Apparatus and method to maintain information using a plurality of storage attributes

A method to maintain information using a plurality of storage attributes, comprising the steps of:

• providing a virtual tape system comprising a library inventory;
• including a storage class attribute field in said library inventory;
• forming a plurality of storage class construct names;
• forming a default storage class construct name;
• defining each of said plurality of storage class construct names and said default storage class construct name;
• including a data class attribute field in said library inventory;
• forming a plurality of data class construct names;
• forming a default data class construct name;
• defining each of said plurality of data class construct names and said default data class construct name;
• including a management class attribute field in said library inventory;
• forming a plurality of management class construct names;
• forming a default management class construct name;
• defining each of said plurality of management class construct names and said default management class construct name;
• including a storage group attribute field in said library inventory;
• forming a plurality of storage group construct names;
• forming a default storage group construct name;
• defining each of said plurality of storage group construct names and said default storage group construct name;
• forming a logical dataset;
• assigning (N) construct names to said dataset, wherein (N) is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 4;
• providing said dataset and said (N) construct names to said virtual tape system;
• writing said dataset to a logical volume;
• determining if said logical volume comprises an assigned data class construct name;
• operative if said logical volume does not comprise an assigned data class construct name, assigning said default data class construct name as the data class attribute for said logical volume;
• operative if said logical volume comprises an assigned data class construct name, determining if said assigned data class construct name is defined;
• operative if said assigned data class construct name is defined, assigning said specified data class construct name as the data class attribute for said logical volume;
• operative if said assigned data class construct name is not defined, assigning said default data class construct name as the data class attribute for said logical volume;
• determining if said logical volume comprises an assigned storage class construct name;
• operative if said logical volume does not comprise an assigned storage class construct name, assigning said default storage class construct name as the storage class attribute for said logical volume;
• operative if said logical volume comprises an assigned storage class construct name, determining if said assigned storage class construct name is defined;
• operative if said assigned storage class construct name is defined, assigning said assigned storage class construct name as the storage class attribute for said logical volume;
• operative if said assigned storage class construct name is not defined, assigning said default storage class construct name as the storage class attribute for said logical volume;
• determining if said logical volume comprises an assigned management class construct name;
• operative if said logical volume does not comprise an assigned management class construct name, assigning said default management class construct name as the management class attribute for said logical volume;
• operative if said logical volume comprises an assigned management class construct name, determining if said assigned management class construct name is defined;
• operative if said assigned management class construct name is defined, assigning said specified management class construct name as the management class attribute for said logical volume;
• operative if said assigned management class construct name is not defined, assigning said default management class construct name as the management class attribute for said volume;
• logical volume;
• determining if said logical volume comprises an assigned storage group construct name;
• operative if said logical volume does not comprise an assigned storage group construct name, assigning said default storage group construct name as the storage group attribute for said logical volume;
• operative if said logical volume comprises an assigned storage group construct name, determining if said assigned storage group construct name is defined;
• operative if said assigned storage group construct name is defined, assigning said specified storage group construct name as the storage group attribute for said logical volume;
• operative if said assigned storage group construct name is not defined, assigning said default storage group construct name as the storage group attribute for said logical volume;
• storing at a first time said storage class attribute, said data class attribute, said management class attribute, and said storage group attribute, in said library inventory;
• retrieving at a second time said storage class attribute, said data class attribute, said management class attribute, and said storage group attribute, from said library inventory;
• and
• selecting management actions for said logical volume based upon said retrieved storage attributes.

An article of manufacture comprising a library inventory and a computer useable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to maintain information using a plurality of storage attributes, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

• receiving a dataset and four storage construct names assigned to said dataset;
• forming a logical volume comprising said dataset;
• assigning four storage attributes to said logical volume, wherein said four storage attributes comprise a storage class attribute, a data class attribute, a management class attribute, and a storage group attribute;
• including a storage class attribute field in said library inventory;
• including a data class attribute field in said library inventory;
• including a management class attribute field in said library inventory;
• including a storage group attribute field in said library inventory;
• storing at a first time said assigned storage attributes in said library inventory;
• retrieving at a second time said assigned storage attributes from said library inventory;
• selecting storage management actions for said logical volume based upon said assigned storage attributes.

