Method and system for transformation of logical data objects for storage

• US 9,256,604 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2012
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Amit, Jonathan, Koifman, Chaim, Marenkov, Sergey
• Primary Examiner(s): Choe, Yong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chappell, Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US13/355,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20130024632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/116 Details of conversion of file system types or formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0661 Format or protocol conversion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/30025 Format conversion instructions, e.g. Floating-Point to Integer, decimal conversion

Abstract

There are provided a method of transforming a non-transformed stored logical data object (LO) device into a transformed LO and system thereof. The method comprises: a) in response to a respective transformation request, logically dividing the non-transformed LO in a first segment and one or more non-transformed subsequent segments, the segments having predefined size; b) generating a header for the respective transformed LO; c) processing said first segment; d) overwriting said first segment by said generated header and said transformed first segment; e) indexing said first transformed segment and said one or more non-transformed subsequent segments as constituting a part of said transformed LO; f) generating at least one index section; and g) updating the indication in the header to point that the non-transformed LO has been transformed in the transformed LO comprising said generated header, said first transformed segment, said one or more subsequent segments comprising data in non-transformed form and said at least one index section.

Claims

1. A method of storing data, comprising:

storing a non-transformed logical data object (LO) in a storage device;

logically dividing the non-transformed LO into a non-transformed first segment and one or more non-transformed subsequent segments in response to a respective transformation request;

initiating a transformation process in response to receiving a write request;

estimating a transformed size for the non-transformed first segment prior to performing the transformation process;

if the estimated transformed size is less than or equal to a predefined size;

continuing the transformation process by transforming the non-transformed first segment to generate a transformed first segment comprising data in transformed form,

generating a header for the transformed first segment, and

overwriting the non-transformed first segment in the storage device with the header and the transformed first segment, wherein data in the transformed first segment is transformed and stored sequentially in the storage device; and

if the estimated transformed size is greater than the predefined size;

stopping the transformation process prior to transforming the non-transformed first segment and generating the header, and

maintaining the non-transformed first segment in the non-transformed LO.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-transformed LO comprises compressed data and wherein transforming comprises encrypting the compressed data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-transformed LO comprises compressed data and wherein transforming comprises encoding the compressed data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-transformed LO comprises encoded data and wherein transforming comprises encrypting the encoded data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-transformed LO comprises encrypted data and wherein transforming comprises encoding the encrypted data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-transformed LO comprises raw data and wherein transforming comprises encrypting the raw data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-transformed LO comprises raw data and wherein transforming comprises compressing the raw data.

8. A system for storing data, comprising:

a storage device; and

a processor coupled to the storage device, the processor configured to;

store a non-transformed logical data object (LO) in the storage device,

logically divide the non-transformed LO into a non-transformed first segment and one or more non-transformed subsequent segments in response to a respective transformation request,

initiate a transformation process in response to receiving a write request,

estimate a transformed size for the non-transformed first segment prior to performing the transformation process,

if the estimated transformed size is less than or equal to a predefined size;

continue the transformation process by transforming the non-transformed first segment to generate a transformed first segment comprising data in transformed form,

generate a header for the transformed first segment, and

overwrite the non-transformed first segment in the storage device with the header and the transformed first segment, wherein data in the transformed first segment is transformed and stored sequentially in the storage device, and

if the estimated transformed size is greater than the predefined size;

stop the transformation process prior to transforming the non-transformed first segment and generating the header, and

maintain the non-transformed first segment in the non-transformed LO.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the non-transformed LO comprises compressed data and wherein, when transforming, the processor is configured to encrypt the compressed data.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the non-transformed LO comprises compressed data and wherein, when transforming, the processor is configured to encode the compressed data.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the non-transformed LO comprises encoded data and wherein, when transforming, the processor is configured to encrypt the encoded data.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the non-transformed LO comprises encrypted data and wherein, when transforming, the processor is configured to encode the encrypted data.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the non-transformed LO comprises raw data and wherein, when transforming, the processor is configured to encrypt the raw data.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the non-transformed LO comprises raw data and wherein, when transforming, the processor is configured to compress the raw data.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer useable medium including a computer readable program code embodied therein for storing data, the computer program product comprising:

computer code for storing a non-transformed logical data object (LO) in a storage device;

computer code for logically dividing the non-transformed LO into a non-transformed first segment and one or more non-transformed subsequent segments in response to a respective transformation request;

computer code for initiating a transformation process in response to receiving a write request;

computer code for estimating a transformed size for the non-transformed first segment prior to performing the transformation process;

if the estimated transformed size is less than or equal to a predefined size;

computer code for continuing the transformation process by transforming the non-transformed first segment to generate a transformed first segment comprising data in transformed form,

computer code for generating a header for the transformed first segment, and

computer code for overwriting the non-transformed first segment in the storage device with the header and the transformed first segment, wherein data in the transformed first segment is transformed and stored sequentially in the storage device; and

if the estimated transformed size is greater than the predefined size;

computer code for stopping the transformation process prior to transforming the non-transformed first segment and generating the header, and

computer code for maintaining the non-transformed first segment in the non-transformed LO.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the non-transformed LO comprises compressed data and wherein the computer code for transforming comprises computer code for encrypting the compressed data.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the non-transformed LO comprises compressed data and wherein the computer code for transforming comprises computer code for encoding the compressed data.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the non-transformed LO comprises encoded data and wherein the computer code for transforming comprises computer code for encrypting the encoded data.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the non-transformed LO comprises encrypted data and wherein the computer code for transforming comprises computer code for encoding the encrypted data.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the non-transformed LO comprises raw data and wherein the computer code for transforming comprises computer code for encrypting the raw data.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the non-transformed LO comprises raw data and wherein the computer code for transforming comprises computer code for compressing the raw data.