Storage dispersal system based on related, shared data storage space reservation

A unit for dispersing storage of a plurality of related and unrelated data items on a plurality of removable recordable media instances (RMIs) comprising:

• first storage means for storing a data item on a qualifying related RMI, the qualifying related RMI having one or more related data items stored on it and having sufficient actual storage space remaining for storing the data item;
• multiplier means, connected to the first storage means, for multiplying the actual size of a data item, which is not stored by the first storage means because there is no qualifying related RMI, by a factor greater than one, to produce reserved storage space data which is available for storing any additional data items related to said data item or to any unrelated data item previously stored on an RMI with said data item;
• and
• second storage means responsive to the multiplier means for storing a data item on a qualifying unrelated RMI, the qualifying unrelated RMI having one or more unrelated data items stored on it and having sufficient actual and sufficient unreserved storage space remaining equal to or greater than said reserved storage space data to store the data item and, if there is no qualifying related RMI, then storing the data item on a new RMI, the new RMI having no data stored on it.

A unit for dispersing storage of a plurality of data items D across a plurality of removable recordable media instances (RMIs) comprising:

• each data item D being part of a controlled data item D.sub.(s,a) where (s) is a data field indicating the subject matter of the data item and (a) is a data field indicating the actual amount of storage space needed on a RMI to store the data item;
• each RMI being designated I.sub.n(s',a',r') if the RMI is partially full by having one or more data items stored on it and by I.sub.(N+1) if the RMI is the N+1 RMI and is new because no data item has been stored on it, where n is the number of the RMI for all values of n from 1 to N, (s') is data indicating one or more subject matters of one or more data items stored on the nth RMI, (a') is a data field indicating actual storage space remaining on the nth RMI and (r') is a data field indicating the reserved storage space remaining on the nth RMI;
• multiplier means for receiving actual size (a) data field of a controlled data item D.sub.(s,a) and multiplying it times a factor (t) greater than one to produce a data field representing a reserved size (r) of the controlled data item D.sub.(s,a), thereby providing a controlled data item D.sub.(s,r) which is the same as controlled data item D.sub.(s,a) except its data field size has been modified from actual size (a) data field to reserved size (r) data field;
• RMI directory means for receiving subject matter data (s) field, actual size data (a) field and reserved size data (r) field of data items D stored on RMIs (I.sub.n and I.sub.N) for providing an updated RMI data field listing (p) of I.sub.n(s',a',r') for all values of n from n=1 to n=N where for each RMI corresponding to I.sub.n(s',a',r') an updated reserved size data r' is reserved storage reserved on said RMI corresponding to a data item stored on said RMI or a pool of combined reserved storages reserved on said RMI for said data item and one or more unrelated data items already stored on said RMI so that the updated reserved size data r' corresponds to reserved storage on said RMI which is available for storing any additional data items related to any data item already stored on the RMI;
• first comparator and storage means responsive to the data listing (p) in the RMI directory means for receiving a controlled data item D.sub.(s,a) for storing the data item D part of the controlled data item D.sub.(s,a) on any reserved space and unreserved space, if needed, of a qualifying related RMI (I.sub.n), the subject matter data (s) of controlled labeled data item D.sub.(s,a) comparing with subject matter data (s') of the qualifying related RMI (I.sub.n) within the RMI data field listing (p) and the actual size data (a) of the controlled data item being equal to or less than the actual storage space data (a') remaining on the qualifying related RMI, and for indicating any data part D of controlled data item D.sub.(s,a) which is not stored because there is no qualifying related RMI;
• the RMI directory means being connected to the first comparator and storage means for receiving (s) and (a) data fields of corresponding data items D stored on the RMIs (I.sub.n) to recalculate the (s') and (a') data fields for the RMIs (I.sub.n);
• the multiplier means being responsive to the first comparator and storage means for receiving said actual size data (a) field of any controlled data item D.sub.(s,a) when the data portion D thereof is not stored by the first comparator means because there is no qualifying related RMI;
• second comparator and storage means responsive to the data listing (p) in the RMI directory and the multiplier means for storing a data item D part of a controlled data item D.sub.(s,r) on a qualifying unrelated RMI (I.sub.n), the reserved size (r) of the controlled data item D.sub.(s,r) being less than or equal to the remaining actual storage size (a') of the qualifying unrelated RMI and less than or equal to the remaining reserved storage size (r') of the qualifying unrelated RMI (I.sub.n) and, if there is no qualifying unrelated RMI then storing the data item D part of the controlled data item D.sub.(s,r) on a new RMI (I.sub.N+1), the new RMI having no data item D previously stored on it;
• and
• the RMI directory means being connected to the second comparator means for receiving the (s), (a) and the (r) data of corresponding data items D stored on the RMIs (I.sub.n and I.sub.N+1) to recalculate the (s'), (a'), and (r') data for the RMIs (I.sub.n).

