International Business Machines Corporation

Michael Ray Noel

Paul Merrill Greco

Erika Dawson

Lyn Lequam Ashton

Stanley Mark Kissinger

Lisa Joan Gundy

Jon Arthur Lynds

Kirby Grant Dahman

Gavin Stuart Johnson

Linda Jean Schiltz

Jean Rawwei Chang

Paul Merril Greco

Glenn Randle Wilcock

Ralph Thomas Beeston

Wayne Erwin Rhoten

James Mitchell Ratliff

Anthony Steve Pearson

Cory G Smith

William D McEwen

Kathryn Eileen Eldred

Michael William Wood

Sean P McMillen

Edward A Baker, Jr

Cory Grix Smith

An apparatus, system, and method are presented for scaling storage media to improve data access performance. A scaling module is provided and configured to receive a dataset, identify storage characteristics of the dataset, make a determination based upon user-defined storage criteria, and select a storage instruction. In one embodiment, the storage instruction is configured to scale the storage medium to a predefined capacity. The predefined capacity of the storage medium is configured to optimize data access performance. Alternatively, the storage instruction is configured to not scale the storage medium. Additionally, the present invention may be configured to map and track the storage medium while the dataset is being written to or read from the storage medium.

System method and apparatus for optimal performance scaling of storage media

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for enforcing policy controls for non-system managed tape media. The apparatus includes an operating system configured to communicate with a tape media drive, and an identification module configured to identify a tape media type of a tape media cartridge. The apparatus may also include a policy module configured to maintain control policies for tape media types, and a media control module configured to enforce the control policies. The system includes a computing system having a processor, a cache, an operating system, and a plurality of input/output interfaces, a tape media drive coupled to the computing system, and the apparatus. The method includes communicating with a tape media drive, identifying a tape media type of a tape media cartridge, maintaining a plurality of control policies for tape media types, and enforcing the plurality of control policies.

Apparatus, system, and method for enforcing policy controls for non-system managed tape media

An apparatus and system are presented for utilizing tape storage media segmentation to improve data access performance. A segmented tape storage medium within a tape cartridge having a first and second segment is utilized. A selection module allows a user to select a user-defined capacity of the tape storage medium that is less than the usable capacity of the tape storage medium. The user-defined capacity allows the user to prefer improved data access over tape storage capacity. Data, when written to the tape, is written only within the user-defined capacity. Data may be written exclusively on the first segment or written on both the first segment and second segment allowing data access to be improved. In addition, the user-defined capacity may correspond to the full capacity of the tape storage media.

Apparatus, system, and method for utilizing tape media segmentation

A system and method for performing a search operation within a sequential access data storage subsystem are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a data storage subsystem is provided which comprises a search module and a communication channel interface to communicatively couple the data storage subsystem to a host data processing system via a communication channel. In the described embodiment, the search module is configured to receive search attribute data from the host data processing system via the communication channel interface, where the search attribute data specifies a search attribute. The search module is further configured to perform a search operation on data of a sequential access storage element utilizing the search attribute and to provide search result data to the host data processing system via the communication channel interface in response to a performance of the search operation.

System and method for performing a search operation within a sequential access data storage subsystem

An apparatus and system are disclosed for optimizing fast access data storage on segmented tape media. The apparatus, in one embodiment, is configured to selectively write data to a tape storage medium. The selection module may select data for storage as one of fast access and slower access. Fast access data may be stored on the first segment, or fast access portion, of a tape storage medium to provide optimal speed for data retrieval. Slower access data may be stored on the remaining available storage space of the tape storage medium. Additionally, read requests for fast access data may be accessed more quickly than read requests for slower access data. Thus, user data may be selected and written to a tape storage medium relative to a preferred access time.

Apparatus, system, and method for optimizing fast access data storage on segmented tape media

A deterministic flushing of one or more storage data objects buffered within a storage data buffer to a storage medium involves a processing of a host data object including writing a storage data object corresponding to the host data object to the storage data buffer, and a flushing of the storage data object(s) buffered within the storage data buffer to the storage medium prior to or subsequent to (i.e., relative to) the writing of the storage data object corresponding to the host data object to the storage data buffer as a function of an occurrence determination of a storage data buffer flushing event. The deterministic flushing further involves a queuing of a host data buffer meta-data update request for later processing.

Data object processing of storage drive buffers

A method is disclosed for optimizing fast access data storage on segmented tape media. The apparatus, in one embodiment, is configured to selectively write data to a tape storage medium. The selection module may select data for storage as one of fast access and slower access. Fast access data may be stored on the first segment, or fast access portion, of a tape storage medium to provide optimal speed for data retrieval. Slower access data may be stored on the remaining available storage space of the tape storage medium. Additionally, read requests for fast access data may be accessed more quickly than read requests for slower access data. Thus, user data may be selected and written to a tape storage medium relative to a preferred access time.

A method is presented for utilizing tape storage media segmentation to improve data access performance. A segmented tape storage medium within a tape cartridge having a first and second segment is utilized. A selection module allows a user to select a user-defined capacity of the tape storage medium that is less than the usable capacity of the tape storage medium. The user-defined capacity allows the user to prefer improved data access over tape storage capacity. Data, when written to the tape, is written only within the user-defined capacity. Data may be written exclusively on the first segment or written on both the first segment and second segment allowing data access to be improved. In addition, the user-defined capacity may correspond to the full capacity of the tape storage media.

Method for utilizing tape media segmentation

Storage management system, apparatus, and method for supporting a multiplicity of logical block identification

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Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Michael Ray Noel