Maintaining active-only copy storage pools

• US 7,613,744 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2005
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cannon, David Maxwell, Martin, Howard Newton
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Khanh B
• Assistant Examiner(s): LODHI, ANDALIB FT
• Application Number:
  US11/224,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20070043789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,513 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1873 Versioning file systems, temporal file systems, e.g. file system supporting different historic versions of files
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

Provided are a method, system, and program for maintaining active-only copy storage pools. A first storage pool includes at least a first aggregate including a plurality of files. A second aggregate is generated in a second storage pool. A determination is made as to whether files in the first aggregate are active or inactive versions. Active versions of files are copied from the first aggregate to the second aggregate in the second storage pool, wherein the second aggregate does not include inactive versions of files in the first storage pool.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a first storage pool including at least a first aggregate including a plurality of files, wherein the files in the first aggregate are maintained in a sequential ordering;

generating a second aggregate in a second storage pool;

determining whether files in the first aggregate are active or inactive versions; and

copying active versions of files from the first aggregate to the second aggregate in the second storage pool in the sequential ordering of the first aggregate, wherein the second aggregate does not include inactive versions of files in the first storage pool, and wherein the active versions of the files in the first aggregate are written in the sequential ordering of the first aggregate to the second aggregate such that only the active version of the files are stored sequentially in the second aggregate; and

maintaining aggregate file information having an entry for each file stored in the first aggregate, wherein each entry indicates a file identifier, a first aggregate identifier, and an ordering of the file in the first aggregate, wherein the sequential ordering of files in the first aggregate is indicated by the order indicated in the entries for the files of the first aggregate in the aggregate file information, wherein copying the files from the first aggregate in the sequential ordering comprises copying the files according to the order indicated in the entries of the files in the first aggregate in the aggregate file information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

copying active versions of files not included in an aggregate from the first storage pool to the second storage pool.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein copying the active versions of files from the first aggregate to the second aggregate comprises copying the active versions of files in a sequence in which they are stored in the first aggregate.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first aggregate has a first identifier and the second aggregate has a second identifier, further comprising:

providing a data structure having information indicating the first aggregate as included in the first storage pool and having the first identifier; and

adding information to the data structure indicating the second aggregate as included in the second storage pool and having the second identifier in response to copying active versions of files from the first aggregate to the second aggregate.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein one file in the first aggregate is rendered inactive as a result of an update to the file, wherein updating the file in the first aggregate produces an active version of the file in the first storage pool in addition to the inactive version of the file in the first aggregate, further comprising:

adding information to the data structure for the active version of the file having a third identifier and indicating that the active version of the file is in the first storage pool;

copying the active version of the file having the second identifier to the second storage pool; and

adding information to the data structure indicating the copied active version of the file as included in the second storage pool and having the third identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, farther comprising:

providing a data structure having information on files included in the first aggregate including, for each file in the first aggregate, a file identifier of the file and a first aggregate identifier; and

adding information to the data structure on files in the second aggregate including, for each file in the first aggregate, a file identifier of the file, a second aggregate identifier, and indication whether the file is active or inactive, wherein inactive files in the first aggregate indicated in the information on files in the second aggregate are not included in the second aggregate.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein an inactive version of a file is generated in response to deactivating one file, wherein the first aggregate includes the inactive version of the file in response to deactivating one active version of one file in the first aggregate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second storage pool is located off site with respect to the first storage pool.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the order indicated in the entries in the aggregate file information comprises an offset indicating an offset of the file in the first aggregate, wherein the files in the first aggregate are copied to the second aggregate according to an order of their offsets indicated in the file entries in the aggregate file information.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding entries to the aggregate file information for each file from the first aggregate included in the second aggregate, wherein each added entry identifies the included file, a second aggregate identifier, and an order in which the file was included in the second aggregate.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

deleting entries in the aggregate file information for each entry indicating the first aggregate identifier in response to adding the entries to the aggregate file information for the files in the second aggregate.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

adding an entry to the aggregate file information for each inactive file in the first aggregate not copied to the second aggregate indicating the file identifier of the inactive file not copied, the second aggregate identifier, and indication that the file was not copied.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequential ordering of the files in the first aggregate is indicated in aggregate file information.

14. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable storage medium including code executed to perform operations with respect to a first storage pool and a second storage pool, wherein the operations comprise:

providing a first storage pool including at least a first aggregate including a plurality of files, wherein the files in the first aggregate are maintained in a sequential ordering;

generating a second aggregate in a second storage pool;

determining whether files in the first aggregate are active or inactive versions; and

copying active versions of files from the first aggregate to the second aggregate in the second storage pool in the sequential ordering of the first aggregate, wherein the second aggregate does not include inactive versions of files in the first storage pool, and wherein the active versions of the files in the first aggregate are written in the sequential ordering of the first aggregate to the second aggregate such that only the active version of the files are stored sequentially in the second aggregate; and

maintaining aggregate file information having an entry for each file stored in the first aggregate, wherein each entry indicates a file identifier, a first aggregate identifier, and an ordering of the file in the first aggregate, wherein the sequential ordering of files in the first aggregate is indicated by the order indicated in the entries for the files of the first aggregate in the aggregate file information, wherein copying the files from the first aggregate in the sequential ordering comprises copying the files according to the order indicated in the entries of the files in the first aggregate in the aggregate file information.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein the first aggregate has a first identifier and the second aggregate has a second identifier, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing a data structure having information indicating the first aggregate as included in the first storage pool and having the first identifier; and

adding information to the data structure indicating the second aggregate as included in the second storage pool and having the second identifier in response to copying active versions of files from the first aggregate to the second aggregate.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein one file in the first aggregate is rendered inactive as a result of an update to the file, wherein updating the file in the first aggregate produces an active version of the file in the first storage pool in addition to the inactive version of the file in the first aggregate, wherein the operations further comprise:

adding information to the data structure for the active version of the file having a third identifier and indicating that the active version of the file is in the first storage pool;

copying the active version of the file having the second identifier to the second storage pool; and

adding information to the data structure indicating the copied active version of the file as included in the second storage pool and having the third identifier.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein the order indicated in the entries in the aggregate file information comprises an offset indicating an offset of the file in the first aggregate, wherein the files in the first aggregate are copied to the second aggregate according to an order of their offsets indicated in the file entries in the aggregate file information.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

adding entries to the aggregate file information for each file from the first aggregate included in the second aggregate, wherein each added entry identifies the included file, a second aggregate identifier, and an order in which the file was included in the second aggregate.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

deleting entries in the aggregate file information for each entry indicating the first aggregate identifier in response to adding the entries to the aggregate file information for the files in the second aggregate.

20. A system in communication with a first storage pool and a second storage pool, comprising:

a processor;

a computer readable storage medium in communication with the processor including code executed by the processor to cause operations, the operations comprising;

providing a first storage pool including at least a first aggregate including a plurality of files, wherein the files in the first aggregate are maintained in a sequential ordering;

generating a second aggregate in a second storage pool;

determining whether files in the first aggregate are active or inactive versions; and

copying active versions of files from the first aggregate to the second aggregate in the second storage pool in the sequential ordering of the first aggregate, wherein the second aggregate does not include inactive versions of files in the first storage pool, and wherein the active versions of the files in the first aggregate are written in the sequential ordering of the first aggregate to the second aggregate such that only the active version of the files are stored sequentially in the second aggregate; and

maintaining aggregate file information having an entry for each file stored in the first aggregate, wherein each entry indicates a file identifier, a first aggregate identifier, and an ordering of the file in the first aggregate, wherein the sequential ordering of files in the first aggregate is indicated by the order indicated in the entries for the files of the first aggregate in the aggregate file information, wherein copying the files from the first aggregate in the sequential ordering comprises copying the files according to the order indicated in the entries of the files in the first aggregate in the aggregate file information.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the first aggregate has a first identifier and the second aggregate has a second identifier, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing a data structure having information indicating the first aggregate as included in the first storage pool and having the first identifier; and

adding information to the data structure indicating the second aggregate as included in the second storage pool and having the second identifier in response to copying active versions of files from the first aggregate to the second aggregate.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein one file in the first aggregate is rendered inactive as a result of an update to the file, wherein updating the file in the first aggregate produces an active version of the file in the first storage pool in addition to the inactive version of the file in the first aggregate, further comprising:

adding information to the data structure for the active version of the file having a third identifier and indicating that the active version of the file is in the first storage pool;

copying the active version of the file having the second identifier to the second storage pool; and

adding information to the data structure indicating the copied active version of the file as included in the second storage pool and having the third identifier.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the order indicated in the entries in the aggregate file information comprises an offset indicating an offset of the file in the first aggregate, wherein the files in the first aggregate are copied to the second aggregate according to an order of their offsets indicated in the file entries in the aggregate file information.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise:

adding entries to the aggregate file information for each file from the first aggregate included in the second aggregate, wherein each added entry identifies the included file, a second aggregate identifier, and an order in which the file was included in the second aggregate.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the operations further comprise:

deleting entries in the aggregate file information for each entry indicating the first aggregate identifier in response to adding the entries to the aggregate file information for the files in the second aggregate.