A method of dispersing storage of a plurality of related and unrelated data items on a plurality of removable recordable media instances (RMIs) comprising the steps of:

• storing a data item on a qualifying related RMI, the qualifying related RMI having one or more related data items stored on it and having sufficient actual storage space remaining for storing the data item;
• multiplying the actual size of a data item, which is not stored by the first storage means because there is no qualifying related RMI, by a factor greater than one, to produce reserved storage space data which is available for storing any additional data items related to said data item or to any unrelated data item previously stored on an RMI with said data item;
• and
• storing said data item on a qualifying unrelated RMI, the qualifying unrelated RMI having one or more unrelated data items stored on it and having sufficient actual and sufficient unreserved storage space remaining equal to or greater than said reserved storage space data to store the data item and, if there is no qualifying related RMI, then storing the data item on a new RMI, the new RMI having no data stored on it.

A method of dispersing storage of a plurality of data items D across a plurality of removable recordable media instances (RMIs) comprising the steps of:

• providing controlled data item D.sub.(s,a), of which data item D is a part, where (s) is a data field indicating the subject matter of the data item and (a) is a data field indicating the actual amount of storage space needed on a RMI to store the data item;
• designating each RMI I.sub.n(s',a',r') if the RMI is partially full by having one or more data items stored on it and by I.sub.(N+1) if the RMI is the N+1 RMI and is new because no data item has been stored on it, where n is the number of the RMI for all values of n from 1 to N, (s') is a data field indicating one or more subject matters of one or more data items stored on the nth RMI, (a') is a data field indicating actual storage space remaining on the nth RMI and (r') is a data field indicating the reserved storage space remaining on the nth RMI;
• receiving actual size data (a) field of a controlled data item D.sub.(s,a) and multiplying the actual size data (a) field times a factor (t) greater than one to produce a data field representing a reserved size (r) data field of the data item D, thereby providing a controlled data item D.sub.(s,r) which is the same as controlled data item D.sub.(s,a) except its data field size has been modified from actual size (a) data field to reserved size (r) data field;
• receiving subject matter data (s) field, actual size data (a) field and reserved size data (r) field of data items D stored on RMIs (I.sub.n and I.sub.N) for providing an updated RMI data field listing (p) of I.sub.n(s',a',r') for all values of n from n=1 to n=N where for each RMI corresponding to I.sub.n(s',a',r') an updated reserved size data r' is reserved storage reserved on said RMI corresponding to a data item stored on said RMI or a pool of combined reserved storages reserved on said RMI for said data item and one or more unrelated data items already stored on said RMI so that the updated reserved size data r' corresponds to reserved storage on said RMI which is available for storing any additional data items related to any data item already stored on the RMI;
• receiving data field listing (p) and a controlled data item D.sub.(s,a) for storing the data item D part of the controlled data item D.sub.(s,a) on any reserved space and unreserved space, if needed, of a qualifying related RMI (I.sub.n), the subject matter data (s) of the controlled data item D.sub.(s,a) comparing with subject matter data (s') of the qualifying related RMI (I.sub.n) within the RMI data field listing (p) and the actual size data (a) of the controlled data item being equal to or less than the actual storage space data (a') remaining on the qualifying related RMI, and for indicating any data portion D of controlled data item D.sub.(s,a) which is not stored because there is no qualifying related RMI;
• receiving (s) and (a) data field of corresponding data items D stored on the RMIs (I.sub.n) to recalculate the (s') and (a') data field for the RMIs (I.sub.n);
• storing the data item D part of a controlled data item D.sub.(s,r) on a qualifying unrelated RMI (I.sub.n), the reserved size (r) of the controlled data item D.sub.(s,r) being less than or equal to the remaining actual storage size (a') of the qualifying unrelated RMI and less than or equal to the remaining reserved storage size (r') of the qualifying unrelated RMI (I.sub.n) and, if said data item D is not stored because there is no qualifying unrelated RMI then storing the data item D part of the controlled data item D.sub.(s,r) on a new RMI (I.sub.N+1), the new RMI having no data item D previously stored on it;
• and
• receiving the (s), (a) and the (r) data fields of corresponding data items D stored on the RMIs (I.sub.n and I.sub.N+1) to recalculate the (s'), (a'), and (r') data fields for the RMIs (I.sub.n and I.sub.n+1).