International Business Machines Corporation

Globalfoundries Inc.

Erika Dawson

Joseph M Swingler

Jonathan Wayne Peake

Gavin Stuart Johnson

Joel Kenneth Lyman

Jon Arthur Lynds

Michael Ray Noel

Linda Jean Schiltz

Ralph Thomas Beeston

Duke Andy Lee

Lyn Lequam Ashton

Stanley Mark Kissinger

Thomas W Bish

James Arthur Fisher

Paul Merril Greco

Scott Milton Fry

Lisa Joan Gundy

David Luciani

Cory G Smith

Lourie Goodall

David C Reed

Max D Smith

Katsuyoshi Katori

Michael William Wood

Harry M Yudenfriend

Gregory Tad Kishi

Peter Grimm Sutton

Kirby Grant Dahman

Takeshi Nohta

Wayne Charles Carlson

Wayne Erwin Rhoten

Jean Rawwei Chang

Glen Alan Jaquette

James Mitchell Karp

Colin Scott Dawson

Paul Merrill Greco

Michael James Kelly

Kevin Lee Gibble

James Mitchell Ratliff

Richard Henry Guski

Kerri Renee Shotwell

Kevin Scott Goldsmith

Anthony Steve Pearson

Edward Hsiu-Wei Lin

Kathryn Eileen Eldred

Matthew Hank Sabins

Trang Thuy Le

Theresa M Howard

Brian L Corkill

Cecelia Carranza Lewis

Provided are a computer program product, system and method for restoring volumes in a data storage system. A virtual restoration of a volume of data stored in storage is performed using a target volume. In one embodiment, the virtual restoration includes configuring metadata associated with the target volume, to map the target volume to the recover volume as a virtual restoration of the recover volume. In response to a request by a host for data stored on the recover volume, physical restoration of data of the recover volume is performed using the target volume. In one embodiment, the physical restoration includes transferring data to the target volume from the recover volume to which the target volume is mapped by the virtual restoration. In addition, transferred data is relabeled as target volume data instead of recover volume data.

Data storage volume recovery management

Provided are a computer program product, system and method for retaining versions of an object. Changes are appended to a current version object resulting in a new current version object and a most recent previous version object comprising the current version object before the changes were appended. Version metadata, for each previous version object, includes the most recent previous version object, indicating an offset in the new current version object at which the previous version object can be recovered. The most recent previous version object is deleted and the version metadata, for the most recent previous version object after the most recent previous version object is deleted, is retained to allow recovery of a previous version object from the new current version object using the offset in the version metadata.

Managing versions of objects resulting from appending data for space efficiency

A computer-implemented method, according to one embodiment, is for managing data received at a storage device. The computer-implemented method includes: receiving data management policies, and receiving two or more connection names from a host. Each of the connection names is correlated with one or more of the data management policies. Moreover, a connection path which extends between the storage device and the host is created. The connection path also has a connection name which corresponds thereto. Data is received along the connection path, and the connection name which corresponds to the connection path is matched to one of the connection names received from the host. Furthermore, the received data is processed according to the one or more data management policies that are correlated with the matching one of the connection names received from the host.

Associating data management policies to portions of data using connection information

In one embodiment, a computer program product for dynamic volume mounting includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The program instructions are executable by a processing circuit to cause the circuitry to perform a method including receiving, from a host, a command directed to a volume. The command includes a parameter. A policy associated with the host is evaluated. Based on the evaluation, a value of the parameter included in the command is determined. In response to the parameter including a first value, two copies of the volume are opened. The parameter is set to include the first value when the one of the two copies of the volume is already open, and the two copies of the volume are opened in response thereto. In response to the parameter including a second value, only one of the two copies of the volume are opened.

System, method, and computer program product for dynamic volume mounting in a system maintaining synchronous copy objects

An apparatus-implemented method according to one embodiment includes detecting an error while writing data to a tape volume on a tape and repositioning the tape in response to detecting the error. A determination whether a rewrite of data associated with the error to the tape volume is allowed is made based on a current position of the tape after the repositioning. The data is rewritten to the tape volume in response to determining that the rewrite of data associated with the error to the tape volume is allowed. A computer program product for protecting overwrite of a tape volume according to another embodiment includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions readable and/or executable by a controller to cause the controller to perform the foregoing method.

Tape volume overwrite protection during error recovery

An apparatus-implemented method according to one embodiment includes detecting an error while writing data to a tape volume, and repositioning the tape in response to detecting the error. Further, the method includes determining, after the repositioning, a current position of the tape, and determining, based on the current position, whether a rewrite of data associated with the error to the tape volume is allowed. A system according to one embodiment includes a processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor. The logic is configured to cause the foregoing method to occur. A computer program product according to one embodiment includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions readable and/or executable by a controller to cause the controller to perform the foregoing method.

