Method and system for storage and retrieval of data on a tape medium

• US 6,115,781 A
• Filed: 03/09/1999
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Storage Technology Corp (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Storage Technology Corp (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Howard, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hiep T.
• Application Number:
  US09/265,269
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 711/4, 711/147, 711/157, 711/168, 711/162, 710/21, 710/30, 710/34, 710/52, 710/60, 714/6, 709/203, 707/204
• US Class Current: 711/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0682 Tape device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A general purpose method is provided for interfacing with a storage device having a tape medium. The method includes receiving data from a first source, and creating a first data packet having at least a portion of the data from the first source. The method also includes receiving data from a second source, and creating a second data packet having at least a portion of the data from the second source. The method further includes receiving additional data from the first source, and creating a third data packet having at least a portion of the additional data from the first source. The method still further includes transmitting the first data packet, the second data packet and the third data packet to the storage device, and storing the first data packet, the second data packet, and the third data packet on the tape medium in an interleaved configuration. A system including control logic is also provided for performing the method.

Claims

1. A general purpose method for interfacing with a storage device having a tape medium, the method comprising:

receiving data from a first source, wherein the first source is one of an application program and a system utility;

creating a first data packet comprising at least a portion of the data from the first source;

receiving data from a second source, wherein the second source is one of an application program and a system utility;

creating a second data packet comprising at least a portion of the data from the second source;

receiving additional data from the first source;

creating a third data packet comprising at least a portion of the additional data from the first source;

transmitting the first data packet, the second data packet, and the third data packet to the storage device, wherein the first data packet, the second data packet, and the third data packet are created and transmitted to the storage device without storage on an intermediate disk medium; and

storing the first data packet, the second data packet, and the third data packet on the tape medium in an interleaved configuration.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving the first data packet from the tape medium; and

transmitting the retrieved first data packet to the first source.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the retrieved first data packet is transmitted to the first source without storage on an intermediate disk medium.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least a portion of the data from the first source comprises a predetermined amount of data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least a portion of the data from the first source comprises data received during a predetermined period of time.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein creating a first data packet includes encoding the at least a portion of the data to identify the first source.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the data from the first source, the data from the second source, and the additional data from the first source are received in a multiplexed fashion.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the data from the first source, the data from the second source, and the additional data from the first source are received at a first rate and the first data packet, the second data packet, and the third data packet are transmitted at a second rate greater than the first rate.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein storing the first data packet, the second data packet, and the third data packet on the tape medium in an interleaved configuration comprises:

storing the first data packet at a first location on the tape medium;

storing the third data packet at a second location on the tape medium adjacent the first location; and

storing the second data packet at a third location on the tape medium adjacent the second location.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the system utility comprises a disk backup utility.

11. A general purpose system for data storage, the system comprising:

a storage device having a tape medium; and

control logic operative to receive data from a first source and create a first data packet comprising at least a portion of the data from the first source, wherein the first source is one of an application program and a system utility, receive data from a second source and create a second data packet comprising at least a portion of the data from the second source, wherein the second source is one of an application program and a system utility, receive additional data from the first source and create a third data packet comprising at least a portion of the additional data from the first source, transmit the data packets to the storage device, and store the data packets on the tape medium in an interleaved configuration, wherein the data packets are created and transmitted to the storage device without storage on an intermediate disk medium.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the control logic is further operative to retrieve the first data packet from the tape medium and to transmit the retrieved first data packet to the first source.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the control logic is operative to transmit the retrieved first data packet to the first source without storage on an intermediate disk medium.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the at least a portion of the data from the first source comprises a predetermined amount of data.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the at least a portion of the data from the first source comprises data received during a predetermined period of time.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the control logic, to create a first data packet, is operative to encode the at least a portion of the data to identify the first source.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the control logic is further operative to receive the data from the first source, the data from the second source, and the additional data from the first source in a multiplexed fashion.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the control logic is further operative to receive data from the first source, the data from the second source, and the additional data from the first source at a first rate and to transmit the first data packet, the second data packet, and the third data packet to the storage device at a second rate greater than the first rate.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein the control logic, to store data packets on the tape medium in an interleaved configuration, is operative to store the first data packet at a first location on the tape medium, the third data packet at a second location on the tape medium adjacent the first location, and the second data packet at a third location on the tape medium adjacent the second location.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the system utility comprises a disk backup utility.