Fabricating key fields

• US 8,683,130 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2011
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Benhase, Michael T., Candelaria, Susan K., Fung, Chung M., Gupta, Lokesh M., Hyde, Joseph S. II, Kalos, Matthew J., Peterson, Beth A., Terry, Donald P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kindred, Alford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Perez-Velez, Rocio Del Mar
• Application Number:
  US13/082,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20120260043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 711/4, 711/112, 711/133
• US Class Current: 711/133
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1004 to protect a block of data words, e.g. CRC or checksum G06F11/1076 takes precedence; security arrangements for protecting computers or computer systems against unauthorized activity G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0661 Format or protocol conversion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

Exemplary methods, computer systems, and computer program products for fabricating key fields by a processor device in a computer environment are provided. In one embodiment, the computer environment is configured for, as an alternative to reading Count-Key-Data (CKD) data in order to change the key field, providing a hint to fabricate a new key field, thereby overwriting a previous key field and updating the CKD data.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating key fields by a processor device in a computing storage environment, comprising:

providing a hint to fabricate a new key field as an alternative to reading Count-Key-Data (CKD) data in order to change the key fields for eliminating track stages for tracks and CKD command chains, and overwriting a previous key field and updating the CKD data;

providing the hint to fabricate a value of the new key field;

passing one of a plurality of contents and a plurality of parameter data of the value of the new key field; and

storing the fabricated new key field rather than refabricating a new key field upon issuance of a qualifying request, wherein the stored fabricated new key field is used when writing a record into a cache.

2. The method of claim 1, further including adding the new key field to one of a plurality of parameters and a plurality of commands, wherein the new key field includes a known format and content, and the hint is one of the plurality of commands.

3. The method of claim 1, further including providing a restriction on the hint allowing for a rejection of the hint.

4. The method of claim 1, further including performing at least one of:

recognizing the hint,

processing the hint,

fabricating one of the new key field and a header.

5. The method of claim 1, further including performing at least one of:

using the value of the new key field to build one of a pad field, a longitudinal redundancy check (LRC) field, and a cyclical redundancy check (CRC) field, and

creating a table containing a plurality of potential key fields to use for a plurality of key sizes, wherein the plurality of key fields includes a pre-generated pad field, LRC field, and CRC field.

6. The method of claim 1, further including processing the hint by a control unit.

7. The method of claim 1, further including providing the hint on a format write of a track to allow for performing at least one of:

setting a bit indicating a plurality of keys in at least one of a plurality of key fields to be a predetermined value,

turning off the bit by a write of key to the track,

performing a track scan of the plurality of key fields prior to setting the bit before demoting the track from a cache,

creating and retaining a plurality of patterns of the plurality key fields to be used as the predetermined value, and

fabricating the new key field with the predetermined value.

8. A system for fabricating key fields in a computing storage environment, comprising:

a processor device operable in the computing storage environment, wherein processor device is adapted for;

providing a hint to fabricate a new key field as an alternative to reading Count-Key-Data (CKD) data in order to change the key fields for eliminating track stages for tracks and CKD command chains, and overwriting a previous key field and updating the CKD data;

providing the hint to fabricate a value of the new key field;

passing one of a plurality of contents and a plurality of parameter data of the value of the new key field; and

storing the fabricated new key field rather than refabricating a new key field upon issuance of a qualifying request, wherein the stored fabricated new key field is used when writing a record into a cache.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor device is further adapted for adding the new key field to one of a plurality of parameters and a plurality of commands, wherein the new key field includes a known format and content, and the hint is one of the plurality of commands.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor device is further adapted for providing a restriction on the hint allowing for a rejection of the hint.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor device is further adapted for performing at least one of:

recognizing the hint,

processing the hint,

fabricating one of the new key field and a header.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor device is further adapted for performing at least one of:

using the value of the new key field to build one of a pad field, a longitudinal redundancy check (LRC) field, and a cyclical redundancy check (CRC) field, and

creating a table containing a plurality of potential key fields to use for a plurality of key sizes, wherein the plurality of key fields includes a pre-generated pad field, LRC field, and CRC field.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor device is a control unit for processing the hint and fabricating the new key field.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor device is further adapted for providing the hint on a format write of a track to allow for performing at least one of:

setting a bit indicating a plurality of keys in at least one of a plurality of key fields to be a predetermined value,

turning off the bit by a write of key to the track,

performing a track scan of the plurality of key fields prior to setting the bit before demoting the track from a cache,

creating and retaining a plurality of patterns of the plurality key fields to be used as the predetermined value, and

fabricating the new key field with the predetermined value.

15. A computer program product for fabricating key fields in a computing storage environment by a processor device, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for providing a hint to fabricate a new key field as an alternative to reading Count-Key-Data (CKD) data in order to change the key fields for eliminating track stages for tracks and CKD command chains, and overwriting a previous key field and updating the CKD data;

a second executable portion for providing the hint to fabricate a value of the new key field;

a third executable portion for passing one of a plurality of contents and a plurality of parameter data of the value of the new key field; and

a fourth executable portion for storing the fabricated new key field rather than refabricating a new key field upon issuance of a qualifying request, wherein the stored fabricated new key field is used when writing a record into a cache.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further including a fifth executable portion for adding the new key field to one of a plurality of parameters and a plurality of commands, wherein the new key field includes a known format and content, and the hint is one of the plurality of commands.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, further including a fifth executable portion for providing a restriction on the hint allowing for a rejection of the hint.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, further including a fifth executable portion for performing at least one of:

recognizing the hint,

processing the hint,

fabricating one of the new key field and a header.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, further including a fifth executable portion for performing at least one of:

using the value of the new key field to build one of a pad field, a longitudinal redundancy check (LRC) field, and a cyclical redundancy check (CRC) field, and

creating a table containing a plurality of potential key fields to use for a plurality of key sizes, wherein the plurality of key fields includes a pre-generated pad field, LRC field, and CRC field.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, further including a fifth executable portion for providing the hint on a format write of a track to allow for performing at least one of:

setting a bit indicating a plurality of keys in at least one of a plurality of key fields to be a predetermined value,

turning off the bit by a write of key to the track,

performing a track scan of the plurality of key fields prior to setting the bit before demoting the track from a cache,

creating and retaining a plurality of patterns of the plurality key fields to be used as the predetermined value, and

fabricating the new key field with the predetermined value.