SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INITIALIZING A MEMORY SYSTEM

• US 20120047337A1
• Filed: 08/19/2010
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lovrien, Kurt A., Ripberger, Richard A., Sanchez, Matthew, Grusy, Ellen J., Hatfield, Brian D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,235,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/02 Addressing or allocation; Relocation program address sequencing G06F9/00; arrangements for selecting an address in a digital store G11C8/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0638 Organizing or formatting or addressing of data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

Systems and methods for initializing a memory system are provided. One system includes a processor and a memory including a storage volume coupled to the processor. The storage volume includes a first bitmap for tracking an initialization process for the storage volume and a second bitmap for tracking a copying process for the storage volume. A method includes performing, via the processor, an initialization process for the storage volume and tracking, via the processor utilizing the first bitmap, the initialization process. The method further includes performing, via the processor, a copying process for the storage volume prior to completing the initialization process and tracking, via the processor utilizing the second bitmap, the copying process. Also provided are computer storage mediums including computer program code for performing the above method.

Claims

1. A memory system, comprising:

a processor; and

a first memory comprising a first storage volume coupled to the processor, the first storage volume comprising;

a first bitmap for tracking an initialization process for the first storage volume, and

a second bitmap for tracking a copying process for the first storage volume.

2. The memory system of claim 1, wherein the first storage volume is partitioned into a first plurality of stripes and the first bitmap tracks the initialization process on a per stripe basis or a plurality of full stripes basis.

3. The memory system of claim 2, further comprising a second memory comprising a second storage volume coupled to the processor, wherein:

the processor is configured to perform the initialization process;

the first plurality of stripes store data;

the second storage volume is partitioned into a second plurality of stripes;

the processor is configured to perform the copying process by copying the data stored in the first plurality of stripes to the second plurality of stripes prior to completing the initialization process; and

the second bitmap tracks the copying process on a per stripe basis or a per track basis.

4. The memory system of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to set up a copying relationship between a first portion of the first plurality of stripes and a second portion of the second plurality of stripes prior to completion of the initialization process.

5. The memory system of claim 4, wherein the first storage volume is initialized via a fully provisioning process.

6. The memory system of claim 4, wherein the first storage volume is initialized via a thin provisioning process.

7. The memory system of claim 1, further comprising a second memory comprising a second storage volume coupled to the processor, wherein:

the first storage volume is partitioned into a first plurality of stripes storing data,

the second storage volume is partitioned into a second plurality of stripes,

the processor is configured to perform the copying process by copying the data stored in the first plurality of stripes to the second plurality of stripes, and

the second bitmap tracks the copying process on a per stripe basis or a per track basis.

8. A method for initializing a memory system comprising a processor and a first memory including a first storage volume coupled to the processor, the method comprising:

performing, via the processor, an initialization process for the first storage volume;

tracking, via the processor utilizing a first bitmap, the initialization process;

performing, via the processor, a copying process for the first storage volume prior to completing the initialization process; and

tracking, via the processor utilizing a second bitmap, the copying process.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first storage volume is partitioned into a first plurality of stripes and wherein:

performing the initialization process comprises initializing the first storage volume on a per stripe basis or a plurality of full stripes basis; and

tracking the initialization process comprises tracking the initialization process on the per stripe basis or the per plurality of full stripes basis.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the memory system comprises a second memory comprising a second storage volume coupled to the processor, the first plurality of stripes store data, and the second storage volume is partitioned into a second plurality of stripes, and wherein:

performing the copying process comprises copying the data stored in the first plurality of stripes to the second plurality of stripes on a per stripe basis or a per track basis; and

tracking the copying process comprises tracking the copying process on the per stripe basis or the per track basis.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising setting up a copying relationship between a first portion of the first plurality of stripes and a second portion of the second plurality of stripes prior to completion of the initialization process.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein performing the initialization process comprises performing a fully provisioned initialization process.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein performing the initialization process comprises performing a thin provisioning initialization process.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the memory system comprises a second memory comprising a second storage volume coupled to the processor, the first plurality of stripes store data, and the second storage volume is partitioned into a second plurality of stripes, and wherein:

performing the copying process comprises copying the data stored in the first plurality of stripes to the second plurality of stripes on a per stripe basis or a per track basis; and

tracking the copying process comprises tracking the copying process on the per stripe basis or the per track basis.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, via a first process, a write request to write data to a track or a stripe in the first storage volume prior to the stripe being initialized;

merging initialization data for the track or the stripe and the data in the write request so that the track or the stripe is fully written to;

initializing the track or the stripe; and

writing the data to the track or the stripe.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, from a second process, a read request to read data from a track or a stripe in the first storage volume prior to the stripe being initialized;

providing initialization data for the track or the stripe to the second process; and

reading, by the second process, the initialization data.

17. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, from a process, a read request to read data from a track or a stripe in the first storage volume prior to the stripe being initialized;

providing initialization data for the track or the stripe to the process; and

reading, by the process, the initialization data.

18. A computer storage medium comprising a computer program product method for initializing a memory system comprising a processor and a first memory including a first storage volume coupled to the processor, the computer storage medium comprising:

computer program code for performing, via the processor, an initialization process for the first storage volume;

computer program code for tracking, via the processor utilizing a first bitmap, the initialization process;

computer program code for performing, via the processor, a copying process for the first storage volume prior to completing the initialization process; and

computer program code for tracking, via the processor utilizing a second bitmap, the copying process.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein the first storage volume is partitioned into a first plurality of stripes and wherein:

the computer program code for performing the initialization process comprises computer program code for initializing the first storage volume on a per stripe basis or a plurality of full stripes basis; and

the computer program code for tracking the initialization process comprises computer program code for tracking the initialization process on the per stripe basis or the plurality of full stripes basis.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 19, wherein the memory system comprises a second memory comprising a second storage volume coupled to the processor, the first plurality of stripes store data, and the second storage volume is partitioned into a second plurality of stripes, and wherein:

the computer program code for performing the copying process comprises computer program code for copying the data stored in the first plurality of stripes to the second plurality of stripes on a per stripe basis or a per track basis; and

the computer program code for tracking the copying process comprises computer program code for tracking the copying process on the per stripe basis or the per track basis.

21. The computer storage medium of claim 20, further comprising computer program code for setting up a copying relationship between a first portion of the first plurality of stripes and a second portion of the second plurality of stripes prior to completion of the initialization process.

22. The computer storage medium of claim 21, wherein the computer program code for performing the initialization process comprises one of computer program code for performing a fully provisioned initialization process and computer program code for performing a thin provisioning initialization process.

23. The computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein the memory system comprises a second memory comprising a second storage volume coupled to the processor, the first plurality of stripes store data, and the second storage volume is partitioned into a second plurality of stripes, and wherein:

the computer program code for performing the copying process comprises computer program code for copying the data stored in the first plurality of stripes to the second plurality of stripes on a per stripe basis or a per track basis; and

the computer program code for tracking the copying process comprises computer program code for tracking the copying process on the per stripe basis or the per track basis.