An article of manufacture comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to maintain information using a plurality of storage attributes and a virtual tape system comprising a library inventory, wherein said library inventory comprises a storage class attribute field, a data class attribute field, a management class attribute field, and a storage group attribute field, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

• forming a plurality of storage class construct names;
• forming a default storage class construct name;
• defining each of said plurality of storage class construct names and said default storage class construct name;
• forming a plurality of data class construct names;
• forming a default data class construct name;
• defining each of said plurality of data class construct names and said default data class construct name;
• forming a plurality of management class construct names;
• forming a default management class construct name;
• defining each of said plurality of management class construct names and said default management class construct name;
• forming a plurality of storage group construct names;
• forming a default storage group construct name;
• defining each of said plurality of storage group construct names and said default storage group construct name;
• receiving a dataset;
• writing said dataset to a logical volume;
• receiving (N) storage construct names assigned to said logical volume, wherein (N) is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 4;
• determining if said logical volume comprises an assigned data class construct name;
• operative if said logical volume does not comprise an assigned data class construct name, assigning said default data class construct name as the data class attribute for said logical volume;
• operative if said logical volume comprises an assigned data class construct name, determining if said assigned data class construct name is defined;
• operative if said assigned data class construct name is defined, assigning said specified data class construct name as the data class attribute for said logical volume;
• operative if said assigned data class construct name is not defined, assigning said default data class construct name as the data class attribute for said logical volume;
• determining if said logical volume comprises an assigned storage class construct name;
• operative if said logical volume does not comprise an assigned storage class construct name, assigning said default storage class construct name as the storage class attribute for said logical volume;
• operative if said logical volume comprises an assigned storage class construct name, determining if said assigned storage class construct name is defined;
• operative if said assigned storage class construct name is defined, assigning said assigned storage class construct name as the storage class attribute for said logical volume;
• operative if said assigned storage class construct name is not defined, assigning said default storage class construct name as the storage class attribute for said logical volume;
• determining if said logical volume comprises an assigned management class construct name;
• operative if said logical volume does not comprise an assigned management class construct name, assigning said default management class construct name as the management class attribute for said logical volume;
• operative if said logical volume comprises an assigned management class construct name, determining if said assigned management class construct name is defined;
• operative if said assigned management class construct name is defined, assigning said specified management class construct name as the management class attribute for said logical volume;
• operative if said assigned management class construct name is not defined, assigning said default management class construct name as the management class attribute for said logical volume;
• determining if said logical volume comprises an assigned storage group construct name;
• operative if said logical volume does not comprise an assigned storage group construct name, assigning said default storage group construct name as the storage group attribute for said logical volume;
• operative if said logical volume comprises an assigned storage group construct name, determining if said assigned storage group construct name is defined;
• operative if said assigned storage group construct name is defined, assigning said specified storage group construct name as the storage group attribute for said logical volume;
• operative if said assigned storage group construct name is not defined, assigning said default storage group construct name as the storage group attribute for said logical volume;
• storing at a first time said storage class attribute, said data class attribute, said management class attribute, and said storage group attribute, in said library inventory;
• retrieving at a second time said storage class attribute, said data class attribute, said management class attribute, and said storage group attribute, from said library inventory;
• and
• selecting management actions for said logical volume based upon said retrieved storage attributes.

A computer program product usable with a programmable computer processor having computer readable program code embodied therein to maintain information using a plurality of storage attributes, comprising:

• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to receive a dataset and four storage construct names assigned said dataset;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to write said dataset to a logical volume;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to assign a data class attribute to said logical volume;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to assign a management class attribute to said logical volume;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to assign a storage class attribute to said logical volume;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to assign a storage group attribute to said logical volume;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to store at a first time said storage attributes in said library inventory;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to retrieve at a second time said storage attributes from said library inventory;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to select storage management actions for said logical volume based upon said four storage attributes.

