Tape unmounting protocol

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021286772-A1
Application number	US-202016817674-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 13, 2020
Priority date	Mar 13, 2020
Publication date	Sep 16, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Described are techniques for a tape unmounting protocol. The techniques include selecting a tape for unmounting from a plurality of tape drives, where the tape for unmounting includes a remaining capacity below a first threshold and a number of migrated files below a second threshold. The techniques further include unmounting the tape for unmounting from a tape drive.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
accepting a request for copying a file from a first tape to a primary storage; selecting a second tape for unmounting from a plurality of tape drives, wherein the second tape for unmounting includes a remaining capacity below a first threshold and a number of migrated files below a second threshold; unmounting the second tape for unmounting from a tape drive; mounting the first tape on the tape drive; and performing the request by copying the file from the first tape to the primary storage using the tape drive.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein accepting the request for copying the file from the first tape to the primary storage further includes:
determining that the first tape is not mounted on any tape drive; and determining that each of the plurality of tape drives includes a mounted tape.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing a table including, for respective tapes, respective numbers of migrated files, respective numbers of premigrated files, and respective available capacities; and wherein selecting the second tape for unmounting includes accessing the table to retrieve the remaining capacity and the number of migrated files for the second tape for unmounting.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second tape for unmounting including the remaining capacity below the first threshold further includes a least amount of remaining capacity relative to other tapes that are mounted on the plurality of tape drives.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second tape for unmounting including the number of migrated files below the second threshold further includes a least number of migrated files relative to other tapes that are mounted on the plurality of tape drives.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the request is a recall request.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is executed by a hierarchical storage management (HSM) system including the primary storage and a secondary storage comprising a tape storage system.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the method is performed according to software that is downloaded to the HSM system from a remote data processing system, and wherein the method further comprises:
metering a usage of the software; and generating an invoice based on metering the usage.

9 . A system comprising:
one or more processors; and one or more computer-readable storage media storing program instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising: accepting a request for copying a file from a first tape to a primary storage; selecting a second tape for unmounting from a plurality of tape drives, wherein the second tape for unmounting includes a remaining capacity below a first threshold and a number of migrated files below a second threshold; unmounting the second tape for unmounting from a tape drive; mounting the first tape on the tape drive; and performing the request by copying the file from the first tape to the primary storage using the tape drive.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein accepting the request for copying the file from the first tape to the primary storage further includes:
determining that the first tape is not mounted on any tape drive; and determining that each of the plurality of tape drives includes a mounted tape.

11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:
storing a table including, for respective tapes, respective numbers of migrated files, respective numbers of premigrated files, and respective available capacities; and wherein selecting the second tape for unmounting includes accessing the table to retrieve the remaining capacity and the number of migrated files for the second tape for unmounting.

12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the second tape for unmounting including the number of migrated files below the second threshold further includes a least number of migrated files relative to other tapes that are mounted on the plurality of tape drives.

13 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the request is a recall request.

14 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors and the one or more computer-readable storage media are associated with a hierarchical storage management (HSM) system including the primary storage and a secondary storage comprising a tape storage system.

15 . A computer program product comprising one or more computer readable storage media, and program instructions collectively stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising instructions configured to cause one or more processors to perform a method comprising:
selecting a tape for unmounting from a plurality of tape drives, wherein the tape for unmounting includes a remaining capacity below a first threshold and a number of migrated files below a second threshold; and unmounting the tape for unmounting from a tape drive.

16 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
mounting a second tape on the tape drive in response to unmounting the tape from the tape drive; and copying a file from the second tape to a primary storage using the tape drive.

17 . The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining that the second tape is not mounted on any tape drive; and determining that there are no available tape drives.

18 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
storing a table including, for respective tapes, respective numbers of migrated files, respective numbers of premigrated files, and respective available capacities; and wherein selecting the tape for unmounting includes accessing the table to retrieve the remaining capacity and the number of migrated files for the tape for unmounting.

19 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the tape for unmounting including the remaining capacity below the first threshold further includes a least amount of remaining capacity relative to other tapes that are mounted on the plurality of tape drives.

20 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the tape for unmounting including the number of migrated files below the second threshold further includes a least number of migrated files relative to other tapes on the plurality of tape drives.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Hasegawa Tohru
• Miyamura Tsuyoshi
• Abe Atsushi
• Mitsuma Shinsuke
• Yamamoto Noriko
• Matsui Sosuke

Classifications

• G06Q20/145

  Payments according to the detected use or quantity · CPC title

• G11B5/86

  Re-recording, i.e. transcribing information from one magnetisable record carrier on to one or more similar or dissimilar record carriers {(by varying the order of the information G11B27/029, G11B27/036)} · CPC title

• G11B5/00813

  magnetic tapes · CPC title

• G06F16/185 Primary

  Hierarchical storage management [HSM] systems, e.g. file migration or policies thereof (details of archiving G06F16/11) · CPC title

• G06F16/119 Primary

  Details of migration of file systems (migration mechanisms in storage systems G06F3/0647) · CPC title