System and method for archive verification using multiple attempts

• US 9,442,795 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2013
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KIP CR P1 LP
• Original Assignee: KIP CR P1 LP
• Inventors: Stripling, Jeffrey Ricks, Sims, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leibovich, Yair
• Application Number:
  US14/092,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20140085744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 714/42, 360/53
• 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

Systems, methods and apparatus for archive verification including the verification of media in a library, are disclosed. More specifically, a method of archive verification may include performing an initial verification on a first media in a first drive and performing a subsequent verification on the first media in a second drive not used for the initial verification, and comparing the results of the initial verification and the subsequent verification. Embodiments may further perform an initial verification of the readability of a second tape media and subsequent verification of the readability for the second tape media, and compare the results of the initial verification to the results of the subsequent verification to determine the tape drive health, the efficacy of the first tape media or the second tape media, the efficacy of the first tape drive or the second tape drive, or whether to replace a tape media.

Claims

1. A system for archive verification of a library having a drive and coupled to a network, the library comprising a plurality of media for data storage, comprising:

a monitoring appliance coupled to the library over a network and configured to;

perform a scheduled initial verification of a first tape media to verify the readability of the first tape media, including loading the first tape media into a first drive allocated for the initial verification of the first tape media and recording a result of the initial verification of the first tape media in a memory;

select the first tape media for subsequent verification of the first tape media based on the result of the initial verification of the first tape media;

performing the subsequent verification of the first tape media to verify the readability for the first tape media, including loading the first tape media into a second drive that was not used for the initial verification of the first tape media and recording a result of the subsequent verification of the first tape media in the memory; and

determine a verification result for the first tape media based on an analysis of the result of the initial verification of the first tape media and the result of the subsequent verification of the first tape media.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein performing the initial verification of the first tape media comprises sending READ or VERIFY commands to the tape library.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein performing the subsequent verification of the first tape media comprises sending READ or VERIFY commands to the tape library.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring appliance is further configured to:

perform an initial verification of a second tape media to verify the readability of the second tape media, including loading the second tape media into the first drive and recording a result of the initial verification of the second tape media in the memory;

perform a subsequent verification of the second tape media, including loading the second tape media into the second drive and recording a result of the subsequent verification of the second tape media in the memory;

determine a verification result for the second tape media based on the result of the initial verification of the second tape media and the result of the subsequent verification of the second tape media to determine one or more of a tape drive health, an efficacy of the first tape media or the second tape media, an efficacy of the first drive or the second drive, and whether to replace the first tape media or the second tape media.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein selecting the first tape media for the subsequent verification of the first tape media comprises determining that the result of the initial verification of the first tape media meets a criteria of a verification rule.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the criteria comprises a threshold number of errors.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the monitoring appliance comprises:

a first memory for storing a queue of media tapes for verification;

a second memory storing an archive verification engine; and

a processor for executing a set of instructions stored in the first memory or the second memory.

8. A method for archive verification of a library having a drive and coupled to a network, the library comprising a plurality of media for data storage, the method comprising:

performing a scheduled initial verification of a first tape media to verify the readability of the first tape media by a monitoring appliance coupled to a library over the network, including instructing the library to load the first tape media into a first drive allocated for the initial verification of the first tape media and recording a result of the initial verification of the first tape media in a memory;

selecting the first tape media for subsequent verification of the first tape media based on the result of the initial verification of the first tape media;

performing a subsequent verification of the first tape media to verify readability of the first tape media by the monitoring appliance, including instructing the library to load the first tape media into a second drive that was not used for the initial verification of the first tape media and recording a result of the subsequent verification of the first tape media in the memory; and

determining a verification result for the first tape media based on an analysis of the result of the initial verification of the first tape media and the result of the subsequent verification of the first tape media.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein performing the initial verification of the first tape media comprises sending READ or VERIFY commands to the tape library.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein performing the subsequent verification of the first tape media comprises sending READ or VERIFY commands to the tape library.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

performing an initial verification of a second tape media to verify readability of a second tape media by the monitoring appliance, including instructing the library to load the second tape media into the first drive and recording a result of the initial verification of the second tape media in the memory;

performing a subsequent verification of the second tape media to verify readability for the second tape media by the monitoring appliance, including instructing the library to load the second tape media into the second drive and recording a result of the subsequent verification of the second tape media in the memory,

determining a verification result for the second tape media based on the result of the initial verification of the second tape media and the result of the subsequent verification of the second tape media to determine one or more of a tape drive health, an efficacy of the first tape media or the second tape media, an efficacy of the first drive or the second drive, and whether to replace the first tape media or the second tape media.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein selecting the first tape media for the subsequent verification of the first tape media comprises determining that the result of the initial verification of the first tape media meets a criteria of a verification rule.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the criteria comprises a threshold number of errors.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the monitoring appliance comprises:

a first memory for storing a queue of media tapes for verification;

a second memory storing an archive verification engine; and

a processor for executing a set of instructions stored in the first memory or the second memory.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions executable to verify readability of a library having a drive and coupled to a network, the library comprising a plurality of media for data storage, the method comprising:

performing a scheduled initial verification of a first tape media to verify readability of a first tape media by a monitoring appliance coupled to a library over the network, including instructing the library to load the first tape media into a first drive allocated for the initial verification of the first tape media and recording a result of the initial verification of the first tape media in a memory;

selecting the first tape media for subsequent verification of the first tape media based on the result of the initial verification of the first tape media;

performing a subsequent verification of the first tape media to verify readability for the first tape media by the monitoring appliance, including instructing the library to load the first tape media into a second drive that was not used for the initial verification of the first tape media and recording a result of the subsequent verification in the memory; and

comparing the result of the initial verification to the result of the subsequent verification to verify the readability of the first tape media.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein performing the initial verification of the first tape media comprises sending READ or VERIFY commands to the tape library.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein performing the subsequent verification of the first tape media comprises sending READ or VERIFY commands to the tape library.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

performing an initial verification of a second tape media to verify readability of the second tape media by the monitoring appliance, including instructing the library to load the second tape media into the first drive and recording a result of the initial verification of the second tape media in the memory;

performing a subsequent verification on the second tape media to verify readability for the second tape media by the monitoring appliance, including instructing the library to load the second tape media into the second drive and recording a result of the subsequent verification in the memory;

determining a verification result for the second tape media based on the result of the initial verification of the second tape media and the result of the subsequent verification of the second tape media to determine one or more of a tape drive health, an efficacy of the first tape media or the second tape media, an efficacy of the first drive or the second drive, and whether to replace the first tape media or the second tape media.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein selecting the first tape media for the subsequent verification of the first tape media comprises determining that the result of the initial verification of the first tape media meets a criteria of a verification rule.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the criteria comprises a threshold number of errors.