A computer program product usable with a programmable computer processor having computer readable program code embodied therein to maintain information using a plurality of storage attributes and a virtual tape system comprising a library inventory, wherein said library inventory comprises a storage class attribute field, a data class attribute field, a management class attribute field, and a storage group attribute field, comprising:

• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to form a plurality of storage class construct names;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to form a default storage class construct name;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to define each of said plurality of storage class construct names and said default storage class construct name;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to form a plurality of data class construct names;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to form a default data class construct name;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to define each of said plurality of data class construct names and said default data class construct name;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to form a plurality of management class construct names;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to form a default management class construct name;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to define each of said plurality of management class construct names and said default management class construct name;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to form a plurality of storage group construct names;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to form a default storage group construct name;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to define each of said plurality of storage group construct names and said default storage group construct name;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to receive a dataset;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to receive (N) storage construct names assigned to said dataset, wherein (N) is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 4;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to write said dataset to a logical volume;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to determine if said logical volume comprises an assigned data class construct name;
• computer readable program code which, if said logical volume does not comprise an assigned data class construct name, causes said programmable computer processor to assign said default data class construct name as the data class attribute for said logical volume;
• computer readable program code which, if said logical volume comprises an assigned data class construct name, causes said programmable computer processor to determine if said assigned data class construct name is defined;
• computer readable program code which, if said assigned data class construct name is defined, causes said programmable computer processor to assign said specified data class construct name as the data class attribute for said logical volume;
• computer readable program code which, if said assigned data class construct name is not defined, causes said programmable computer processor to assign said default data class construct name as the data class attribute for said logical volume;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to determine if said logical volume comprises an assigned storage class construct name;
• computer readable program code which, if said logical volume does not comprise an assigned storage class construct name, causes said programmable computer processor to assign said default storage class construct name as the storage class attribute for said logical volume;
• computer readable program code which, if said logical volume comprises an assigned storage class construct name, causes said programmable computer processor to determine if said assigned storage class construct name is defined;
• computer readable program code which, if said assigned storage class construct name is defined, causes said programmable computer processor to assign said assigned storage class construct name as the storage class attribute for said logical volume;
• computer readable program code which, if said assigned storage class construct name is not defined, causes said programmable computer processor to assign said default storage class construct name as the storage class attribute for said logical volume;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to determine if said logical volume comprises an assigned management class construct name;
• computer readable program code which, if said logical volume does not comprise an assigned management class construct name, causes said programmable computer processor to assign said default management class construct name as the management class attribute for said logical volume;
• computer readable program code which, if said logical volume comprises an assigned management class construct name, causes said programmable computer processor to determine if said assigned management class construct name is defined;
• computer readable program code which, if said assigned management class construct name is defined, causes said programmable computer processor to assign said specified management class construct name as the management class attribute for said logical volume;
• computer readable program code which, if said assigned management class construct name is not defined, causes said programmable computer processor to assign said default management class construct name as the management class attribute for said logical volume;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to determine if said logical volume comprises an assigned storage group construct name;
• computer readable program code which, if said logical volume does not comprise an assigned storage group construct name, causes said programmable computer processor to assign said default storage group construct name as the storage group attribute for said logical volume;
• computer readable program code which, if said logical volume comprises an assigned storage group construct name, causes said programmable computer processor to determine if said assigned storage group construct name is defined;
• computer readable program code which, if said assigned storage group construct name is defined, causes said programmable computer processor to assign said specified storage group construct name as the storage group attribute for said logical volume;
• computer readable program code which, if said assigned storage group construct name is not defined, causes said programmable computer processor to assign said default storage group construct name as the storage group attribute for said logical volume
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to store at a first time said storage class attribute, said data class attribute, said management class attribute, and said storage group attribute, in said library inventory;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to retrieve at a second time said storage class attribute, said data class attribute, said management class attribute, and said storage group attribute, from said library inventory;
• and
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to select management actions for said logical volume based upon said retrieved storage attributes.