Apparatus and method to assign one or more storage construct names to a logical volume

• US 7,418,562 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2002
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Peake, Jonathan W., Fisher, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis; Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): RUTZ, JARED IAN
• Application Number:
  US10/230,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20040044825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,189 Days
• Field of Search: 711/112, 711/114, 711/203, 711/111, 711/161, 707/204
• US Class Current: 711/161
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0686 Libraries, e.g. tape libraries, jukebox

Abstract

A method to assign one or more new storage construct names to one or more logical volumes using an operator input station capable of communicating with a virtual tape system, where that virtual tape system includes a plurality of existing logical volumes and a database which includes a plurality of logical volume records. The method first defines one or more new storage construct names, associates one or more storage actions with each of those new storage construct names, and saves the new storage construct names and the associated storage actions in the database. The method then enters, using the operator input station, a range of logical volumes, selects one or more new storage construct names, associates those new storage construct name to the range of logical volumes. The method then determines if the range of logical volumes comprises existing or new logical volumes. If the range of logical volumes comprises existing logical volumes, then the method modifies the logical volume records for that range of logical volumes to include the new storage construct names. If the range of logical volumes comprises new logical volumes, then the method creates new database records for that range of logical volumes comprising the new storage construct name.

Claims

1. A method to define a new storage construct name using an operator input station capable of communicating with a virtual tape system, wherein said virtual tape system includes a database, comprising the steps of:

providing a virtual tape system capable of communicating with an operation input station and a host computer, wherein said host computer does not comprise one or more Automatic Class Selection routines;

defining using said operator input station a new storage construct name;

associating using said operator input station one or more storage actions with said new storage construct name;

saving said new storage construct name and said associated storage actions in said database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said operator input station is integral with said virtual tape system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said operator input station is remote from said virtual tape system.

4. A method to assign one or more storage construct names to one or more logical volumes using an operator input station capable of communicating with a virtual tape system, wherein said virtual tape system includes a plurality of existing logical volumes and a database comprising a plurality of logical volume records, comprising the steps of:

entering using said operator input station a range of logical volumes;

selecting using said operator input station one or more storage construct names;

associating using said operator input station said one or more storage construct names to said range of logical volumes;

determining if said range of logical volumes comprises existing or new logical volumes;

operative if said range of logical volumes comprises existing logical volumes, modifying said logical volume records to include said associated storage construct names;

operative if said range of logical volumes comprises new logical volumes, creating new database records for said range of logical volumes comprising said associated storage construct names.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said database further includes one or more existing storage construct names and associated storage actions, further comprising the steps of:

selecting using said operator input station one or more of said plurality of said existing storage construct names, where each of those one or more existing storage construct names has one or more storage actions associated therewith;

modifying using said operator input station one or more of said associated storage actions; and

storing in said database said one or more existing construct names and said modified associated storage actions.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

defining a new storage construct name;

associating one or more storage actions with said new storage construct name;

saving said new storage construct name and said associated storage actions in said database.

7. A method to assign one or more storage construct names to one or more logical volumes using an operator input station capable of communicating with a virtual tape system, wherein said virtual tape system includes a plurality of existing logical volumes and a database comprising a plurality of logical volume records, comprising the steps of:

defining using said operator input station one or more new storage construct names;

associating using said operator input station one or more storage actions with said new storage construct name;

saving said new storage construct name and said associated storage actions in said database;

entering using said operator input station a range of logical volumes;

selecting using said operator input station said new storage construct name;

associating using said operator input station said new storage construct name to said range of logical volumes;

determining if said range of logical volumes comprises existing or new logical volumes;

operative if said range of logical volumes comprises existing logical volumes, modifying said logical volume records to include said new storage construct name;

operative if said range of logical volumes comprises new logical volumes, creating new database records for said range of logical volumes comprising said new storage construct name.

8. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to define a new storage construct name using an operator input station capable of communicating with a virtual tape system, wherein said virtual tape system includes a database, and wherein said virtual tape system is capable of communicating with host computer that does not comprise one or more Automatic Class Selection routines, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

receiving from a user via said operator input station a new storage construct name and associated one or more storage actions;

saving said new storage construct name and said associated storage actions in said database.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein said operator input station is integral with said virtual tape system.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 9, wherein said operator input station is remote from said virtual tape system.

11. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to assign one or more storage construct names to one or more logical volumes using an operator input station capable of communicating with a virtual tape system, wherein said virtual tape system includes a plurality of existing logical volumes and a database comprising a plurality of logical volume records, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

receiving from said operator input station a range of logical volumes;

receiving from said operator input station one or more selected storage construct names;

associating said one or more storage construct names to said range of logical volumes;

determining if said range of logical volumes comprises existing or new logical volumes;

operative if said range of logical volumes comprises existing logical volumes, modifying said logical volume records to include said associated storage construct names;

operative if said range of logical volumes comprises new logical volumes, creating new database records for said range of logical volumes comprising said associated storage construct names.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11, said computer readable program code further comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

retrieving one or more storage actions associated with one or more selected storage construct names;

modifying one or more of said associated storage actions; and

storing in said database said modified associated storage actions.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein said virtual tape system further comprises a library inventory, said computer readable program code further comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

defining a new storage construct name;

associating one or more storage actions with said new storage construct name;

saving said new storage construct name and said associated storage actions in said database.

14. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to assign one or more storage construct names to one or more logical volumes using an operator input station capable of communicating with a virtual tape system, wherein said virtual tape system includes a plurality of existing logical volumes and a database comprising a plurality of logical volume records, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

receiving via said operator input station a new storage construct name;

associating one or more storage actions with said new storage construct name;

saving said new storage construct name and said associated storage actions in said database;

receiving via said operator input station a range of logical volumes;

selecting said new storage construct name;

associating said new storage construct name to said range of logical volumes;

determining if said range of logical volumes comprises existing or new logical volumes;

operative if said range of logical volumes comprises existing logical volumes, modifying said logical volume records to include said new storage construct name;

operative if said range of logical volumes comprises new logical volumes, creating new database records for said range of logical volumes comprising said new storage construct name.

15. A computer program product written to a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein to define a new storage construct name using an operator input station capable of communicating with a virtual tape system, wherein said virtual tape system includes a database, and wherein said virtual tape system is capable of communicating with host computer that does not comprise one or more Automatic Class Selection routines, comprising:

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to receive from a user via said operator input station a new storage construct name and associated one or more storage actions;

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to save said new storage construct name and said associated storage actions in said database.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said operator input station is integral with said virtual tape system.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said operator input station is remote from said virtual tape system.

18. A computer program written to a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein to assign one or more storage construct names to one or more logical volumes using an operator input station capable of communicating with a virtual tape system, wherein said virtual tape system includes a plurality of existing logical volumes and a database comprising a plurality of logical volume records, comprising:

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to receive from said operator input station a range of logical volumes;

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to receive from said operator input station one or more selected storage construct names;

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to associate said one or more storage construct names to said range of logical volumes;

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to determine if said range of logical volumes comprises existing or new logical volumes;

computer readable program code which, if said range of logical volumes comprises existing logical volumes, causes said programmable computer processor to modify said logical volume records to include said associated storage construct names;

computer readable program code which, if said range of logical volumes comprises new logical volumes, causes said programmable computer processor to create new database records for said range of logical volumes comprising said associated storage construct names.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising:

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to retrieve from said database one or more of said plurality of existing storage construct names, where each of those one or more existing storage construct names has one or more storage actions associated therewith;

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to retrieve one or more storage actions associated with an existing storage construct name;

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to receive modifications to said one or more associated storage actions; and

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to store in said database said existing construct name and said modified associated storage actions.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to receive from a user via said operator input station a new storage construct name and associated one or more storage actions;

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to save said new storage construct name and said associated storage actions in said database.

21. A computer program product written to a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein to assign one or more storage construct names to one or more logical volumes using an operator input station capable of communicating with a virtual tape system, wherein said virtual tape system includes a plurality of existing logical volumes and a database comprising a plurality of logical volume records, comprising:

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to retrieve from said database one or more of said plurality of existing storage construct names, where each of those one or more existing storage construct names has one or more storage actions associated therewith;

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to provide said one or more existing storage construct names and associated storage actions to a user via said operator input station

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to receive modifications to one or more of said associated storage actions;

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to store in said database said existing construct names and said modified associated storage actions

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to receive from said operator input station a range of logical volumes;

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to retrieve one or more selected storage construct names;

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to associate said one or more selected storage construct names to said range of logical volumes;

computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to determine if said range of logical volumes comprises existing or new logical volumes;

computer readable program code which, if said range of logical volumes comprises existing logical volumes, causes said programmable computer processor to modify said logical volume records to include said associated storage construct names;

computer readable program code which, if said range of logical volumes comprises new logical volumes, causes said programmable computer processor to create new database records for said range of logical volumes comprising said associated storage construct names.