International Business Machines Corporation

William Henry Travis

Raymond Anthony James

Gregory Tad Kishi

Leonard George Jesionowski

Jonathan Wayne Peake

Theodore Timothy Harris, Jr

James Arthur Fisher

Frank David Gallo

Mark Allan Norman

David Luciani

Vickie Lynn Brewer

Sue Ann Erstad

Karl Allen Nielsen

Robert Akira Kubo

Cheng-Chung Song

Olympia Gluck

James Chien-Chiung Chen

David Ray Kahler

Chung Man Fung

Michael John Jones

James C Chen

David Brent Schreiber

Anthony Andrew Lambert

Alex Chen

Lourdes Magally Gee

Nicholas D Fifer

Gabriel G Walder

Richard Alan Schaeffer

Christine Lynette Fosler

Christine Lynette Telford

Frederick James Carberry, Ii

Kristy Colleen Judd

Merrill Burns Greco

Jyoti K Shah

An Internet web application interfaces to a machine to give users information about the status of the machine. The information on the status of the machine is constantly changing. This design only dynamically builds a web page when the page is requested for viewing. Once built, the page is retained so that the next time it is requested, if the information it contains has not changed, the page can be served without having to be rebuilt. If the information has changed, the design will not update the page until the page has been requested. In addition, the page is only built in the human language requested.

Web interface for providing system-status on-demand

An apparatus for parity data management receives a write command and write data from a computing device. The apparatus also builds a parity control structure corresponding to updating a redundant disk array with the write data and stores the parity control structure in a persistent memory buffer of the computing device. The apparatus also updates the redundant disk array with the write data in accordance with a parity control map and restores the RAID controller parity map from the parity control structure as part of a data recovery operation if updating the redundant disk array with the write data is interrupted by a RAID controller failure resulting in a loss of the RAID controller parity map. In certain embodiments, the parity control structure is a RAID controller parity map.

Parity data management system apparatus and method

An apparatus, system, and method are provided for controlling link status changes across multiple independent control modules. The apparatus includes a copy services module configured to control multiple link adapters, each configured to establish multiple communication links between a source and a target storage device. The adapter transmits a link status change notification to the copy services module and starts a timer upon transmitting the link status change notification. The copy services module simultaneously processes link status change notifications from a plurality of communication links. The system includes a communications network and a plurality of storage devices having the above described apparatus. The method includes controlling a plurality of link adapters configured to establish multiple communication links between storage devices, transmitting a link status change notification, starting a timer upon transmitting the link status change notification, and simultaneously processing link status change notifications from a plurality of communication links.

Apparatus, system, and method for controlling link status changes

A system and method for efficiently and accurately detecting errors in a network is provided. Devices coupled to a network are configured to determine their local network status and transmit their local network status to a centralized location. The centralized location is configured to receive the local network status from each device and provide network status for the entire network. The centralized location is also configured to analyze the collective network status information and report any network errors. The centralized location is further configured to present the information in a format that allows a user of the network to quickly determine the configuration and status of the network (such as a computer generated graphical representation of the network).

System and method for detecting errors in a network

A method to provide information from a first information storage and retrieval system to a second information storage and retrieval system, where the first information storage and retrieval system comprises (N) PPRC adapters and information. The method generates and saves an Established Path Bitmap which recites the (N) PPRC adapters, and generates an Available Path Bitmap. If a PPRC adapter is in communication with the secondary storage system, then the method adds that adapter to the Available Path Bitmap. The primary information storage and retrieval system generates a PPRC task comprising a flag set to 'off'. The method copies the Available Path Bitmap as a Working Bitmap, and generates a PPRC request comprising a flag set to 'on', selects one of the adapters recited in the Working Bitmap, and provides the PPRC request to that selected adapter. The method then once attempts to provide information to the second information storage and retrieval system using the selected adapter.

Apparatus and method to implement retry algorithms when providing information from a primary storage system to a remote storage system

A method for peer-to-peer system recovery, where the peer-to-peer system comprises a plurality of virtual tape controllers in communication with a first virtual tape server and with a second virtual tape server. The method generates a shutdown key, saves that shutdown key in each of the plurality of virtual tape controllers, and takes both virtual tape servers out of operation. Subsequently, the method returns one of the virtual tape servers to operation. Each virtual tape controller decides whether to place that operational virtual tape server on-line, and determines if the number of virtual tape controllers electing to place the operational virtual tape server on-line is greater than a pre-determined VTC agreement threshold. If the number of virtual tape controllers electing to place the operational virtual tape server on-line is greater than the VTC agreement threshold, then the method places the peer-to-peer system on-line using only the operational virtual tape server.

Method for peer-to-peer system recovery

Provided is a method, system and program for synchronizing sequential subtasks of a task, so that the subtasks can be dispatched to generate operations in a particular sequence. In one embodiment, a subtask which has been prepared for dispatching is queued in a queue until the queued subtask is the next subtask in sequence for dispatching. In one embodiment, the subtasks may be sorted in the queue by task and by subtask sequence.

