System and method for archive verification according to policies

• US 9,081,730 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2014
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KIP CR P1 LP
• Original Assignee: KIP CR P1 LP
• Inventors: Foster, Michael R., Stripling, Jeffrey Ricks
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, KAMINI B
• Application Number:
  US14/464,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20140359369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 328 Days
• Field of Search: 714/42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/08 Error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation, e.g. by using checking codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1446 Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2221 to test input/output devices or peripheral units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/215 Improving data quality; Data cleansing, e.g. de-duplication, removing invalid entries or correcting typographical errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/66 Threading; Loading; Automatic self-loading
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/02 Analogue recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10 Digital recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1816 Testing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06

Abstract

Embodiments of systems and methods for archive verification are disclosed. More specifically, embodiments of this archive verification can comprise loading media into a drive and reading data from the media to verify that the media and data on the media can be read. In one embodiment, media can be loaded into a drive and read according to a verification policy. As part of verifying that media and data on media can be read, read errors or other verification data associated with media can be obtained. Using this verification data a result for the media may be determined.

Claims

1. A system for archive verification, comprising:

a library including a plurality of drives and a plurality of media;

a monitoring appliance coupled to the library and having a processor and non-transitory computer memory including instructions executable by the processor to;

monitor the library during non-verification operation;

store a set of collected data, the set of collected data comprising a first set of error data;

evaluate the first set of error data according to a set of verification policies to determine a set of media in the library to be verified; and

perform a verification on at least one of the set of media, where performing the verification comprises;

determining that a first drive of the library is available;

sending a verification command to the first drive;

obtaining verification data associated with the verification of a media in the first drive, the verification data comprising an indication from the first drive indicating whether the first drive is able to read the media in the first drive; and

determining a verification result of the first media based on the verification data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the indication from the first drive comprises a command complete, indicating that the media was successfully read by the first drive.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the indication from the first drive indicates that the media could not be read by the first drive.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the verification result of the first media is determined based at least in part on whether the indication from the first drive includes data read from the media.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the verification command sent from the monitoring appliance to the first drive is a Read command, a Verify command, a Log command, or a Log Sense command.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the verification data associated with the verification of the media in the first drive is stored in a repository by the monitoring appliance.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring appliance is operable to compare the verification data associated with the verification of the media in the first drive against previous verification data for the media, the previous verification data stored in a repository coupled to the monitoring appliance.

8. A method for archive verification, comprising:

at a monitoring appliance coupled to a library, the monitoring appliance having a processor and non-transitory computer memory including instructions executable by the processor, the library including a plurality of drives and a plurality of media;

monitoring the library during non-verification operation;

storing a set of collected data, the set of collected data comprising a first set of error data;

evaluating the first set of error data according to a set of verification policies to determine a set of media in the library to be verified;

performing a verification on at least one of the set of media, where performing the verification comprises;

determining that a first drive of the library is available;

sending a verification command to the first drive;

obtaining verification data associated with the verification of a media in the first drive, the verification data comprising an indication from the first drive indicating whether the first drive is able to read the media in the first drive; and

determining a verification result of the first media based on the verification data.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the indication from the first drive comprises a command complete, indicating that the media was successfully read by the first drive.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the indication from the first drive indicates that the media could not be read by the first drive.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the verification result of the first media is determined based at least in part on whether the indication from the first drive includes data read from the media.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the verification command sent from the monitoring appliance to the first drive is a Read command, a Verify command, a Log command, or a Log Sense command.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the verification data associated with the verification of the media in the first drive is stored in a repository by the monitoring appliance.

14. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the monitoring appliance comparing the verification data associated with the verification of the media in the first drive against previous verification data for the media, the previous verification data stored in a repository coupled to the monitoring appliance.

15. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions executable by a processor to:

monitor a library during non-verification operation, the library including a plurality of drives and a plurality of media;

store a set of collected data, the set of collected data comprising a first set of error data;

evaluate the first set of error data according to a set of verification policies to determine a set of media in the library to be verified; and

perform a verification on at least one of the set of media, where performing the verification comprises;

determining that a first drive of the library is available;

sending a verification command to the first drive;

obtaining verification data associated with the verification of a media in the first drive, the verification data comprising an indication from the first drive indicating whether the first drive is able to read the media in the first drive; and

determining a verification result of the first media based on the verification data.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the indication from the first drive comprises a command complete, indicating that the media was successfully read by the first drive.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the indication from the first drive indicates that the media could not be read by the first drive.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the verification result of the first media is determined based at least in part on whether the indication from the first drive includes data read from the media.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the verification command is a Read command, a Verify command, a Log command, or a Log Sense command.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium comprises further instructions executable by a processor to compare the verification data associated with the verification of the media in the first drive against previous verification data for the media.