# US 2018/0321849 A1 · Point in time copy of time locked data in a storage controller

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- Number: US 2018/0321849 A1
- Document ID: US20180321849A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/589,341
- Filed: 2017-05-08
- Published: 2018-11-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-05-08
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: Matthew G. Borlick; Lokesh M. Gupta; Carol S. Mellgren
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180321849A1

## CPC

- G06F 3/065: {Replication mechanisms}
- G06F 3/0623: {in relation to content}
- G06F 3/067: {Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]}
- G06F 21/6209: {to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself}
- G06F 2221/2137: Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A computational device receives a command to activate a time lock for a data set. In response to receiving the command to activate the time lock for the data set, a point in time copy of the data set is generated to allow write operations to be performed even if the time lock is activated.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
receiving, by a computational device, a command to activate a time lock for a data set; and
in response to receiving the command to activate the time lock for the data set, generating a point in time copy of the data set to allow write operations to be performed even if the time lock is activated.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:
applying the time lock to the point in time copy, and allowing the write operations to be performed on the data set.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:
applying the time lock to the data set, and allowing the write operations to be performed on the point in time copy.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, the method further comprising;
setting an alarm at a time at which the time lock is to start; and
in response to an occurrence of the alarm, generating the point in time copy.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:
in response to stopping a write operation for a first time as a result of the time lock, generating the point in time copy.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein on expiry of the time lock the point in time copy is deleted, but the data set is maintained.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein on expiry of the time lock the data set is deleted, but the point in time copy is maintained.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein on expiry of the time lock both the data set and the point in time copy are maintained.

### Claim 9

A system, comprising:
a memory; and
a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor performs operations, the operations comprising:
receiving a command to activate a time lock for a data set; and
in response to receiving the command to activate the time lock for the data set, generating a point in time copy of the data set to allow write operations to be performed even if the time lock is activated.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, the operations further comprising:
applying the time lock to the point in time copy, and allowing the write operations to be performed on the data set.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, the operations further comprising:
applying the time lock to the data set, and allowing the write operations to be performed on the point in time copy.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, the operations further comprising;
setting an alarm at a time at which the time lock is to start; and
in response to an occurrence of the alarm, generating the point in time copy.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, the operations further comprising:
in response to stopping a write operation for a first time as a result of the time lock, generating the point in time copy.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein on expiry of the time lock the point in time copy is deleted, but the data set is maintained.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein on expiry of the time lock the data set is deleted, but the point in time copy is maintained.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein on expiry of the time lock both the data set and the point in time copy are maintained.

### Claim 17

A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code configured to perform operations on a processor of a computational device, the operations comprising:
receiving, by the computational device, a command to activate a time lock for a data set; and
in response to receiving the command to activate the time lock for the data set, generating a point in time copy of the data set to allow write operations to be performed even if the time lock is activated.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The computer program product of claim 17, the operations further comprising:
applying the time lock to the point in time copy, and allowing the write operations to be performed on the data set.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The computer program product of claim 17, the operations further comprising:
applying the time lock to the data set, and allowing the write operations to be performed on the point in time copy.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The computer program product of claim 17, the operations further comprising;
setting an alarm at a time at which the time lock is to start; and
in response to an occurrence of the alarm, generating the point in time copy.

### Claim 21 (depends on 17)

The computer program product of claim 17, the operations further comprising:
in response to stopping a write operation for a first time as a result of the time lock, generating the point in time copy.

### Claim 22 (depends on 17)

The computer program product of claim 17, wherein on expiry of the time lock the point in time copy is deleted, but the data set is maintained.

### Claim 23

A storage controller, wherein the storage controller is configured to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving a command to activate a time lock for a data set; and
in response to receiving the command to activate the time lock for the data set, generating a point in time copy of the data set to allow write operations to be performed even if the time lock is activated.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The storage controller of claim 23, the operations further comprising:
applying the time lock to the point in time copy, and allowing the write operations to be performed on the data set.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The storage controller of claim 23, the operations further comprising:
applying the time lock to the data set, and allowing the write operations to be performed on the point in time copy.