SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR PROVIDING HIGH AVAILABILITY METADATA ABOUT DATA

• US 20110219184A1
• Filed: 03/05/2010
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mueller-Friedt, Wolfgang, Jesionowski, Leonard G., Jaquette, Glen A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,037,790 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/111
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0638 Organizing or formatting or addressing of data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0682 Tape device
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/40 Combinations of multiple record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/655 Memory in cassette [MIC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving metadata corresponding to data on a removable storage device/medium, storing the metadata to a metadata repository that is not on the removable storage device/medium, associating an identifier with the stored metadata (the identifier corresponding to the removable storage medium/device), and storing the identifier to the metadata repository. According to another embodiment, a computer program product includes a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith. The computer readable program code comprises computer readable program code configured to: receive metadata corresponding to data on a removable storage device/medium, store the metadata to a metadata repository, associate an identifier corresponding to the removable storage device/medium with the stored metadata, and store the identifier to the metadata repository. Other methods, systems, and devices are presented as well.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving metadata corresponding to data on a removable storage device or data on a removable storage medium;

storing the metadata to a metadata repository that is external to the removable storage device or the removable storage medium;

associating an identifier with the stored metadata, the identifier corresponding to the removable storage medium or the removable storage device; and

storing the identifier to the metadata repository.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the metadata also corresponds to at least one of:

the removable storage device and the removable storage medium.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the identifier is stored on or coupled to at least one of:

the removable storage medium and the removable storage device.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the metadata repository includes an iRMM database.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the identifier includes a code.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the code is randomly generated.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, further comprising verifying that the identifier is unique and not assigned to another removable storage medium or removable storage device before associating the identifier to the stored metadata and storing the identifier to the metadata repository.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the removable storage device is a magnetic tape cartridge.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising accessing the metadata repository to determine which data is stored on the removable storage medium.

10. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to receive metadata corresponding to data on a removable storage device or data on a removable storage medium;

computer readable program code configured to store the metadata to a metadata repository;

computer readable program code configured to associate an identifier with the stored metadata, the identifier corresponding to the removable storage device or the removable storage medium; and

computer readable program code configured to store the identifier to the metadata repository.

11. The computer program product as recited in claim 10, wherein the removable storage device is a magnetic tape cartridge.

12. A system, comprising:

a processor for;

receiving a request for metadata associated with an identifier, the metadata corresponding to data on a removable storage device or data on a removable storage medium and the identifier corresponding to the removable storage device or the removable storage medium;

accessing a metadata repository;

searching the metadata repository for the metadata associated with the identifier; and

outputting the metadata associated with the identifier.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the metadata also corresponds to the removable storage device or the removable storage medium.

14. The system as recited in claim 12, further comprising also outputting metadata associated with other removable storage devices or other removable storage media that are similar to the removable storage device or the removable storage medium that corresponds to the identifier.

15. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the request is received from a scanning device.

16. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the removable storage device is a magnetic tape cartridge.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving an identifier of a removable storage device or a removable storage medium;

sending a request for metadata associated with the identifier to a remotely accessible metadata repository; and

receiving the metadata associated with the identifier, wherein the metadata corresponds to data on the removable storage device or data on the removable storage medium.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the metadata also corresponds to the removable storage device or the removable storage medium.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the removable storage device is a magnetic tape cartridge.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the identifier is stored on or coupled to a magnetic tape, the magnetic tape being a part of the magnetic tape cartridge.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising retrieving a pointer from the magnetic tape or the magnetic tape cartridge, the pointer pointing to the metadata stored on the remotely accessible metadata repository.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the pointer is retrieved from a cartridge memory (CM) of the magnetic tape cartridge.

23. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the pointer comprises a uniform resource locator (URL) or network address.

24. A magnetic tape cartridge, comprising:

a magnetic tape for storing data;

data stored to the magnetic tape; and

an identifier stored on or coupled to the magnetic tape, wherein the identifier is associated with metadata stored in a metadata repository which corresponds to the data stored to the magnetic tape.

25. The magnetic tape cartridge as recited in claim 24, further comprising a cartridge memory (CM), wherein the identifier is stored on the CM of the magnetic tape cartridge.

26. A method, comprising:

storing to a repository index information corresponding to data on a removable storage device or data on a removable storage medium, the repository being external to the removable storage device or the removable storage medium;

receiving updated index information;

storing the updated index information to the repository; and

sending the index information or derivative thereof as an index to the removable storage device or the removable storage medium for storage of the index on the removable storage device or the removable storage medium.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein the index information includes metadata corresponding to the data on the removable storage device or the data on the removable storage medium, and further comprising generating the index from the metadata.

28. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein updating the index on the removable storage device or the removable storage medium is deferred for a period of time after receiving the updated index information, wherein the index is sent after the period of time, the index including the updated index information or derivative thereof.