Abstract: Provided are a method, system and article of manufacture for return processing in storage pools. A plurality of physical volumes are allocated to a first storage pool. A determination is made whether the first storage pool has more than a threshold number of empty physical volumes. If the first storage pool has more than the threshold number of empty physical volumes, then at least one empty physical volume is returned to a second storage pool.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture, wherein a storage manager application implemented in a first computational device maintains a virtual logical volume that represents a plurality of segments of a linear storage medium of a secondary storage, wherein the virtual logical volume and the plurality of segments are created by the storage manager application. A request for data is received at the first computational device, from a second computational device. The storage manager application moves selected segments of the plurality of segments from the linear storage medium of the secondary storage to a cache storage, in anticipation that the requested data is included in the selected segments that are moved from the linear storage medium of the secondary storage to the cache storage.

Abstract: A storage manager application implemented in a first computational device maintains a virtual logical volume having a plurality of segments created by the storage manager application, wherein space is reserved at the end of a physical volume corresponding to the virtual logical volume, and wherein the physical volume comprises a linear storage medium. A request is received to write data, at the first computational device, from a second computational device. The data is written to the reserved space, wherein the writing of the data causes new segments to be created in the reserved space.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture, wherein a storage manager application implemented in a first computational device maintains a virtual logical volume that has a plurality of segments created by the storage manager application. At least one additional copy of at least one of the plurality of segments is maintained in at least one linear storage medium of a secondary storage. A request for data is received, at the first computational device, from a second computational device. At least one of the plurality of segments and the at least one additional copy are used to respond to the received request for data.

Abstract: A method and computer program product are provided for eliminating access to data within a writable storage media cartridge. If it is determined if at least a first portion of data on the writable storage media is encrypted then a second portion of data within the writable storage media cartridge related to said encrypted first portion of data is shredded. The first portion of data and the second portion are not the same portions of the writable storage media cartridge.

Abstract: A system provided for eliminating access to data within a writable storage media cartridge. The system comprises a writable storage media drive, such as a tape drive. The writable storage drive determines if at least a first portion of data on the writable storage media is encrypted. If it is determined that the first portion of data is encrypted then the writable storage drive shreds a second portion of data within the writable storage media cartridge related to said encrypted first portion of data. The first portion of data and the second portion are not the same portions of the writable storage media cartridge.

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.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system and article of manufacture for return processing in storage pools. A plurality of physical volumes are allocated to a first storage pool. A determination is made whether the first storage pool has more than a threshold number of empty physical volumes. If the first storage pool has more than the threshold number of empty physical volumes, then at least one empty physical volume is returned to a second storage pool.

Abstract: A method and computer program product are provided to ensure a timely secure data erase by determining an erasure deadline for each physical volume of a plurality of physical volumes and calculating a remaining time for each physical volume. The remaining time is calculated for each physical volume by comparing a current date to the erasure deadline of each physical volume respectively. The physical volumes may then be sorted based on the remaining time and the physical volume with a shortest calculated remaining time will be selectively secure data erased.

Abstract: A system is provided to ensure a timely secure data erase by determining whether allocating an additional tape drive would improve secure data erase performance by evaluating a quantity of physical volumes to be secure data erased, a maximum queued threshold, an average time to an erasure deadline and a minimum expiration threshold. An additional tape drive is allocated for the secure data erase process when it is determined that allocating an additional tape drive would improve secure data erase performance.

Abstract: A system is provided to ensure a timely secure data erase by determining an erasure deadline for each physical volume of a plurality of physical volumes and calculating a remaining time for each physical volume. The remaining time is calculated for each physical volume by comparing a current date to the erasure deadline of each physical volume respectively. The physical volumes may then be sorted based on the remaining time and the physical volume with a shortest calculated remaining time will be selectively secure data erased.

Abstract: A method and computer program product are provided to ensure a timely secure data erase by determining whether allocating an additional tape drive would improve secure data erase performance by evaluating a quantity of physical volumes to be secure data erased, a maximum queued threshold, an average time to an erasure deadline and a minimum expiration threshold. An additional tape drive is allocated for the secure data erase process when it is determined that allocating an additional tape drive would improve secure data erase performance.

