International Business Machines Corporation

Robert Michael Nugent

Robert Bradley Bennett

James M Showalter

Eugene Johnson

Edward Joseph Bendert

Matthew Joseph Anglin

Gregory John Tevis

Donald Paul Warren, Jr

William W Chow

Susan Marie Farrell

Mary E Vendryes

Eve Suzanne Berman

A system and method efficiently manage clones of an object group. A base storage area contains metadata for each of multiple objects in the object group. The metadata for each object identifies data within each object. The system receives a request to clone a base storage area, and in response, the system creates a clone storage area containing an identification of the base storage area but not the metadata. If there is a subsequent request to update a portion of one of the objects, then the system copies the portion, copies the metadata into the clone storage area for the one object, makes the update to the object copy and changes the metadata in the base storage area to identify the portion copy instead of the original portion. If there is no subsequent request to update any of the multiplicity of objects, then the system does not copy the metadata for any of the multiplicity of objects into the clone storage area.

Creation of clone storage area with identification of base storage area

A computer system manages first and second different file systems. The system comprises first and second, different file managers having first and second different APIs for the first and second file systems, respectively. The system also comprises a hybrid file manager for managing the second file system based on requests made using the first API. The hybrid manager applies rules from both APIs to control atomicity of requests, access concurrency, and data consistency rules. The hybrid rules prevent violation of the rules of either API.

Heterogeneous filing system with common API and reconciled file

A file management and backup system manages access to data objects such as records stored in a primary repository, and occasionally backs-up the data objects to a backup repository. A backup utility within the system, periodically or at the request of a user, makes a backup request to a file manager, and specifies the scope of the backup. In response, the file manager makes an entry in a 'backup in progress' table indicating that the corresponding file space(s), directory(ies), file(s) and/or data object(s) are currently involved in a consistent backup procedure. Then, the backup utility commences the actual copying of the data within the backup scope to the backup repository with assistance from the file manager in accessing the data from the primary repository. If a request is made to update a file space, directory, file or data object within the backup scope once the entry is made in the backup in progress table, the file manager makes a 'shadow' or copy of the file space, directory, file or data object for which update is requested. Then, the file manager updates the original file space, directory, file or data object, and uses the shadow copy for the backup procedure. After the backup is completed, the shadow copy is invalidated. If the update request is made during the backup procedure to a directory, file or data object which has already been backed-up, then a shadow copy is not necessary.

Computer file management and backup system

A method and system for integrating migration level two (ML2) and backup tape processing provide for the backup, archival, and/or restoration of ML2 tape files without the use of tape mounts. In this manner, the amount of data movement required to recover from data loss is significantly reduced. Tape files may be recovered to their original status, even if the file has migrated to ML2. The status of the data is preserved after such a recovery operation. In this manner, data movement is reduced because no remigration of data is required after a recovery.

Integration of migration level two and backup tape processing using

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Nichols, NY, United States of America

Robert Michael Nugent