precursor aggregate comprising an association of files or an aggregate managed file in which files are written.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein indicating in the data structure information that the aggregate is the precursor aggregate comprises indicating that the precursor aggregate has an aggregate size of zero and wherein indicating in the information that the aggregate is the aggregate managed file comprises indicating that the aggregate managed file has an aggregate size that is a cumulative size of the files written in the aggregate managed file.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 31, wherein the information for each aggregate in the data structure includes a logical size and an actual size, wherein indicating that the precursor aggregate has the aggregate size of zero comprises indicating that the actual size of the precursor aggregate is zero and wherein indicating that the aggregate managed file has the aggregate size that is the cumulative size comprises indicating that the actual size of the aggregate managed file is the cumulative size, and wherein the operations further comprise:

indicating in the information for the precursor aggregate and the aggregate managed file that the logical size is the cumulative size of the files associated with the precursor aggregate and written to the aggregate managed file, respectively.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the file is deactivated as a result of an update to the file, wherein updating the file produces an active version of the file in addition to the inactive version of the file, wherein the operations further comprise:

adding information to the data structure for the updated file having a third identifier and indicating that the updated file is in the active-only storage pool.

34. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the data structure comprises a first data structure, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing a second data structure in the memory having information on each file grouped in one aggregate including the aggregate identifier of the aggregate including the file, wherein the aggregate identifier for the files associated with the precursor aggregate comprises the first identifier and wherein the aggregate identifier for the files written to the aggregate managed file comprises the second identifier.

35. The article of manufacture of claim 34, wherein the operations further comprise:

deleting the information in the second data structure for the inactive version of the at least one file having the first identifier that was deleted from the active storage pool, wherein the second data structure includes information on the inactive version of the at least one file having the second identifier maintained in the aggregate managed file.

36. The article of manufacture of claim 34, wherein the information for the files in the second data structure indicates an offset and file size of the file, wherein files associated with one precursor aggregate have an offset of zero and wherein files included in one aggregate managed file have an offset at which the file is stored in the aggregate managed file.