Abstract: Upgrades are made to the available capacity of cache disk storage without adding drawer(s) or blade(s) when the upgrade is requested. A cache control is configured to respond to a requested capacity upgrade, establishing a capacity restriction applicable to a filesystem providing active perceived available capacity spanning the disk drive subunits, such as drawers, blades or disk drives. The active perceived available data storage capacity and unused capacity of the filesystem are spread across the disk drive subunits. The capacity restriction is related to the requested upgrade adjustment, and the capacity restriction controls rates of data transfer with respect to the filesystem. The capacity restriction may comprise a freespace threshold for throttling of a fill rate of resident data pending premigration from the cache disk storage filesystem, and a premigration threshold for increasing drain rate of premigration data from the cache disk storage filesystem.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for archiving log data. In one embodiment, an allocation module allocates a plurality of log logical volumes in a storage pool for storing copies of log instances. The log logical volumes may be hidden from a user. A log module records log data to at least one first log instance in a cache. A copy module transparently copies the at least one first log instance to a first log logical volume of a plurality of log logical volumes in a storage pool when a copy policy is satisfied. The log module further records the log data to at least one second log instance in the cache, overwriting the at least one first log instance. In one embodiment, a selection module selects a second log logical volume of the plurality of log logical volumes to receive the copied at least one second log instance if the first log logical volume satisfies a wrap policy.

Abstract: With detection of a selected error event involving a data storage drive and data storage media, a subsystem attempts to move the media to another drive, and conduct a similar operation. The subsystem separately tracks successive error events of individual drives and individual media, wherein a complete successful operation breaks the chain of the successive error events; and upon the number of successive error events reaching a threshold, fails the data storage drive or the data storage media. Error events are categorized into: 1) error events before or during a mount of a media into a drive, and 2) error events after a successful mount of a media into a drive; and conducts the tracking, comparing and falling steps separately for each of the categories for the drives and the media.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system, method, and program for managing an out of available space condition. A mount command for a logical volume is received that identifies one or more physical volume pools to be subsequently used for pre-migration. It is determined that one or more of the physical volume pools have no physical volumes available for storing data. Data is prevented from being written to cache by deferring completion of the mount command until the determined one or more physical volume pools has one or more physical volumes available for storing data.

Abstract: A virtual storage server and library manager are configured to avoid a lengthy check-in process for selected physical volumes. In one embodiment, the selected physical volumes are volumes that were in a checked-in state previous to a disaster. Other volumes are checked-in normally. The present invention leverages information within the virtual storage server to efficiently recovery from disasters that destroy state information within the library manager. The improved recovery method, apparatus, and system, reduce the downtime associated with disasters within removable media virtual storage systems.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to recover a construct definition associated with a logical volume in a virtual tape server (VTS) system following a disaster situation involving a library manager database. The method and apparatus re-establish the association between a logical volume or data file or block and a construct definition or volume attribute that assigns certain actions that may be taken on the logical volumes. Such actions and constructs may be defined by a client processor or by the VTS system in order to provide quality storage media management. The constructs may be uploaded to or reconstructed within the library manager database in combination with the host or virtual tape server and consequently made available to the system. In particular, the method and apparatus are configured to recover one or more of a storage group construct, a management class construct, a storage class construct, and a data class construct associated with a logical volume within a VTS system.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus are provided for copying a virtual volume to multiple physical volumes within a virtual tape system. The virtual tape system may include a virtual tape server (VTS), a library manager, and a plurality of tape drive units into which cartridges may be individually mounted. The virtual tape system stores virtual volumes, each of which represents a physical volume, although one or more virtual volumes are actually stored on a real physical volume. The library manager contains a volume database with a plurality of constructs and associated storage management actions. The constructs are received from a host computer connected to the VTS, but the storage management actions may be entered directly into the library manager, independently of the host. The library manager reads the management action associated with one or more constructs of a virtual volume and, along with the VTS, determines whether multiple physical copies of the virtual volume are to be made.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for managing data in storage units. Storage pool information indicates an assignment of a plurality of storage units to a plurality of storage pools, wherein each pool is assigned zero or more storage units, wherein data associated with one storage pool is stored in a storage unit assigned to the storage pool, wherein the storage pool information for each pool indicates a threshold and target storage pool, and wherein the target storage pool is capable of being different from the storage pool. One storage unit associated with a source storage pool is selected and a determination is made of the threshold from the storage pool information for the source storage pool.