Apparatus, systems, and method for concurrent storage to an active data file storage pool, copy pool, and next pool

A semiconductor device storing a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

• copy one or more data files from a client over a data channel in a first write to a storage pool, wherein all communications to the storage pool and a next pool are received from the data channel, the storage pool only stores active data files, and an active data file is a most recently backed up instance of a client data file;
• concurrently copy the data files in the first write from the data channel to the next pool as the data files are copied from the data channel to the storage pool, wherein the next pool is organized in a storage hierarchy with the storage pool, offloads inactive data files from the storage pool, and stores active and inactive data files, and wherein an inactive data file is a previous instance of the client data file;
• and
• delete first data files from the storage pool in response to a migration operation for moving inactive files from the storage pool to the next pool if the first data files become inactive files subsequent to active instances of the first files being concurrently copied to the storage pool and next pool;
• aggregate a plurality of data files into a first aggregate file referenced using a single database entry and copied and communicated as a single file, the first aggregate file comprising an index to the plurality of the data files;
• and
• aggregate the first aggregate file into a second aggregate file subsequent to an active instance of a second file being concurrently copied to the storage pool and the next pool, wherein the second aggregate file does not comprise an instance of the second file.

A method for concurrently copying one or more data files to multiple pools, the method comprising:

• copying, by use of a processor, one or more data files from a client over a data channel in a first write to a storage pool, wherein all communications to the storage pool and a next pool are received from the data channel, the storage pool only stores active data files, and an active data file is a most recently backed up instance of a client data file;
• concurrently copying, by use of the processor, the data files in the first write from the data channel to the next pool as the data files are copied from the data channel to the storage pool, wherein the next pool is organized in a storage hierarchy with the storage pool, offloads inactive data files from the storage pool, and stores active and inactive data files, wherein an inactive data file is a previous instance of the client data file;
• deleting first data files from the storage pool in response to a migration operation for moving inactive files from the storage pool to the next pool if the first data files become inactive files subsequent to active instances of the first files being concurrently copied to the storage pool and next pool;
• aggregating a plurality of the data files into a first aggregate file referenced using a single database entry and copied and communicated as a single file, the first aggregate file comprising an index to the plurality of the data files;
• and
• aggregating the first aggregate file into a second aggregate file subsequent to an active instance of a second file being concurrently copied to the storage pool and the next pool wherein the second aggregate file does not comprise an instance of the second file.

A system to concurrently copy one or more data files to multiple pools, the system comprising:

• a storage pool only storing active data files, wherein an active data file is a most recently backed up instance of a client data file;
• a next pool offloading one or more inactive data files from the storage pool and storing active and inactive files, wherein an inactive data file is a previous instance of the client data file;
• a data channel in communication with the storage pool and the next pool, wherein all communications to the storage pool and a next pool are received from the data channel;
• a storage manager managing the storage pool and next pool and comprising a code storage device storing executable code and a processor executing the executable code,
• the executable code comprising
• a copy module copying one or more data files from a client over the data channel in a first write to the storage pool, and concurrently copying the data files in the first write from the data channel to the next pool as the data files are copied from the data channel to the storage pool;
• a migration module deleting first data files from the storage pool in response to a migration operation for moving inactive files from the storage pool to the next pool if the first data files become inactive files subsequent to active instances of the first files being concurrently copied to the storage pool and next pool;
• and
• an aggregation module aggregating a plurality of the data files into a first aggregate file referenced using a single database entry and copied and communicated as a single file, the first aggregate file comprising an index to the plurality of the data files, and the aggregation module further aggregating the first aggregate file into a second aggregate file subsequent to an active instance of a second file being concurrently copied to the storage pool and the next pool wherein the second aggregate file does not comprise an instance of the second file.