Apparatus and method to manage and copy computer files

A network attached storage device, wherein said network attached storage device is capable of communicating with one or more host computers, and wherein said network attached storage device is capable of communicating with one or more data storage and retrieval systems, comprising:

• an information storage device;
• a storage management program capable of communicating with one or more of said one or more data storage and retrieval systems and with said information storage device;
• a first file system driver, wherein said first file system driver is in communication with said information storage device;
• networking software, wherein said networking software is capable of communicating with said one or more host computers;
• a second file system driver, wherein said second file system driver is in communication with said networking software;
• a plurality of first computer files stored on said information storage device;
• a plurality of second computer files;
• wherein one or more of said plurality of first computer files comprises two or more of said plurality of second computer files;
• a first logical block array comprising said plurality of first computer files;
• a second logical block array comprising said plurality of second computer files;
• a first device driver, wherein said first device driver communicates with said first file system driver and with said information storage device;
• a second device driver, wherein said second device driver communicates with said second file system driver and with said first file system driver;
• a first file system, wherein said first file system comprises said first logical block array;
• a second file system, wherein said second file system comprises said second logical block array, and wherein said second file system comprises a Write Once Read Many times file system;
• and
• an operating system.

A method to copy a host computer file, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a first host computer file;
• forming a first logical block array comprising said first host computer file;
• forming a first DASD file comprising said first logical block array;
• forming a second logical block array comprising said first DASD file;
• providing a first information storage medium;
• saving said second logical block array on said first information storage medium;
• providing a data storage and retrieval system comprising one or more second information storage media;
• communicating said second logical block array to said data storage and retrieval system;
• and
• copying said second logical block array on one or more of said one or more second information storage media.

A method to copy a host computer file, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a first host computer file;
• providing a first information storage medium;
• providing a host computer file system driver;
• communicating said first host computer file to said first host computer file system driver;
• forming a first logical block array comprising said first host computer file;
• providing a DASD file system driver;
• communicating said first logical block array to said DASD file system driver;
• forming a first DASD file comprising said first logical block array;
• forming a second logical block array comprising said first DASD file;
• saving said second logical block array on a first information storage medium;
• providing a data storage and retrieval system comprising one or more second information storage media;
• providing storage management software capable of communicating with said data storage and retrieval system and with said first information storage device;
• communicating said second logical block array to said storage management software;
• communicating said second logical block array to said data storage and retrieval system;
• and
• copying said second logical block array on one or more of said one or more second information storage media;
• wherein said receiving step, said forming steps, said saving step, and said communicating steps, are performed by a network attached storage device, wherein said network attached storage device is capable of communicating with one or more host computers, and wherein said network attached storage device is capable of communicating with said data storage and retrieval system, and wherein said network attached storage device comprises:
• said first information storage device;
• said storage management program;
• said DASD file system driver;
• said networking software;
• said host computer file system driver, wherein said host computer file system driver is in communication with said networking software;
• a plurality of DASD files stored on said information storage device, wherein said first DASD file comprises one of said plurality of said DASD files;
• a plurality of host computer files, wherein said first host computer file comprises one of said plurality of host computer files;
• a first device driver, wherein said first device driver communicates with said DASD file system driver and with said information storage device;
• a second device driver, wherein said second device driver communicates with said host computer file system driver and with said DASD file system driver;
• and
• an operating system.

An article of manufacture comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to copy a computer file, wherein said article of manufacture is capable of communicating with a data storage and retrieval system comprising one or more second information storage media, and wherein said article of manufacture comprises a first information storage medium, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

• receiving a first host computer file;
• forming a first logical block array comprising said first host computer file;
• forming a first DASD file comprising said first logical block array;
• forming a second logical block array comprising said first DASD file;
• saving said second logical block array on said first information storage medium;
• communicating said second logical block array to said data storage and retrieval system;
• and
• copying said second logical block array on one or more of said one or more second information storage media.

An article of manufacture comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to copy a computer file, wherein said article of manufacture comprises a first information storage medium, a DASD file system driver, a host computer file system driver, a first device driver, and second device driver, networking software, storage management software, and wherein said article of manufacture is capable of communicating with a host computer and with a data storage and retrieval system comprising one or more second information storage media, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

• receiving a first host computer file;
• providing said first host computer file to said first file system driver;
• forming a first logical block array comprising said first host computer file;
• providing said first logical block array to said host computer file system driver;
• forming a first DASD file comprising said first logical block array;
• forming a second logical block array comprising said first DASD file;
• saving said second logical block array on said first information storage medium;
• communicating said second logical block array to said data storage and retrieval system;
• and
• copying said second logical block array on one or more of said one or more second information storage media.

A computer program product usable with a programmable computer processor having computer readable program code embodied therein to copy computer files, comprising:

• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to receive a first host computer file;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to form a first logical block array comprising said first host computer file;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to form a first DASD file comprising said first logical block array;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to form a second logical block array comprising said first DASD file;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to provide a first information storage medium;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to save said second logical block array on said first information storage medium;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to communicate said second logical block array to a data storage and retrieval system;
• and
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to copy said second logical block array on one or more of said one or more second information storage media disposed in said data storage and retrieval system.