Method and article for apparatus for performing automated reconcile control in a virtual tape system

• US 6,339,778 B1
• Filed: 03/24/2000
• Issued: 01/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kishi, Gregory Tad
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): JUNG, DAVID YIUK
• Application Number:
  US09/536,105
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-206, 711/100-152, 709/101-205
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0866 for peripheral storage systems, e.g. disk cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0653 Monitoring storage devices or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0686 Libraries, e.g. tape libraries, jukebox
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A method is disclosed for automatically reconciling the client and server databases and actively management the files stored in the cache. The method monitors free space on a DASD so that a VTS is allowed to fill the DASD with data during a reconcile process. Furthermore, an active cache filename management scheme is provided that improved VTS performance by obtaining information on premigrated files thereby eliminating usage of a premigration candidate list.

Claims

1. A method of actively managing the files stored in a cache file list, comprising:

analyzing the cache file list to identify local and premigrated files; and

continually updating the cache file list according to a local status, a premigration status and maturity by, removing migrated files from the cache file list, and stubbing premigrated files according to age of the premigrated files as needed to free disk space to allow new files to be stored during a reconcile.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of continually updating the cache file list further comprises the steps of:

notifying the automatic storage manager administrator of a file closing;

discarding by the automatic storage manager administrator of all duplicate entries in the cache file list; and

adding by the automatic storage manager administrator the closed file to the cache file list.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

requesting cache file statistics from the automatic storage manager administrator;

scanning the cache file list to determine if a file is premigrated or local;

updating the cache file statistics; and

removing all migrated files from the cache file list.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

migrating the first file on the list; and

removing the first file after the first file has been migrated.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of updating the cache file statistics further comprises the step of sorting the cache file by maturity so that the oldest file is first in the cache file list.

6. An article of manufacture for a computer-based user-interface, the article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium having instructions for causing a computer to perform a method of actively managing the files stored in a cache file list, the method comprising:

analyzing the cache file list to identify local and premigrated files; and

continually updating the cache file list according to a local status, a premigration status and maturity, by removing migrated files from the cache file list, and stubbing premigrated files according to age of the premigrated files as needed to free disk space to allow new files to be stored during a reconcile.

7. The article of claim 6 wherein the step of continually updating the cache file list further comprises the steps of:

notifying the automatic storage manager administrator of a file closing;

discarding by the automatic storage manager administrator of all duplicate entries in the cache file list; and

adding by the automatic storage manager administrator the closed file to the cache file list.

8. The article of claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

requesting cache file statistics from the automatic storage manager administrator;

scanning the cache file list to determine if a file is premigrated or local;

updating the cache file statistics; and

removing all migrated files from the cache file list.

9. The article of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

migrating the first file on the list; and

removing the first file after the first file has been migrated.

10. The article of claim 8 wherein the step of updating the cache file statistics further comprises the step of sorting the cache file by maturity so that the oldest file is first in the cache file list.