Abstract: Various embodiments for differentiating between data and stubs pointing to a parent copy of deduplicated data are provided. Undeduplicated data is stored with a first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) seed. A stub pointing to the parent copy of the deduplicated data is stored with a second CRC seed. Subsequent to reading the deduplicated data, the first CRC seed is associated with the undeduplicated data, and the second CRC seed is associated with the stub. A CRC check is performed using one of the first and second CRC seeds. If the CRC check is positive, an I/O operation is allowed to proceed. If the CRC check is negative, an additional CRC check is performed using another one of the first and second CRC seeds.

Abstract: An approach for automatically sharing a tape drive in a heterogeneous computing environment that includes a first computer and second computer is presented. The first computer receives a message that includes a shared tape drive identifier, a source port identifier of the second computer, and a reservation status change for the tape drive. Based on the tape drive identifier, the first computer determines that the tape drive is connected to the first computer. The source port identifier is determined to not identify any host bus adapter installed in the first computer. In response to the first computer determining that the reservation status change indicates a reservation or a release of the tape drive for the second computer, the first computer sets the tape drive offline or online, respectively, in an application executing in the first computer.

Abstract: Method, data processing systems, and computer program products are provided for virtualizing and managing a storage virtualization system (SVS) in a storage management architecture. Source data is copied from the source storage media to target data in a target storage media based on a predefined copy policy in a copy mapping table. A relation between the source data and the target data is tracked in a copy mapping table. It is determined if a copy of the requested data exists using the copy mapping table. A least utilized storage system having a copy of the requested storage media is determined. Access to the requested storage media in the least utilized storage system is tested. If access is not possible, access to a copy of the requested storage media in another storage system is provided by updating a frontend-backend mapping table and forwarding all data access commands to the other system.

Abstract: An artifact repository can be queried for a set of different pre-existing presentation artifacts based on requirements and constraints of a presentation event to produce a query result. The query result can comprise a set of presentation artifacts suitable for satisfying at least a portion of the requirements and constraints. The querying can match the artifact specific metadata against the requirements and constraints to produce the query result. An agenda comprising a set of different agenda items can be automatically constructed utilizing the query result. Each of the different agenda items can occupy a time slot of the presentation event. Creation of agenda items can be a non-manual effort automatically determined by a computing device in a data driven manner given the requirements, the constraints, and the pre-existing presentation artifacts of the artifact repository. Resources for the different agenda items can be automatically booked.

Abstract: A method to deduplicate data by receiving a data set, setting a data chunk size, selecting a first stage deduplication algorithm, and selecting a second stage deduplication algorithm, where the first stage deduplication algorithm differs from the second stage deduplication algorithm. The method selects a data chunk, where that data chunk comprises all or a portion of the data set, performs a first stage deduplication analysis of the data chunk using the first stage deduplication algorithm. If the first stage deduplication analysis indicates duplicate data, then the method performs a second state deduplication analysis of said data chunk using the second stage deduplication algorithm to verify the data as duplicate. Only if both data deduplication analysis indicate duplicate data the data chunk is replaced by a deduplication stub or reference to the identical data chunk which is already stored.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a cartridge that includes slots for storing biosample capillary tubes. The cartridge has the same form factor as data tape cartridges to allow the cartridge to be handled by the same robotic mechanisms that handle data cartridges in an automated tape library. One aspect of the disclosure concerns a cartridge comprising an enclosure that includes a movable door to provide access to a tube holder in the enclosure. The tube holder includes cylindrical holes or slots for receiving capillary tubes which contain biosamples scanned and analyzed an automated tape library.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a biosample cartridge that includes storage slots for holding biosample plates. The cartridge has the same form factor as data tape cartridges to allow the cartridge to be handled by the same robotic mechanisms that handle data cartridges in an automated tape library. One aspect of the disclosure concerns a biosample storage cartridge that has a movable door to provide access to inside the cartridge and a plate holder disposed inside the cartridge. The plate holder includes a plurality of slots for receiving biosample plates that are scanned and processed by the automated tape library.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a biosample plate that includes a memory component for storing information related to the biosample, biosample plate and biosample analysis data, and a wireless communication interface for transferring information to and from the biosample plate. The biosample plate may be used with an analyzing and data recording system such as an electromagnetic tape drive. The disclosed biosample plate facilitates the correlation between a large number of biosample plates and data as data remains with the corresponding biosamples both when the biosample plates are in use and when they are in storage. The wireless communication interface may comprise an antenna disposed in a biosample plate for data transmission to and from the biosample plate by radio signals.

