Shared library in a data storage system

• US 9,189,167 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Vijayan, Manoj Kumar, Kottomtharayil, Rajiv, Kochunni, Jaidev Oppath
• Primary Examiner(s): Tseng, Cheng-Yuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Otto, Alan
• Application Number:
  US13/788,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20130326159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0644 Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0686 Libraries, e.g. tape libraries, jukebox

Abstract

The library server according to certain aspects can manage the use of tape drives according to the data requirements of different storage operation cells. The library server according to certain aspects can also facilitate automatic management of tape media in a tape library by allocating the tapes and slots to different cells. For instance, the library server can manage the positioning and placement of the tapes into appropriate slots within the tape library.

Claims

1. A method of administering access to a tape data storage library that is shared amongst a plurality of data storage cells to manage copies of production primary data, the method comprising:

using one or more computing devices comprising computer hardware;

allocating, by a library arbiter module executing on one or more computer processors and for each respective data storage cell of a plurality of data storage cells, a subset of storage space in a tape data storage library for use by the respective data storage cell, the tape data storage library residing in a secondary storage subsystem and including a plurality of tape drives configured to load tape media in the tape data storage library, wherein access to the tape data storage library is shared by the data storage cells and each of the data storage cells comprises;

one or more client computing devices residing in a primary storage subsystem and having at least one software application executing thereon generating production data;

and one or more primary storage devices residing in the primary storage subsystem and associated with the one or more client computing devices;

receiving, by the library arbiter module and from a first data storage cell of the plurality of data storage cells, a request to access the subset of storage space allocated to the first data storage cell for performing a storage operation, the storage operation to move data between the primary storage devices of the first data storage cell and the tape data storage library in the secondary storage subsystem, the request including a number of tape drives requested to perform the storage operation;

automatically scheduling, by the library arbiter module, the request in relation to requests for access to the tape data storage library by others of the plurality of data storage cells; and

based on the scheduling, in response to determining that at least some of the requested number of tape drives of the plurality of tape drives are available, assigning the at least some of the requested number of tapes drives to the first data storage cell for providing the first data storage cell with temporary access to its the allocated subset of storage space of the first data storage cell in the tape data storage library, the temporary access being for a pre-defined interval of time; and

determining whether to extend a duration of the pre-defined interval, said determining comprising determining one or more of whether or not the storage operation associated with the request is complete and whether or not the data storage cell that made the request is still utilizing the tape data storage library.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tape library comprises a plurality of tapes and wherein said allocating comprises allocating to each respective data storage cell data storage space corresponding to a subset of one or more of the plurality of tapes.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the tape data storage library further comprises a plurality of slots each configured to receive one or more of the tapes, and wherein said allocating comprises allocating to each respective data storage cell a subset of one or more of the plurality of slots.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, following insertion of at least one tape into a slot of the plurality of slots:

determining that the at least one tape is included in the subset of the plurality of tapes that is assigned to a first data storage cell of the plurality of data storage cells;

determining that the at least one tape was inserted into a slot that is not included in the subset of the plurality of slots that is assigned to the first data storage cell; and

re-positioning the at least one tape into a slot that is included in the subset of the plurality of slots that is assigned to the first data storage cell.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein each tape has an associated barcode that identifies a corresponding tape, and wherein said allocating comprises allocating to each respective data storage cell a range of barcodes corresponding to its corresponding subset of tapes.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing the request by the library arbiter module to determine determining a relative priority associated with the request, said scheduling further comprising scheduling the request based on the determined relative priority.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, based on the determined relative priority, interrupting a second data storage cell of the plurality of data storage cells from accessing the tape data storage library in order to provide the first data storage cell with the temporary access.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the tape data storage library includes a plurality of drives that are each configured to load tape media in order to provide access to the tape data storage library, and wherein said interrupting comprises temporarily discontinuing use by the second data storage cell of a first set of one or more of the tape drives and allowing the first data storage cell to use the first set of one or more of the tape drives.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the relative priority is based on one or more of a type of the storage operation associated with the request and an identity of the data storage cell that issued the request.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein, for each data storage cell of the plurality of data storage cells, storage operations involving the production data for the respective data storage management cell are managed by a storage manager module comprising computer hardware within the data storage cell and independently from the other data storage cells.