In one embodiment, a product includes a magnetic medium having written thereon data in a data track. The data includes encrypted data written over unencrypted data. An indicator of a physical position on the magnetic medium that corresponds to an end of the encrypted data is stored on the product. A product according to another embodiment includes a magnetic medium having written thereon data in a data track. The data includes encrypted data written over unencrypted data. A portion of the unencrypted data is located before the encrypted data on the medium. An indicator of a physical position on the magnetic medium that corresponds to a beginning of the encrypted data is stored on the product.

Monitoring of residual encrypted data to improve erase performance on a magnetic medium

In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor, the logic being configured to cause the processor to receive, from a host, a command directed to a volume, the command including a parameter. The logic is further configured to cause the processor to evaluate a policy associated with the host, and, based on the evaluation of the policy associated with the host, determine a value of the parameter included in the command. Still yet, the logic is configured to cause the processor to open two copies of the volume in response to the parameter including a first value, and open only one of the two copies of the volume in response to the parameter including a second value.

A computer-implemented method for accessing data stored in a virtual tape storage (VTS) system, according to one embodiment, include receiving a mount request to access at least one host data record in a VTS system, issuing a locate command to position the sequential access storage medium having the logical volume stored therein to about a position where the physical block having at least a portion of the requested at least one host data record therein is located; creating a partial virtual volume in a tape volume cache; and copying the physical block having the at least a portion of the requested at least one host data record therein from the sequential access storage medium to the partial virtual volume in the tape volume cache. An amount of data copied from the logical volume to the partial virtual volume is less than the amount of data in the logical volume.

Partial volume access in a physical stacked volume

In one embodiment, a system includes a processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor, the logic being configured to: determine a physical position on a magnetic medium that corresponds to an end of an encrypted data set; store an indicator of the physical position on the magnetic medium and/or a memory coupled thereto; and cause obscuring of an unencrypted data set positioned after the physical position without overwriting the encrypted data set. In another embodiment, a computer program product includes a computer readable storage medium and program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions readable and/or executable by the processor to cause the processor to: read an indicator of a physical position on a magnetic medium that corresponds to an end of an encrypted data set; and cause obscuring of an unencrypted data set positioned after the physical position without overwriting the encrypted data set.

In one embodiment, a method includes detecting an error while writing data to a tape volume. The method further includes repositioning the tape volume for recovering from the error, and receiving, after the repositioning, at least a portion of the data for rewriting the at least a portion of the data to the tape volume. Further, the method includes determining, after the repositioning, a current position of the tape volume. Additionally, the method includes determining, based on the current position of the tape volume, whether the rewrite to the tape volume is allowed.

A method according to one embodiment includes outputting a first alert when a cache free space size is less than a first threshold and entering into a warning state, and outputting a second alert when the cache free space size is less than a second threshold and entering into a critical state. At least one scratch volume is deleted when in the critical state, the scratch volume chosen based on at least one of: a length of time the scratch volume has been designated scratch, a priority level of the information stored on the scratch volume, and a scratch delay value associated with the scratch volume.

Managing a cache in a multi-node virtual tape controller

In one embodiment, a VTS system includes a tape volume cache, a storage drive for interacting with sequential access storage media; logic for receiving a mount request to access host data record(s) stored on a storage medium, the mount request including a virtual volume identifier of a logical volume and a logical block identifier of the first requested host data record therein; logic for issuing a locate command to position the sequential access storage medium to about a physical block in the logical volume having at least a portion of the requested host data record(s) therein based on the virtual volume identifier and the logical block identifier; logic for creating and supporting a partial virtual volume in the tape volume cache; and logic for copying at least the physical block to the partial virtual volume. Other systems, methods, and computer program products are also described, according to other embodiments.

Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for synchronous mode replication to multiple clusters receiving a write to a volume from a host. A received write is cached in a memory. A determination is made of a replication rule indicating one of a plurality of replication modes for a first cluster and a second cluster used for replication for the write, wherein one of the replication modes comprises a synchronous mode. A determination is made that the replication rule indicates a synchronous mode for the first and the second clusters. The write is transmitted from the memory to the first cluster to store in a first non-volatile storage of the first cluster and to the second cluster to store in a second non-volatile storage in response to determining that the replication rule indicates the synchronous mode.

Synchronous mode replication to multiple clusters

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Erika Dawson