System and method for archive verification according to policies

• US 9,317,358 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2015
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2009
• 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: Foster, Michael R., Stripling, Jeffrey Ricks
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, KAMINI B
• Application Number:
  US14/737,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20150278007A1
• Time in Patent Office: 313 Days
• Field of Search: 714/42, 714/54
• 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;

send a first command to the library to load a tape in a particular drive of the plurality of drives, the tape selected from the plurality of media for verification using the particular drive;

send a second command to the particular drive to rewind the tape;

determine what command to use in the verification of the tape based on the particular drive in which the tape is being verified;

issue multiple verification commands to the drive if the drive supports the verification commands;

issue multiple read commands to the drive if the drive does not support the verification commands;

store verification data returned from the drive; and

determine a verification result of the tape based on the verification data returned from the drive.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein determination of what command to use in the verification of the tape is made by:

sending a verification command to the drive; and

determining if any error exists indicating that the verification command is unsupported by the drive.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein determination of what command to use in the verification of the tape is made by:

comparing a type of the drive against a list of drive types which support a verification command.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein determination of the verification result of the tape comprises applying one or more rules to the verification data, wherein the one or more rules apply criteria to the verification data to assign a result.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the verification data returned from the drive comprise Medium Auxiliary Memory (MAM) data stored in MAM of the tape.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the verification data returned from the drive comprise drive data associated with the tape, including any read errors associated with the tape.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the verification data are consolidated at multiple times during the verification of the tape.

8. A method for archive verification, comprising:

a monitoring appliance sending a first command to a library to load a tape in a particular drive of a plurality of drives in the library, the tape selected from a plurality of media in the library for verification using the particular drive, the monitoring appliance having a processor and non-transitory computer memory including instructions executable by the processor;

the monitoring appliance sending a second command to the particular drive to rewind the tape;

the monitoring appliance determining what command to use in the verification of the tape based on the particular drive in which the tape is being verified;

the monitoring appliance issuing multiple verification commands to the drive if the drive supports the verification commands;

the monitoring appliance issuing multiple read commands to the drive if the drive does not support the verification commands;

the monitoring appliance storing verification data returned from the drive; and

the monitoring appliance determining a verification result of the tape based on the verification data returned from the drive.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein determination of what command to use in the verification of the tape is made by:

sending a verification command to the drive; and

determining if any error exists indicating that the verification command is unsupported by the drive.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein determination of what command to use in the verification of the tape is made by:

comparing a type of the drive against a list of drive types which support a verification command.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein determination of the verification result of the tape comprises applying one or more rules to the verification data, wherein the one or more rules apply criteria to the verification data to assign a result.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the verification data returned from the drive comprise Medium Auxiliary Memory (MAM) data stored in MAM of the tape.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the verification data returned from the drive comprise drive data associated with the tape, including any read errors associated with the tape.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the verification data are consolidated at multiple times during the verification of the tape.

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

send a first command to the library to load a tape in a particular drive of the plurality of drives, the tape selected from the plurality of media for verification using the particular drive;

send a second command to the particular drive to rewind the tape;

determine what command to use in the verification of the tape based on the particular drive in which the tape is being verified;

issue multiple verification commands to the drive if the drive supports the verification commands;

issue multiple read commands to the drive if the drive does not support the verification commands;

store verification data returned from the drive; and

determine a verification result of the tape based on the verification data returned from the drive.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein determination of what command to use in the verification of the tape is made by:

sending a verification command to the drive; and

determining if any error exists indicating that the verification command is unsupported by the drive.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein determination of what command to use in the verification of the tape is made by:

comparing a type of the drive against a list of drive types which support a verification command.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein determination of the verification result of the tape comprises applying one or more rules to the verification data, wherein the one or more rules apply criteria to the verification data to assign a result.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the verification data returned from the drive comprise Medium Auxiliary Memory (MAM) data stored in MAM of the tape.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the verification data returned from the drive comprise drive data associated with the tape, including any read errors associated with the tape.