Leveled logging data automation for virtual tape server applications

• US 8,028,201 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2008
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Liu, Henry Z., Beeston, Ralph Thomas, Anna, Gary, Winarski, Daniel James
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr.; Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Manoskey; Joseph D
• Application Number:
  US12/117,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20090282297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 714/27, 714/42, 714/45, 714/48, 714/54, 707/999.202, 711/111, 709/224, 719/224
• US Class Current: 714/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0781 Error filtering or prioritizing based on a policy defined by the user or on a policy defined by a hardware/software module, e.g. according to a severity level

Abstract

A method, system, and program product for a VTS subsystem'"'"'s logging server to optimize applications'"'"' logging data entries where applications use the logging service. More specifically, in certain embodiments, the system comprises logic executed within a VTS subsystem to which a tape library subsystem is attached. The logic controls VTS subsystem applications'"'"' logging data entry strategy through applications'"'"' configured logging level, log entry category, and a cache buffer. The logic not only dynamically balances applications'"'"' logging request but also maximizes the availability of system information.

Claims

1. A computer-implementable method for logging data in a virtual storage system, said method comprising:

receiving a logging data string;

checking a logging level, the checking comprising;

if said logging level is satisfied, sending said data string to a log file buffer;

if said logging level is not satisfied, checking a buffer priority; and

if said buffer priority exceeds a predefined threshold, abandoning said data string; and

wherein

the log file buffer comprises an Error-Data-Cache-Buffer (EDCB) element; and

further comprising

automatically collecting important error logging data which is not at the current planned logging level, and

temporarily saving the important error logging data in the EDCB element of the log file buffer.

2. The method of claim 1 for logging data in a virtual storage system wherein

said virtual storage system is taken from a group of virtual tape, virtual optical, virtual holographic and virtual hard disk.

3. The method of claim 1 for logging data in a virtual storage system further comprising

dynamically resetting a logging level of an application when it is desirable to minimize logging level impact on overall system performance.

4. The method of claim 1 for logging data in a virtual storage system further comprising:

triggering a run-time logging data level reset function based upon matched error code categories.

5. The method of claim 1 for logging data in a virtual storage system further comprising:

automatically dumping and storing EDCB data within the EDCB element.

6. A system comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to the processor; and

a computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer-usable medium being coupled to the data bus, the computer program code comprising instructions executable by the processor and configured for;

receiving a logging data string;

checking a logging level, the checking comprising;

if said logging level is satisfied, sending said data string to a log file buffer;

if said logging level is not satisfied, checking a buffer priority; and

if said buffer priority exceeds a predefined threshold, abandoning said data string; and

wherein

the log file buffer comprises an Error-Data-Cache-Buffer (EDCB) element; and

further comprising

automatically collecting important error logging data which is not at the current planned logging level, and

temporarily saving the important error logging data in the EDCB element of the log file buffer.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein

said virtual storage system is taken from a group of virtual tape, virtual optical, virtual holographic and virtual hard disk.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the instructions are further configured for:

dynamically resetting a logging level of an application when it is desirable to minimize logging level impact on overall system performance.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the instructions are further configured for:

triggering a run-time logging data level reset function based upon matched error code categories.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the instructions are further configured for:

automatically dumping and storing EDCB data within the EDCB element.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program code, the computer program code comprising computer executable instructions configured for:

receiving a logging data string;

checking a logging level, the checking comprising;

if said logging level is satisfied, sending said data string to a log file buffer;

if said logging level is not satisfied, checking a buffer priority; and

if said buffer priority exceeds a predefined threshold, abandoning said data string; and

wherein

the log file buffer comprises an Error-Data-Cache-Buffer (EDCB) element; and

further comprising

the embodied computer program code further comprises computer executable instructions configured for;

automatically collecting important error logging data which is not at the current planned logging level, and

temporarily saving the important error logging data in the EDCB element of the log file buffer.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein:

said virtual storage system is taken from a group of virtual tape, virtual optical, virtual holographic and virtual hard disk.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the embodied computer program code further comprises computer executable instructions configured for:

dynamically resetting a logging level of an application when it is desirable to minimize logging level impact on overall system performance.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the embodied computer program code further comprises computer executable instructions configured for:

triggering a run-time logging data level reset function based upon matched error code categories.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the embodied computer program code further comprises computer executable instructions configured for:

automatically dumping and storing EDCB data within the EDCB element.