Dynamic category compression in a data storage library

A manager in a data storage library, comprising:

• a database of logical volume categories, each category capable of containing a plurality of sequentially appended orders;
• a processor;
• and
• memory storing program instructions executable in the processor and operable for:
• retrieving from the database an identification of a first category, the first category being a last-compressed category;
• retrieving from the database an identification number of a first order of the first category, the first order of the first category being a last compressed order;
• resuming compression of orders in the first category with an order next following the first order;
• continuing compression of orders in the first category;
• if a predetermined amount of time has elapsed, storing in the database the identification of the first category and the identification number of the order of the first category being compressed;
• and
• if the predetermined amount of time has not elapsed and compression of the first category is complete, beginning compression of a second category.

A data storage library attached to a host device, the library comprising:

• a plurality of removable data cartridges;
• a data drive for reading and writing logical volumes from and to a data cartridge loaded therein;
• an accessor for transporting data cartridges between storage slots and the data drive;
• a database storing a plurality of volume categories to which the volumes are assigned, each volume being associated with a sequentially designated order entry appended to an end of the category to which the volume is assigned;
• and
• a library manager operatively coupled to the data drive, the accessor and an external host device, the library manager comprising:
• a memory;
• means for retrieving an identification of a first category from the memory, the first category being a last-compressed category;
• means for retrieving an identification number of a first order of the first category from the memory, the first order of the first category being a last compressed order;
• means for compressing orders in the first category beginning with a next following order;
• means for storing in the memory the identification of the first category and the identification number of the order of the first category being compressed if a predetermined amount of time has elapsed;
• and
• means for beginning compression of a second category if the predetermined amount of time has not elapsed and compression of the first category is complete.

A computer program product of a computer readable medium usable with a programmable computer, the computer program product having computer-readable code embodied therein for dynamically compressing categories in a data storage library, the computer-readable code comprising instructions for:

• retrieving an identification of a first category in a data storage library, the first category being a last-compressed category;
• retrieving an identification number of a first order of the first category, the first order of the first category being a last compressed order;
• resuming compression of orders in the first category with an order next following the first order;
• continuing compression of orders in the first category;
• if a predetermined amount of time has elapsed, storing the identification of the first category and the identification number of the order of the first category being compressed;
• and
• if the predetermined amount of time has not elapsed and compression of the first category is complete, beginning compression of a second category.

A method for deploying computing infrastructure, comprising integrating computer readable code into a computing system, wherein the code, in combination with the computing system, is capable of performing the following:

• retrieving an identification of a first category in a data storage library, the first category being a last-compressed category;
• retrieving an identification number of a first order of the first category, the first order of the first category being a last compressed order;
• resuming compression of orders in the first category with an order next following the first order;
• continuing compression of orders in the first category;
• if a predetermined amount of time has elapsed, storing the identification of the first category and the identification number of the order of the first category being compressed;
• and
• if the predetermined amount of time has not elapsed and compression of the first category is complete, beginning compression of a second category.