# US 8,751,759 B2 · Tape library emulation with automatic configuration and data retention

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- Number: US 8,751,759 B2
- Document ID: US8751759B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/613,373
- Filed: 2012-09-13
- Published: 2013-01-10
- Granted: 2014-06-10
- Earliest claimed: 2005-02-17
- Assignees: Overland Storage, Inc.
- Applicants: Victoria Gonzalez; Sergio Encarnacao
- Inventors: Victoria Gonzalez; Sergio Encarnacao
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8751759B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/0619: {in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors}
- G06F 3/0607: {by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device}
- G06F 3/0613: {in relation to throughput}
- G06F 3/0646: {Horizontal data movement in storage systems, i.e. moving data in between storage devices or systems}
- G06F 3/065: {Replication mechanisms}
- G06F 3/0664: {at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system}
- G06F 3/0665: {at area level, e.g. provisioning of virtual or logical volumes}
- G06F 3/067: {Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]}
- G06F 3/0686: {Libraries, e.g. tape libraries, jukebox}
- G06F 3/0689: {Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD}
- G06F 11/1456: {Hardware arrangements for backup}
- G06F 11/1461: {Backup scheduling policy}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

Disk based emulation of tape libraries is provided with features that allow easier management and administration of a backup system and also allow increased flexibility to both archive data on tape at a remote location and also have fast restore access to archived data files. Features include automatic emulation of physical libraries, and the retention and write protection of virtual tapes that correspond to exported physical tapes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of emulating a tape library data storage system using one or more hard disk drives, the method comprising:
coupling an appliance containing the one or more hard disk drives to one or more physical tape libraries in a data storage system;
with the appliance, querying the one or more physical tape libraries to acquire a configuration of the one or more physical tape libraries in the data storage system;
allocating data storage space on the one or more hard disk drives to virtual devices of one or more virtual tape libraries, wherein the one or more virtual tape libraries comprise virtual devices emulating physical devices in the acquired configuration of the one or more physical tape libraries in the tape storage system; and
allocating data storage space on the one or more hard disk drives to at least one additional virtual device associated with the one or more virtual tape libraries, wherein the additional virtual device has no corresponding physical device in the data storage system.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said additional virtual device comprises a virtual tape drive.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said additional virtual device comprises a tape cartridge storage slot.

### Claim 4

A method of emulating data storage on a magnetic tape media using one or more hard disk drives, the method comprising:
allocating data storage space of the one or more hard disk drives to one or more virtual tape libraries, wherein the one or more virtual tape libraries comprise one or more virtual devices emulating one or more physical devices of the one or more physical tape libraries in a tape storage system;
storing data in the storage space allocated to the one or more virtual tape libraries according to a first user defined periodic schedule;
replicating the data stored on the one or more virtual tape libraries onto the one or more physical tape libraries according to a second user defined periodic schedule;
detecting a request to export one of one or more physical tapes from one of the one or more physical tape libraries; and
in response to said detecting, replicating data from a virtual tape corresponding to the physical tape requested to be exported to the physical tape requested to be exported before the physical tape is exported, so as to synchronize the physical tape with the virtual tape.

### Claim 5

A method of handling data storage on a hard disk storage system implemented to emulate one or more attached tape libraries, said method comprising:
requesting export of at least one physical tape from a physical tape library;
in response to said requesting, replicating data from the virtual tape corresponding to the physical tape to be exported to the physical tape requested to be exported before the physical tape is exported, so as to synchronize the physical tape with the virtual tape; and
write-protecting the data on the hard disk storage system that is associated with the virtual tape corresponding to the physical tape to be exported.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, additionally comprising exporting the physical tape.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, additionally comprising reading said write protected data from said virtual tape after said physical tape is exported.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, additionally comprising setting a time limit for expiration of said write-protection.

### Claim 9

A method of emulating a tape library data storage system using one or more hard disk drives, the method comprising:
coupling an appliance containing the one or more hard disk drives to one or more physical tape libraries in a data storage system;
allocating, on the appliance, data storage space on the one or more hard disk drives to virtual devices of one or more virtual tape libraries, wherein the one or more virtual tape libraries comprise virtual devices identical to physical devices of one or more physical tape libraries in the tape storage system; and
allocating, on the appliance, data storage space on the one or more hard disk drives to at least one additional virtual tape library that has no corresponding physical tape library in the data storage system.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, additionally comprising moving virtual tapes from a virtual library that corresponds to a physical library to said additional virtual tape library.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein said moving is performed in response to a command to export a physical tape from a physical tape library.

### Claim 12

A storage system comprising:
at least one disk based storage appliance; and
at least one physical tape library, wherein the disk based storage appliance is configured to respond to commands generated by backup software as at least one emulated tape library, and
wherein said disk based storage appliance stores data files in an emulated tape library accessible to said backup software that are also stored on tapes that have been previously removed from said physical tape library,
wherein tape archive and disk based read access to a set of data files are simultaneously provided.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The storage system of claim 11, wherein said data files are write protected in said disk based appliance.