Apparatus and method for minimizing data storage media fragmentation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9875033-B2
Application number	US-46474809-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2009
Priority date	May 12, 2009
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

A method of minimizing data storage medium fragmentation, wherein the method provides a data storage library comprising (N) data storage media, wherein (N) is greater than or equal to 1. The method establishes a threshold fragmentation index, and determines, for each value of (i), an actual fragmentation index for an (i)th data storage medium, wherein (i) is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to (N). The method receives a data set from a host computer in communication with the data storage library, and writes the data set to an (i)th data storage medium based upon an (i)th actual fragmentation index.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for minimizing data storage media fragmentation, comprising:
decoding, by a server hardware computing device coupled to a network and comprising at least one processor executing specific computer-executable instructions within a storage management module stored within a memory:
a first data set encoding a first plurality of data of a first data set size; and
a second data set encoding a second plurality of data of a second data set size less than the first data set size;

calculating, by said server hardware computing device, for each of a plurality of data storage media devices coupled to said network, an actual fragmentation index defining an amount of actual fragmentation according to a total number, a percentage, or an average number of fragmented or non-fragmented files, fragments, fragments per file, used fragmented space, or non-fragmented space on each of said plurality of data storage media devices;
receiving, by said server hardware computing device, a user input encoding:
a threshold fragmentation index for;
a plurality of fragmentation index ranges, each of said plurality of fragmentation index ranges including an amount of actual fragmentation for one of said plurality of data storage media devices; and
a plurality of data set size ranges, wherein a first data set range includes the first data set size, and a second data set range includes the second data set size;

associating, by said server hardware computing device
the first data set range with a first fragmentation index range, in the plurality of fragmentation index ranges, with a lowest fragmentation index; and
the second data set range with a second fragmentation index range, in the plurality of fragmentation index ranges, with a greater fragmentation index range than the first fragmentation index range; and

writing, by said server hardware computing device:
the first data set to a first identified data storage media device with the actual fragmentation index in the first fragmentation index range; and
the second data set to a second identified data storage media device with the actual fragmentation index in the second fragmentation index range; and

responsive to a determination that the actual fragmentation index of the first identified data storage media device or the second identified data storage media device is beyond the threshold fragmentation index, submitting, by said server hardware computing device, to the at least one processor, a defragmentation job to defragment the first identified data storage media device or the second identified data storage media device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein an (i)th actual fragmentation index is based upon a number of fragmented data sets encoded in an (i)th data storage medium.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein an (i)th actual fragmentation index is based upon a number of non-fragmented data sets encoded in an (i)th data storage medium.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the first data set size for the first data set and the second data set size for the second data set; and
selecting an (i)th data storage media based upon an (i)th actual fragmentation index and said first data set size or said second data set size.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
establishing (P) fragmentation index ranges, wherein (P) is greater than or equal to 2;
establishing (P) data set size ranges;
arranging said (P) fragmentation index ranges in ascending order;
arranging said (P) data set size ranges in descending order;
associating a (j)th fragmentation index range with a (j)th data set size range, wherein (j) is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to (P).

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
identifying a data set size range;
identifying a fragmentation index range associated with said identified data set size range;
selecting a data storage medium comprising an actual fragmentation index falling within said identified fragmentation index range;
encoding said data set in said selected data storage medium.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
determining a revised actual fragmentation index for said selected data storage medium;
determining if said revised actual fragmentation index is greater than said threshold fragmentation index;
operative if said second actual fragmentation index is greater than said threshold fragmentation index, building a defragmentation job which includes said selected data storage medium;
submitting the defragmentation job to a processor at a user specified time.

8. A system, comprising a data storage library external to and in communication with a server hardware computing device coupled to a network and comprising at least one processor executing specific computer-executable instructions within a storage management module stored within a memory, that, when executed, cause the system to:
decode:
a first data set encoding a first plurality of data of a first data set size; and
a second data set encoding a second plurality of data of a second data set size less than the first data set size;

calculate, for each of a plurality of data storage media devices coupled to the network, defining an amount of actual fragmentation according to a total number, a percentage, or an average number of fragmented or non-fragmented files, fragments, fragments per file, used fragmented space, or non-fragmented space on each of said plurality of data storage media devices;
receive a user input encoding
a threshold fragmentation index;
a plurality of fragmentation index ranges, each of said plurality of fragmentation index ranges including an amount of actual fragmentation for one of said plurality of data storage media devices; and
a plurality of data set size ranges, wherein a first data set range includes the first data set size, and a second data set range includes the second data set size

associate:
the first data set range with a first fragmentation index range, in the plurality of fragmentation index ranges, with a lowest fragmentation index; and
the second data set range with a second fragmentation index range, in the plurality of fragmentation index ranges, with a greater fragmentation index range than the first fragmentation index range; and

write:
the first data set to a first identified data storage media device with the actual fragmentation index in the first fragmentation index range; and
the second data set to a second identified data storage media device with the actual fragmentation index in the second fragmentation index range; and

responsive to a determination that the actual fragmentation index of the first identified data storage media device or the second identified data storage media device is beyond the threshold fragmentation index, submit to the at least one processor, a defragmentation job to defragment the first identified data storage media device or the second identified data storage media device.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein an (i)th actual fragmentation index is based upon a number of non-fragmented data sets encoded in an (i)th data storage medium.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein an (i)th actual fragmentation index is based upon a number of fragmented data sets encoded in an (i)th data storage medium.

11. The system of claim 10 , said computer-executable instructions further comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:
determining the first data set size for the first data set and the second data set size for the second data set; and
selecting an (i)th data storage media based upon an (i)th actual fragmentation index and said first data set size or said second data se

Assignees

• Perez Miguel Angel
• Reed David Charles
• Smith Max Douglas
• IBM

Inventors

• Perez Miguel Angel
• Reed David Charles
• Smith Max Douglas

Classifications

• G06F16/1724

  Details of de-fragmentation performed by the file system (saving storage space on storage systems G06F3/0608; management of blocks in storage devices G06F3/064) · CPC title

• G06F3/061 Primary

  Improving I/O performance · CPC title

• G06F3/0689

  Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD · CPC title

• G06F3/0643

  Management of files · CPC title

• G06F17/30135

  Physics · mapped topic