Back to results
US 7,743,206 B2Granted
Dynamic loading of virtual volume data in a virtual tape server
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsGregory Tad Kishi, Jonathan Wayne Peake
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are a system, a method, and article of manufacture to provide for obtaining data storage device specific information from a data storage device using standard read/write commands. This method uses a host application to write a unique sequence of records to a logical volume of the data storage device. The data storage device detects the unique sequence of records for the logical volume and writes device specific information to the logical volume allowing the host application the ability to read the data storage device specific information using a read command for the logical volume.
Claims25
A method for obtaining information from a data storage device, comprising:
- writing data, said data comprising a unique sequence of records that is a single specific pattern, which pattern has a low probability of existing for normal data written to a logical volume, said pattern indicating a device specific information request for said data storage device, to at least one logical volume on said data storage device using standard write commands;
- rewinding or demounting said at least one logical volume;
- after said rewinding or demounting said at least one logical volume, said data storage device analyzing said data written to said at least one logical volume to detect said single specific pattern of said unique sequence of records apart from normal data written to said logical volume;
- and
- in response to said data storage device detecting said unique sequence of records on said at least one logical volume, placing a device specific information data request flag in a metadata associated with said at least one logical volume to indicate that said at least one logical volume comprises device specific information.
2 more elements
A data storage device, comprising:
- at least one logical volume;
- a cache memory configured to store metadata associated with said at least one logical volume;
- a central processing unit for controlling said data storage device;
- and
- a host computer interface coupled to a host computer for interfacing said data storage device to said host computer, wherein said data storage device is configured to analyze data on said at least one logical volume to detect a unique sequence of records apart from normal data written to a logical volume, the unique set of records comprising a single specific pattern, which pattern has a low probability of existing for normal data written to said logical volume, said pattern indicating a device specific information request for said data storage device, and in response to said data storage device detecting said unique sequence of records on said at least one logical volume, placing a device specific information data request flag in said metadata to indicate that said at least one logical volume comprises device specific information.
2 more elements
An article of manufacture comprising a data storage medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform method steps for obtaining information from a data storage device, comprising:
- writing data, said data comprising a unique sequence of records that is a single specific pattern, which pattern has a low probability of existing for normal data written to a logical volume, said pattern indicating a device specific information request for said data storage device, to at least one logical volume on said data storage device using standard write commands;
- rewinding or demounting said at least one logical volume;
- after said rewinding or demounting said at least one logical volume, analyzing said data written to said at least one logical volume to detect said single specific pattern of said unique sequence of records apart from normal data written to said logical volume;
- and
- in response to detecting said unique sequence of records on said at least one logical volume, placing a device specific information data request flag in a metadata associated with said at least one logical volume to indicate that said at least one logical volume comprises device specific information.
2 more elements
A method for indicating a device specific information request for a data storage device, comprising:
- receiving a write command to write data to at least one logical volume and data associated with said command, said data comprising a unique sequence of records that is a single specific pattern, which pattern has a low probability of existing for normal data written to a logical volume, and uses standard commands, said pattern indicating a device specific information request for said data storage device;
- writing said associated data to said at least one logical volume apart from normal data written to said logical volume on said data storage device using standard write commands;
- and
- rewinding or demounting said at least one logical volume.
1 more element
A method for identifying a device specific information request for a data storage device, comprising:
- said data storage device accessing at least one logical volume;
- said data storage device analyzing data written to said at least one logical volume to detect a unique sequence of records that is a single specific pattern, which pattern has a low probability of existing for normal data written to a logical volume, and uses standard commands, said pattern indicating a device specific information request for said data storage device;
- and
- in response to said data storage device detecting said unique sequence of records apart from normal data written on said at least one logical volume, writing data storage device specific information on said at least one logical volume, wherein said writing data storage device specific information on said at least one logical volume comprises replacing said data comprising said unique sequence of records.
1 more element
A system for indicating a device specific information request for a data storage device, comprising:
- a host computer;
- a data storage device comprising:
- at least one logical volume;
- a central processing unit configured to control said data storage device;
- and
- a host computer interface coupled to said host computer for interfacing said data storage device to said host computer, wherein said host computer is configured to provide a write command to write data to said at least one logical volume and provide data associated with said command, said data comprising a unique sequence of records that is a single specific pattern, which pattern has a low probability of existing for normal data written to a logical volume, and uses standard commands, said pattern indicating a device specific information request for said data storage device;
- said data storage device is configured to write said associated data to said at least one logical volume apart from normal data written to said logical volume on said data storage device using standard write commands;
- and
- said data storage device is configured to rewind or demount said at least one logical volume.
6 more elements
A system for indicating a device specific information request for a data storage device, comprising:
- a host computer;
- a data storage device comprising:
- at least one logical volume;
- a central processing unit configured to control said data storage device;
- and
- a host computer interface coupled to said host computer for interfacing said data storage device to said host computer,
- said central processing unit configured to access said at least one logical volume;
- to analyze data written to said at least one logical volume to detect a unique sequence of records that is a single specific pattern, which pattern has a low probability of existing for normal data written to a logical volume, and uses standard commands, said pattern indicating a device specific information request for said data storage device;
- and
- said host computer, in response to said data storage device detecting said unique sequence of records apart from normal data written on said at least one logical volume, writing data storage device specific information on said at least one logical volume, wherein said writing data storage device specific information on at least one logical volume comprises replacing said data comprising said unique sequence of records.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.