11. A data storage system configured to administer access to a tape data storage library that is shared amongst a plurality of data storage cells to manage copies of production primary data, comprising:

a library arbiter module executing on one or more hardware computer processors and configured to;

allocate, for each respective data storage cell of a plurality of data storage cells, a subset of storage space in a tape data storage library for use by the respective data storage cell, the tape data storage library residing in a secondary storage subsystem and including a plurality of tape drives configured to load tape media in the tape data storage library, wherein access to the tape data storage library is shared by the data storage cells and each of the data storage cells comprises;

one or more client computing devices residing in a primary storage subsystem and having at least one software application executing thereon generating production data; and

one or more primary storage devices residing in the primary storage subsystem and associated with the one or more client computing devices;

receive, from a first data storage cell of the plurality of data storage cells, a request to access the subset of storage space allocated to the first data storage cell for performing a storage operation, the storage operation to move data between the primary storage devices of the first data storage cell and the tape data storage library in the secondary storage subsystem, the request including a number of tape drives requested to perform the storage operation;

automatically schedule the request in relation to requests for access to the tape data storage library by others of the plurality of data storage cells; and

based on the scheduling, in response to determining that at least some of the requested number of tape drives of the plurality of tape drives are available, assign the at least some of the requested number of tapes drives to the first data storage cell for providing provide the first data storage cell with temporary access to its the allocated subset of storage space of the first data storage cell in the tape data storage library, the temporary access being for a pre-defined interval of time; and

determine whether to extend a duration of the pre-defined interval, the determination comprising determining one or more of whether or not the storage operation associated with the request is complete and whether or not the data storage cell that made the request is still utilizing the tape data storage library.

12. The data storage system of claim 11, wherein the allocated subset of storage space for each respective data storage cell of the plurality of data storage cells is dedicated for use by that data storage cell and not by others of the data storage cells.

13. The data storage system of claim 11, wherein the tape library comprises a plurality of tapes and wherein said allocating the allocation comprises allocating to each respective data storage cell data storage space corresponding to a subset of one or more of the plurality of tapes.

14. The data storage system of claim 11, wherein, for each data storage cell of the plurality of data storage cells, storage operations involving the production data for the respective data storage management cell are managed by a storage manager module comprising computer hardware within the data storage cell and independently from the other data storage cells.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the tape data storage library further comprises a plurality of slots each configured to receive one or more of the tapes, and wherein the allocation comprises allocating to each respective data storage cell a subset of one or more of the plurality of slots.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein each tape has an associated barcode that identifies a corresponding tape, and wherein the allocation comprises allocating to each respective data storage cell a range of barcodes corresponding to its corresponding subset of tapes.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more hardware computer processors are further configured to determine a relative priority associated with the request, and wherein the one or more hardware computer processors are configured to schedule the request at least in part by scheduling the request based on the determined relative priority.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more hardware computer processors are further configured to, based on the determined relative priority, interrupt a second data storage cell of the plurality of data storage cells from accessing the tape data storage library in order to provide the first data storage cell with the temporary access.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the interruption comprises temporarily discontinuing use by the second data storage cell of a first set of one or more of the tape drives and allowing the first data storage cell to use the first set of one or more of the tape drives.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that cause a hardware processor to:

allocate for each respective data storage cell of a plurality of data storage cells, a subset of storage space in a tape data storage library for use by the respective data storage cell, the tape data storage library residing in a secondary storage subsystem and including a plurality of tape drives configured to load tape media in the tape data storage library, wherein access to the tape data storage library is shared by the data storage cells and each of the data storage cells comprises;

one or more client computing devices residing in a primary storage subsystem and having at least one software application executing thereon generating production data;

and one or more primary storage devices residing in the primary storage subsystem and associated with the one or more client computing devices;

receive from a first data storage cell of the plurality of data storage cells a request to access the subset of storage space allocated to the first data storage cell for performing a storage operation, the storage operation to move data between the primary storage devices of the first data storage cell and the tape data storage library in the secondary storage subsystem, the request including a number of tape drives requested to perform the storage operation;

automatically schedule the request in relation to requests for access to the tape data storage library by others of the plurality of data storage cells;

in response to determining that at least some of the requested number of tape drives of the plurality of tape drives are available, assign the at least some of the requested number of tapes drives to the first data storage cell for providing temporary access to the allocated subset of storage space of the first data storage cell in the tape data storage library, the temporary access being for a pre-defined interval of time; and

determine whether to extend a duration of the pre-defined interval, the determination comprising determining one or more of whether or not the storage operation associated with the request is complete and whether or not the data storage cell that made the request is still utilizing the tape data storage library.