Maintaining active-only copy storage pools

• US 20070043789A1
• Filed: 09/12/2005
• 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: Cannon, David, Martin, Howard
• Granted Patent: US 7,613,744 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 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• 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 active-only copy storage pools. A first storage pool includes at least a first aggregate including a plurality of files. A second aggregate is generated in a second storage pool. A determination is made as to whether files in the first aggregate are active or inactive versions. Active versions of files are copied from the first aggregate to the second aggregate in the second storage pool, wherein the second aggregate does not include inactive versions of files in the first storage pool.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture including code to perform operations with respect to a first storage pool and a second storage pool, wherein the operations comprise:

providing a first storage pool including at least a first aggregate including a plurality of files;

generating a second aggregate in a second storage pool;

determining whether files in the first aggregate are active or inactive versions; and

copying active versions of files from the first aggregate to the second aggregate in the second storage pool, wherein the second aggregate does not include inactive versions of files in the first storage pool.

2. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

copying active versions of files not included in an aggregate from the first storage pool to the second storage pool.

3. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein copying the active versions of files from the first aggregate to the second aggregate comprises copying the active versions of files in a sequence in which they are stored in the first aggregate.

4. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein an inactive version of a file is generated in response to deactivating one file, wherein the first aggregate includes the inactive version of the file in response to deactivating one active version of one file in the first aggregate.

5. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the second storage pool is located off site with respect to the first storage pool.

6. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the first aggregate has a first identifier and the second aggregate has a second identifier, further comprising:

providing a data structure having information indicating the first aggregate as included in the first storage pool and having the first identifier; and

adding information to the data structure indicating the second aggregate as included in the second storage pool and having the second identifier in response to copying active versions of files from the first aggregate to the second aggregate.

7. The article of manufacture of claim 6, wherein one file in the first aggregate is rendered inactive as a result of an update to the file, wherein updating the file in the first aggregate produces an active version of the file in the first storage pool in addition to the inactive version of the file in the first aggregate, further comprising:

adding information to the data structure for the active version of the file having a third identifier and indicating that the active version of the file is in the first storage pool;

copying the active version of the file having the second identifier to the second storage pool; and

adding information to the data structure indicating the copied active version of the file as included in the second storage pool and having the third identifier.

8. The article of manufacture of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a data structure having information on files included in the first aggregate including, for each file in the first aggregate, a file identifier of the file and a first aggregate identifier; and

adding information to the data structure on files in the second aggregate including, for each file in the first aggregate, a file identifier of the file, a second aggregate identifier, and indication whether the file is active or inactive, wherein inactive files in the first aggregate indicated in the information on files in the second aggregate are not included in the second aggregate.

9. A method, comprising:

providing a first storage pool including at least a first aggregate including a plurality of files;

generating a second aggregate in a second storage pool;

determining whether files in the first aggregate are active or inactive versions; and

copying active versions of files from the first aggregate to the second aggregate in the second storage pool, wherein the second aggregate does not include inactive versions of files in the first storage pool.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

copying active versions of files not included in an aggregate from the first storage pool to the second storage pool.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein copying the active versions of files from the first aggregate to the second aggregate comprises copying the active versions of files in a sequence in which they are stored in the first aggregate.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first aggregate has a first identifier and the second aggregate has a second identifier, further comprising:

providing a data structure having information indicating the first aggregate as included in the first storage pool and having the first identifier; and

adding information to the data structure indicating the second aggregate as included in the second storage pool and having the second identifier in response to copying active versions of files from the first aggregate to the second aggregate.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein one file in the first aggregate is rendered inactive as a result of an update to the file, wherein updating the file in the first aggregate produces an active version of the file in the first storage pool in addition to the inactive version of the file in the first aggregate, further comprising:

adding information to the data structure for the active version of the file having a third identifier and indicating that the active version of the file is in the first storage pool;

copying the active version of the file having the second identifier to the second storage pool; and

adding information to the data structure indicating the copied active version of the file as included in the second storage pool and having the third identifier.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing a data structure having information on files included in the first aggregate including, for each file in the first aggregate, a file identifier of the file and a first aggregate identifier; and

adding information to the data structure on files in the second aggregate including, for each file in the first aggregate, a file identifier of the file, a second aggregate identifier, and indication whether the file is active or inactive, wherein inactive files in the first aggregate indicated in the information on files in the second aggregate are not included in the second aggregate.

15. A system in communication with a first storage pool and a second storage pool, comprising:

a processor;

a computer readable medium in communication with the processor including code to cause operations, the operations comprising;

providing a first storage pool including at least a first aggregate including a plurality of files;

generating a second aggregate in a second storage pool;

determining whether files in the first aggregate are active or inactive versions; and

copying active versions of files from the first aggregate to the second aggregate in the second storage pool, wherein the second aggregate does not include inactive versions of files in the first storage pool.

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

copying active versions of files not included in an aggregate from the first storage pool to the second storage pool.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein copying the active versions of files from the first aggregate to the second aggregate comprises copying the active versions of files in a sequence in which they are stored in the first aggregate.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the first aggregate has a first identifier and the second aggregate has a second identifier, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing a data structure having information indicating the first aggregate as included in the first storage pool and having the first identifier; and

adding information to the data structure indicating the second aggregate as included in the second storage pool and having the second identifier in response to copying active versions of files from the first aggregate to the second aggregate.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein one file in the first aggregate is rendered inactive as a result of an update to the file, wherein updating the file in the first aggregate produces an active version of the file in the first storage pool in addition to the inactive version of the file in the first aggregate, wherein the operations further comprise:

adding information to the data structure for the active version of the file having a third identifier and indicating that the active version of the file is in the first storage pool;

copying the active version of the file having the second identifier to the second storage pool; and

adding information to the data structure indicating the copied active version of the file as included in the second storage pool and having the third identifier.

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

providing a data structure having information on files included in the first aggregate including, for each file in the first aggregate, a file identifier of the file and a first aggregate identifier; and

adding information to the data structure on files in the second aggregate including, for each file in the first aggregate, a file identifier of the file, a second aggregate identifier, and indication whether the file is active or inactive, wherein inactive files in the first aggregate indicated in the information on files in the second aggregate are not included in the second aggregate.