Method, system, and program for synchronizing subtasks using sequence numbers

Provided is a method, system, and an article of manufacture for maintaining data accessible by a host in two storage devices, wherein the data is comprised of a plurality of data sets. A determination is made of a percentage of uncopied data at the first storage device, wherein uncopied data comprises data sets to be copied from the first storage device to the second storage device. If the calculated percentage is greater than a threshold amount, a rate at which uncopied data sets are transferred from the first storage device to the second storage device is increased.

Method, system, and program for transferring data between storage devices

Disclosed is a system, method, and an article of manufacture for preferentially keeping an uncopied data set in one of two storage devices in a peer-to-peer environment when data needs to be removed from the storage devices. Each time a data set is modified or newly created, flags are used to denote whether the data set needs to be copied from one storage device to the other. The preferred embodiments modify the timestamp for each uncopied data set by adding a period of time, and thus give preference to the uncopied data set when the data from the storage device is removed based on the least recently used as denoted by timestamp of each data set. Once the data set is copied, the timestamp is set back to normal by subtracting the same period of time added on when the data set was flagged as needing to be copied.

Preferential caching of uncopied logical volumes in an IBM peer-to-peer virtual tape server

A location-centric library host manages cartridge movement according to functional storage addresses and functional I/O addresses. In reality, the library has multiple data storage cartridge receiving slots, which include physical I/O slots and physical storage slots. In contrast with the physical I/O slots and physical storage slots, functional I/O addresses and functional storage addresses are virtual locations used by the host in managing cartridge locations. Thus, host knowledge of cartridge locations is limited to their functional addresses. The library includes a library map that correlates functional addresses with physical addresses. The library automatically empties new cartridges from the physical I/O slots into physical storage slots, using various steps. First, the library hardware automatically recognizes external placement of cartridges into the physical I/O slots. In response, the library identifies an empty one of the physical storage slots, and moves the cartridge into the empty physical storage slot. Additionally, the library associates a functional I/O address with the physical storage slot containing the cartridge. Eventually, the library receives an insert command from the host, requesting transfer of the cartridge from its functional I/O address to a functional storage address. The library can immediately report the already-completed move in response to any host status requests. Ultimately, in response to the insert command, the library associates the physical storage slot that already contains the cartridge with a functional storage address, instead of the preceding functional I/O address.

Data storage library with efficient cartridge insert

A data storage library efficiently utilizes I/O slots while maintaining software compatibility by using functional addresses to conduct virtual cartridge moves from storage slots to I/O slots. More particularly, a location-centric library host manages cartridge movement according to functional storage addresses and functional I/O addresses. In reality, the library has multiple cartridge receiving slots, which include physical I/O slots and physical storage slots. In contrast with the physical I/O slots and physical storage slots, functional I/O addresses and functional storage addresses are virtual locations used by the host in managing cartridge locations. Thus, host knowledge of cartridge locations is limited to their functional addresses. The library includes a library map that correlates functional addresses with physical addresses. Initially, an eject command is received from the host. The eject command requests transfer of a cartridge from a source functional storage address to a target functional I/O address. In response to the eject command, irrespective of any physical movement of the cartridge, the library reports successful completion of the requested eject command to the host. The library promptly gives a functional I/O address to the physical storage slot containing the cartridge. When a physical I/O slot becomes available, the library physically moves the cartridge there and either correlates the cartridge's functional I/O address with this physical I/O slot, or registers the cartridge's functional I/O address as empty.

Data storage library with efficient cartridge eject

A method for balancing workloads in media library access systems that provide multiple accessors disposed within a library. Each of the accessors is assigned a given zone of primary access wherein each of the zones of primary access has at least one boundary. Accessor usage is calculated by adding a score for each access to total accesses for each accessor. The totals are evaluated to determine that one or more of the boundaries requires adjustment and the boundaries are adjusted in accordance with the evaluation. By changing the average span of each accessor dynamically, the method can equalize the use of each accessor, minimizing library latency.

Library access system with workload balancing and method for balancing workloads in library access systems

An automated data storage library for storing and accessing a plurality of data storage media stored in a plurality of storage slots. A plurality of accessors access the data storage media between the storage slots and data recording device(s), an operator interface allows an operator to designate one of the accessors as active, and a library manager is interconnected with the accessors and with the operator interface to set operation modes of the accessors. The library manager sets the operation mode of one of the accessors to the active mode (A) in an initial decision, first (1), based on the relative conditions of the accessors, the conditions having three levels (a) fully available, (b) degraded, and (c) not available, and, if all the accessors are in the same level of condition, second (2), an arbitrarily selected one of the accessors, and (B) in an override decision, based on the active accessor if designated at the operator interface, or, if not designated, on the one of the accessors last in the active mode.

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Tucson, AZ, United States of America

William Henry Travis