Three-state virtual volume system for managing document storage to permanent media
First Claim
1. A document storage management system for use with a computer system having a central processing unit and one or more physical storage devices on which files are stored comprising:
- one or more virtual volumes mapped onto said one or more physical storage devices for storing files, each of said one or more virtual volumes having a specified maximum storage space that can be used for storing files;
state means for maintaining said one or more virtual volumes in a first, second or third states;
said first state wherein a virtual volume is available to store files;
only one of said one or more virtual volumes is in said first state at any given time;
said second state wherein all of said specified maximum storage space on a virtual volume has been used for storing files;
said third state wherein a virtual volume is not being used for storing files;
said state means including means for determining the state of each of said one or more virtual volumes;
means, coupled to said state means, for indicating which of said one or more virtual volumes is in said first state upon being invoked;
said indicating means including means for finding said only one virtual volume in said first state;
said indicating means putting one of said one or more virtual volumes in said third state into said first state when there is no volume in said first state;
means, coupled to said state means, for changing said only one virtual volume in said first state into said second state upon being invoked;
said changing means including means for detecting that all of said specified maximum storage space of said only one virtual volume in said first state has been used for storing files on said only one virtual volume in said first state;
said changing means putting said only one virtual volume in said first state into said second state when all of said specified maximum storage space of said only one virtual volume in said first state has been used for storing files on said only one virtual volume in said first state;
at least one application program for writing files to said one or more virtual volumes;
said at least one application program invoking said indicating means each time said at least one application program needs to write a file to said one or more virtual volumes;
said at least one application program causing said file to be written to said only one virtual volume in said first state indicated by said indicating means;
said at least one application program invoking said changing means after each time said at least one application program causes a file to be written to said only one virtual volume in said first state.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The virtual volume management system (VVM) is an improved method of managing document image files for transfer to CD-ROMs. The physical storage devices of a computer system are partitioned into logical volumes having a maximum capacity equal to the storage capacity of a single CD-ROM. One or more of these volumes are dedicated to a virtual volume set. The VVM software sets up and maintains data structures in the computer memory to maintain each of the volumes in the virtual volume set in one of three states: active, inactive, and locked. A volume in the active state is available to store document images files. Only one of the virtual volumes is active at any given time. The virtual volume management software transparently locks an active volume when it becomes full and selects another virtual volume in the inactive state as the new active volume. All data remains on-line for retrieval regardless of the state of the volume or transition of the volume to CD-ROM. After a volume fills, it'"'"'s contents can be published directly to a CD-ROM or off loaded to some other media for transport to a CD-ROM publishing service. When a published CD-ROM replaces a filled volume, the document image files on that volume have their location updated to indicate their presence on the CD-ROM and the locked virtual volume is returned to the inactive state so that its storage space can be reused.
73 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A document storage management system for use with a computer system having a central processing unit and one or more physical storage devices on which files are stored comprising:
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one or more virtual volumes mapped onto said one or more physical storage devices for storing files, each of said one or more virtual volumes having a specified maximum storage space that can be used for storing files; state means for maintaining said one or more virtual volumes in a first, second or third states;
said first state wherein a virtual volume is available to store files;
only one of said one or more virtual volumes is in said first state at any given time;
said second state wherein all of said specified maximum storage space on a virtual volume has been used for storing files;
said third state wherein a virtual volume is not being used for storing files;
said state means including means for determining the state of each of said one or more virtual volumes;means, coupled to said state means, for indicating which of said one or more virtual volumes is in said first state upon being invoked;
said indicating means including means for finding said only one virtual volume in said first state;
said indicating means putting one of said one or more virtual volumes in said third state into said first state when there is no volume in said first state;means, coupled to said state means, for changing said only one virtual volume in said first state into said second state upon being invoked;
said changing means including means for detecting that all of said specified maximum storage space of said only one virtual volume in said first state has been used for storing files on said only one virtual volume in said first state;
said changing means putting said only one virtual volume in said first state into said second state when all of said specified maximum storage space of said only one virtual volume in said first state has been used for storing files on said only one virtual volume in said first state;at least one application program for writing files to said one or more virtual volumes;
said at least one application program invoking said indicating means each time said at least one application program needs to write a file to said one or more virtual volumes;
said at least one application program causing said file to be written to said only one virtual volume in said first state indicated by said indicating means;
said at least one application program invoking said changing means after each time said at least one application program causes a file to be written to said only one virtual volume in said first state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of document storage management in a computer having a central processing unit and one or more physical storage devices on which files are stored, the steps of the method comprising:
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mapping one or more virtual volumes onto said one or more data storage devices;
each of said one or more virtual volumes having a specified maximum storage space that can be used for storing files;
maintaining each one of said one or more virtual volumes in either a first, second or third state;
said first state wherein a virtual volume is able to store files;
only one of said one or more virtual volumes is in said first state at any given time;
said second state wherein all of said specified maximum storage space on a virtual volume has been used for storing files;
said third state wherein a virtual volume is not being used for storing files;providing means for indicating which of said one or more virtual volumes is in said first state upon being invoked;
said indicating means including means for finding said only one virtual volume in said first state;
said indicating means putting one of said one or more virtual volumes in said third state into said first state when there is no volume in said first state;providing means for changing said only one virtual volume in said first state into said second state upon being invoked;
said changing means including means for detecting that all of said specified maximum storage space of said only one virtual volume in said first state has been used for storing files on said only one virtual volume in said first state;
said changing means putting said only one virtual volume in said first state into said second state when all of said specified maximum storage space of said only one virtual volume in said first state has been used for storing files on said only one virtual volume in said first state;running at least one application program for writing files to said one or more virtual volumes; invoking said indicating means each time said at least one application program needs to write a file to a virtual volume;
said at least one application program causing said file to be written to the virtual volume indicated by said indicating means;invoking said changing means each time after said at least one application program causes a file to be written to said only one virtual volume in said first state. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification