Efficient mounting and dismounting of storage media

• US 20080114936A1
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Desai, Ravindranath
• Granted Patent: US 7,478,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/689 Control of the cassette changing arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/228 Control systems for magazines G11B17/225 takes precedence

Abstract

A technique for processing a request requiring that a first volume of removable storage media be mounted on a storage device is disclosed. It is determined whether the storage device is available. In the event it is determined that the storage device is not available because it currently has mounted on it a second volume of removable storage media associated with a data mover, it is determined whether the data mover should be asked to permit the second volume to be removed from the storage device so that the first volume can be mounted thereon. In the event it is determined that the data mover should be asked to permit the second volume to be removed from the storage device so that the first volume can be mounted thereon, the data mover is prompted to provide an indication that the second volume may be dismounted from the storage device.

Claims

1. A method of processing a request requiring that a first volume of removable storage media be mounted on a storage device, comprising:

determining whether the storage device is available;

in the event it is determined that the storage device is not available because it currently has mounted on it a second volume of removable storage media associated with a data mover;

determining whether the data mover should be asked to permit the second volume to be removed from the storage device so that the first volume can be mounted thereon; and

prompting the data mover, in the event it is determined that the data mover should be asked to permit the second volume to be removed from the storage device so that the first volume can be mounted thereon, to provide an indication that the second volume may be dismounted from the storage device, wherein the data mover is configured to respond to a prompt to provide an indication that a volume of removable storage media associated with the data mover may be dismounted from a storage device by;

determining whether an operation associated with the volume is finished; and

in the event it is determined that the operation is finished, providing an indication that the volume of removable storage media may be dismounted.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the data mover an indication that the second volume may be dismounted from the storage device; and

dismounting the second volume from the storage device in response to the indication.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second volume is dismounted from the storage device immediately upon receiving the indication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data mover is a first data mover and the request requiring that the first volume of removable storage media be mounted on the storage device is associated with a second data mover.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second volume of removable storage media was mounted on the storage device in response to a prior request from the data mover.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a first request, the second volume was mounted on the storage device in response to a second request received previously from the data mover, and determining whether the data mover should be asked to permit the second volume to be removed from the storage device so that the first volume can be mounted thereon comprises determining whether the first request is of a higher priority than the second request.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication comprises a request to dismount the second volume from the storage device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication comprises a request to dismount the second volume from the storage device without delay.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage device is a tape drive and the media volume is a tape.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage device is an optical drive and the media volume is an optical disk.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage device is any storage device that is compatible with the first volume of media and accessible from a host associated with the request.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein an available storage device includes an empty storage device.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein an available storage device includes a storage device in an initial lazy dismount period.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the data mover should be asked to permit the second volume to be removed includes consulting preemption criteria.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the preemption criteria include preempting a lower priority request in favor of a higher priority request.

24. The method of claim 1, in the event it is determined that the data mover should be asked to permit the second volume to be removed, further including selecting as the storage device a compatible storage device that best satisfies the preemption criteria.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein a storage device that is not owned better satisfies the preemption criteria than a storage device that is owned.

11-18. -18. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

28. A system for processing a request requiring that a first volume of removable storage media be mounted on a storage device, comprising:

a processor configured to;

determine whether the storage device is available;

in the event it is determined that the storage device is not available because it currently has mounted on it a second volume of removable storage media associated with a data mover;

determine whether the data mover should be asked to permit the second volume to be removed from the storage device so that the first volume can be mounted thereon; and

prompt the data mover, in the event it is determined that the data mover should be asked to permit the second volume to be removed from the storage device so that the first volume can be mounted thereon, to provide an indication that the second volume may be dismounted from the storage device, wherein the data mover is configured to respond to a prompt to provide an indication that a volume of removable storage media associated with the data mover may be dismounted from a storage device by;

determining whether an operation associated with the volume is finished; and

in the event it is determined that the operation is finished, providing an indication that the volume of removable storage media may be dismounted; and

a memory that is coupled with the processor, wherein the memory provides the processor with instructions.

29. A computer program product for processing a request requiring that a first volume of removable storage media be mounted on a storage device, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

determining whether the storage device is available;

in the event it is determined that the storage device is not available because it currently has mounted on it a second volume of removable storage media associated with a data mover;

determining whether the data mover should be asked to permit the second volume to be removed from the storage device so that the first volume can be mounted thereon; and

prompting the data mover, in the event it is determined that the data mover should be asked to permit the second volume to be removed from the storage device so that the first volume can be mounted thereon, to provide an indication that the second volume may be dismounted from the storage device, wherein the data mover is configured to respond to a prompt to provide an indication that a volume of removable storage media associated with the data mover may be dismounted from a storage device by;

determining whether an operation associated with the volume is finished; and

in the event it is determined that the operation is finished, providing an indication that the volume of removable storage media may be dismounted.