Writing files to a storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10078466-B2
Application number	US-201715806495-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2017
Priority date	Dec 2, 2014
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

A method for writing a plurality of files includes receiving data of the plurality of files requested to be written to a tape from an application of a host, dividing a group of the received plurality of files into segments with specified sizes, and writing a series of the plurality of respective segments of the group of the plurality of files in sequence in a specified order, the respective segments having the specified sizes, wherein when writing the segments in the specified order, a left end portion of the tape is positioned and respective top segments of the files are first collectively written thereto.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for writing a plurality of image files capable of reducing an average time for seek of the plurality of files stored on a tape, comprising:
receiving data of the plurality of files from an application of a host;
dividing a group of the plurality of files into segments having specified sizes; and
writing a series of the segments of the group of the plurality of files in sequence in a specified order, the segments having the specified sizes, wherein the writing of the series of the segments in the specified order comprises collectively writing respective top segments of the group of the plurality of files to a beginning portion of a tape, wherein the respective segment sizes of the group of the plurality of files have different sizes, and wherein the specified order in writing the segments of the group of the plurality of files is determined based on a ratio of total capacity of written segments to file size in each file.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the writing of the series of the segments of the group of the plurality of files in sequence in the specified order further comprises starting to collectively write respective top segments of the group of the plurality of files to a beginning portion of an even wrap of the tape.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the writing of the series of the segments of the group of the plurality of files in sequence in the specified order further comprises starting to collectively write respective last segments of the group of the plurality of files to a beginning portion of an odd wrap of the tape.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the respective segment sizes of the group of the plurality of files are determined such that written data in each segment of the group of the plurality of files fits into a capacity in units of wrap round-trips of the tape.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the respective segment sizes of the group of the plurality of files are determined so as to be equal to or less than a maximum allowable segment size calculated, based on a maximum time required for file seek that allows the group of the plurality of files to be accessed.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the segment sizes of the group of the plurality of files are equal to or less than the maximum allowable segment size calculated and are different between the group of the plurality of files.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein writing the series of the plurality of respective segments of the group of the plurality of files in sequence in a specified order further comprises inserting segments of each file into a data set in sequence in round-robin fashion when file sizes are identical.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the segments of the group of the plurality of files are written in order of files lower in ratio of total capacity of written segments to file size in each file.

9. A tape device system, the tape device system comprising:
one or more computer processors;
one or more computer readable storage media;
program instructions stored therein for execution by at least one of the one or more computer processors, the program instructions comprising instructions to:
receive data of a plurality of files from an application of a host;
divide a group of the plurality of files into segments having specified sizes; and
write a series of the segments of the group of the plurality of files in sequence in a specified order, the segments having the specified sizes, wherein the writing of the series of the segments in the specified order comprises collectively writing respective top segments of the group of the plurality of files to a beginning portion of a tape, wherein the respective segment sizes of the group of the plurality of files have different sizes, and wherein the specified order in writing the segments of the group of the plurality of files is determined based on a ratio of total capacity of written segments to file size in each file.

10. The tape device system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to write the series of the segments of the group of the plurality of files in sequence in the specified order further comprises instructions to start to collectively write respective top segments of the group of the plurality of files to a beginning portion of an even wrap of the tape.

11. The tape device system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to write the series of the segments of the group of the plurality of files in sequence in the specified order further comprises instructions to start to collectively write respective last segments of the group of the plurality of files to a beginning portion of an odd wrap of the tape.

12. The tape device system of claim 9 , wherein the respective segment sizes of the group of the plurality of files are determined such that written data in each segment of the group of the plurality of files fits into a capacity in units of wrap round-trips of the tape.

13. The tape device system of claim 9 , wherein the respective segment sizes of the group of the plurality of files are determined so as to be equal to or less than a maximum allowable segment size calculated, based on a maximum time required for file seek that allows the group of the plurality of files to be accessed.

14. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising:
a computer readable storage medium and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium, the program instructions comprising instructions to:
receiving data of a plurality of files from an application of a host;
dividing a group of the plurality of files into segments having specified sizes; and
writing a series of the segments of the group of the plurality of files in sequence in a specified order, the segments having the specified sizes, wherein the writing of the series of the segments in the specified order comprises collectively writing respective top segments of the group of the plurality of files to a beginning portion of a tape, wherein the respective segment sizes of the group of the plurality of files have different sizes, and wherein the specified order in writing the segments of the group of the plurality of files is determined based on a ratio of total capacity of written segments to file size in each file.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the instructions to write the series of the segments of the group of the plurality of files in sequence in the specified order further comprises instructions to start to collectively write respective top segments of the group of the plurality of files to a beginning portion of an even wrap of the tape.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the instructions to write the series of the segments of the group of the plurality of files in sequence in the specified order further comprises instructions to start to collectively write respective last segments of the group of the plurality of files to a beginning portion of an odd wrap of the tape.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the respective segment sizes of the group of the plurality of files are determined such that written data in each segment of the group of the plurality of files fits into a capacity in units of wrap round-trips of the tape.

18. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the respective segment sizes of the group of the plurality of files are determined so as to be equal to or less than a maximum allowable segment size calculated, based on a maximum time required for file seek that allows the group of the plurality of files to

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Hasegawa Tohru
• Iwanaga Masayuki
• Oishi Yutaka

Classifications

• G06F3/0643 Primary

  Management of files · CPC title

• G06F3/0682

  Tape device · CPC title

• G11B27/00

  Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel · CPC title

• G06F3/0611

  in relation to response time · CPC title