System, method and computer program product for partially synchronous and partially asynchronous mounts/unmounts in a media library

• US 9,087,073 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2014
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KIP CR P1 LP (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Original Assignee: KIP CR P1 LP (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Inventors: Kick, Damien
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Jr., Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALLEN, NICHOLAS E
• Application Number:
  US14/271,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20140244577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1774 Locking methods, e.g. locking methods for file systems allowing shared and concurrent access to files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer program products for determining completion of commands in a library system and providing an indication of the completion to a component of the media library system so that other commands which are dependent upon the completion can be efficiently issued and executed. In one embodiment, a tape is mounted in a drive of the library and a filesystem mount command is issued to initiate a filesystem mount operation. Diagnostic information generated by the operating system for this operation is communicated to the media library management application. When the filesystem mount process is completed, a corresponding diagnostic message is communicated to the media library management application. Until this message is received by the media library management application, commands that are dependent upon the completion of the filesystem mount process are inhibited, and afterward these dependent commands are allowed to be issued.

Claims

1. A method for media library management, comprising:

executing a media library management application on a media library management system having a computer processor and a memory coupled to the computer processor;

issuing a filesystem mount command which is distinct from a tape volume mount command to an operating system of the computer processor, the filesystem mount command initiating a filesystem mount operation that completes without the operating system providing notification of completion;

the media library management application inhibiting commands that are dependent upon completion of the filesystem mount operation until the filesystem mount operation is complete;

communicating diagnostic information generated by the operating system for the filesystem mount operation to the media library management application;

the media library management application determining from the diagnostic information that the filesystem mount operation is complete; and

responsive to determining that the filesystem mount operation is complete, the media library management application issuing one or more of the commands that are dependent upon completion of the filesystem mount operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the diagnostic information generated by the operating system for the filesystem mount operation to the media library management application comprises creating a pipe that provides a channel to communicate the diagnostic information to the media library management application.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

creating an I/O thread and running an I/O process in the I/O thread, wherein the I/O process reads a standard error output of the filesystem mount operation and communicates the standard error output of the filesystem mount operation to the media library management application via the pipe.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to issuing the filesystem mount command to initiate the filesystem mount operation, controlling a media changer of a media library which is coupled to the computer processor, thereby causing the media changer to mount a tape cartridge in a tape drive of the media library.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

monitoring execution of a filesystem process initiated via the filesystem mount operation; and

inhibiting unmounting of the tape cartridge from the tape drive of the media library while the filesystem process is executing.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein monitoring execution of the filesystem process comprises:

creating a wait thread; and

running a wait process in the wait thread, wherein the wait process monitors the filesystem process and provides a notification to the media library management application when the filesystem process terminates.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

after the media library management application receives the notification from the wait process, controlling the media changer of the media library to cause the media changer to unmount the tape cartridge from the tape drive of the media library.

8. An archive node appliance configured to be coupled between one or more host devices and a media library, the archive node appliance comprising:

a computer processor;

a memory coupled to the computer processor;

a first communications interface configured to be coupled to one or more host devices; and

a second communications interface configured to be coupled to a media library;

wherein the computer processor is configured to;

execute a media library management application;

issue a filesystem mount command which is distinct from a tape volume mount command to an operating system of the computer processor, the filesystem mount command initiating a filesystem mount operation that completes without the operating system providing notification of completion;

inhibit commands that are dependent upon completion of the filesystem mount operation until the filesystem mount operation is complete;

communicate diagnostic information generated by the operating system for the filesystem mount operation to the media library management application;

determine from the diagnostic information that the filesystem mount operation is complete; and

responsive to determining that the filesystem mount operation is complete, issue one or more of the commands that are dependent upon completion of the filesystem mount operation.

9. The archive node appliance of claim 8, further comprising one or more host computers coupled to the first communications interface.

10. The archive node appliance of claim 8, further comprising the media library coupled to the second communications interface.

11. The archive node appliance of claim 10, wherein the computer processor is configured to control a media changer of the media library and thereby mount a tape cartridge in a tape drive of the media library.

12. The archive node appliance of claim 11, wherein the computer processor is configured to monitor execution of a filesystem process initiated via the filesystem mount operation, and inhibit unmounting of the tape cartridge from the tape drive of the media library while the filesystem process is executing.

13. The archive node appliance of claim 12, wherein the computer processor is configured to monitor execution of the filesystem process by creating a wait thread and running a wait process in the wait thread, wherein the wait process monitors the filesystem process and provides a notification to the media library management application when the filesystem process terminates.

14. The archive node appliance of claim 13, wherein the computer processor is configured to control the media changer of the media library to cause the media changer to unmount the tape cartridge from the tape drive of the media library after the media library management application receives the notification from the wait process.

15. The archive node appliance of claim 8, wherein the computer processor is configured to communicate the diagnostic information generated by the operating system for the filesystem mount operation to the media library management application by creating a pipe that provides a channel to communicate the diagnostic information to the media library management application.

16. The archive node appliance of claim 15, wherein the computer processor is configured to create an I/O thread and run an I/O process in the I/O thread, wherein the I/O process reads a standard error output of the filesystem mount operation and communicates the standard error output of the filesystem mount operation to the media library management application via the pipe.

17. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having a set of instructions stored thereon, the instructions executable by a computer processor of an archive node appliance to:

execute a media library management application;

issue a filesystem mount command which is distinct from a tape volume mount command to an operating system of the computer processor, the filesystem mount command initiating a filesystem mount operation that completes without the operating system providing notification of completion;

inhibit commands that are dependent upon completion of the filesystem mount operation until the filesystem mount operation is complete;

communicate diagnostic information generated by the operating system for the filesystem mount operation to the media library management application;

determine from the diagnostic information that the filesystem mount operation is complete; and

responsive to determining that the filesystem mount operation is complete, issue one or more of the commands that are dependent upon completion of the filesystem mount operation.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further executable by the computer processor of the archive node appliance to control a media changer of the media library and thereby mount a tape cartridge in a tape drive of the media library.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the instructions are further executable by the computer processor of the archive node appliance to monitor execution of a filesystem process initiated via the filesystem mount operation, and inhibit unmounting of the tape cartridge from the tape drive of the media library while the filesystem process is executing, wherein the instructions are further executable by the computer processor of the archive node appliance to monitor execution of the filesystem process by creating a wait thread and running a wait process in the wait thread, wherein the wait process monitors the filesystem process and provides a notification to the media library management application when the filesystem process terminates, and wherein the instructions are further executable by the computer processor of the archive node appliance to control the media changer of the media library to cause the media changer to unmount the tape cartridge from the tape drive of the media library after the media library management application receives the notification from the wait process.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further executable by the computer processor of the archive node appliance to communicate the diagnostic information generated by the operating system for the filesystem mount operation to the media library management application by creating a pipe that provides a channel to communicate the diagnostic information to the media library management application.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the instructions are further executable by the computer processor of the archive node appliance to create an I/O thread and run an I/O process in the I/O thread, wherein the I/O process reads a standard error output of the filesystem mount operation and communicates the standard error output of the filesystem mount operation to the media library management application via the pipe.