Abstract: A method for cloud computing comprising collecting cloud computing node status information from a cloud computing node connected to the cloud computing network; collecting cloud computing service status information indicative of an attribute of a cloud computing service executed in the node; collecting environmental data sets from computing systems connected to a network connected to the cloud, each environmental data set corresponding to attribute values of the computing systems; building a group of computing systems; storing the node and cloud service status information, the environmental data sets, and the identical attribute value of each computing system in a database; and responsive to a request for characteristic data from one of the computing systems, selecting the respective characteristic data out of the status information and the environmental data sets in the database and sending the characteristic data over the cloud computing network and the network to the requesting computing system.

Abstract: A cloud computing information system includes a first collection unit that collects node status information from a cloud computing node, a second collection unit that collects cloud service status information indicative of an attribute of a cloud computing service being executed in the cloud computing node, a third collection unit that collects environmental data sets from a plurality of computing systems where each data set corresponds to attribute values of one of the computing systems, a group building unit that builds a group of computing systems, where the group includes computing systems of the plurality of computing systems with an identical attribute value, a storage unit that stores the node and cloud service status information, environmental data sets, and the identical attribute value, and a selection unit that selects characteristic data from the node and cloud service status information and environmental data sets and sends it to a computing system.

Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for the storing convolution-encoded data on a redundant array of independent storage devices (RAID) is described. The convolution-encoded data comprises error correction coded data to eliminate the need for parity as used in conventional RAID data storage. The number of storage devices may vary to accommodate expansion of storage capacity and provide on demand storage.

Abstract: A method to store data is disclosed. The method provides a plurality of data storage media, an automated data library comprising one or more data storage devices, a first plurality of storage cells, and a robotic accessor. The method further provides a storage vault comprising a second plurality of storage cells but no data storage devices. The method selects the (i)th data storage medium and sets the (i)th data state, where that (i)th data state is selected from the group consisting of online, offline, and vault. If the method sets the (i)th data state is set to online, then the method mounts that (i)th data storage medium in one of the data storage devices. If the method sets the (i)th data state to offline, then the method removeably places the (i)th data storage medium in one of the first plurality of storage cells. If the method sets the (i)th data state is set to vault, then the method places the (i)th data storage medium in one of the second plurality of storage cells.

Abstract: An approach for automatically sharing a tape drive in a heterogeneous computing environment that includes a first computer and second computer is presented. The first computer receives a message that includes a shared tape drive identifier, a source port identifier of the second computer, and a reservation status change for the tape drive. Based on the tape drive identifier, the first computer determines that the tape drive is connected to the first computer. The source port identifier is determined to not identify any host bus adapter installed in the first computer. In response to the first computer determining that the reservation status change indicates a reservation or a release of the tape drive for the second computer, the first computer sets the tape drive offline or online, respectively, in an application executing in the first computer.

Abstract: A storage management application determines that a source virtual tape requires reclamation, identifies all block addresses for active data of a source virtual tape and sorts the block addresses in an ascending order, identifies a target virtual tape which has sufficient free capacity to store the active data of said source virtual tape and the last written block address on said target virtual tape, and sends a command to the VTL-system instructing it to perform reclamation including information about said source and said target virtual tape, the sorted list of block addresses denoting active data on the source virtual tape and the starting block address on the target virtual tape. The reclamation logic references the active data host blocks of said source volume to said target virtual tape starting at said starting block address by just updating the host block to disk block mapping table.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed to locate a group of units of digital information in a volume, optical-storage disk. The apparatus includes a first optical recording layer, a second optical recording layer, and an optical disk reading sled. The first optical recording layer stores a first group of units of digital information in a distinct region of the optical disk. The second optical recording layer stores a first locator for the first group of units of digital information in substantially the same distinct region of the optical disk. A first laser in the optical disk reading sled reads the first locator stored in the second optical recording layer, which indicates the contents of the units of digital information stored in the first optical recording layer being read by a second laser, also in the optical disk reading sled.

Abstract: A method and system for automatically sharing a tape drive in a heterogeneous computing environment that includes a first computer and second computer. The first computer receives a message that includes a shared tape drive identifier, a source port identifier of the second computer, and a reservation status change for the tape drive. Based on the tape drive identifier, the first computer determines that the tape drive is connected to the first computer. The source port identifier is determined to not identify any host bus adapter installed in the first computer. In response to the first computer determining that the reservation status change indicates a reservation or a release of the tape drive for the second computer, the first computer sets the tape drive offline or online, respectively, in an application executing in the first computer.

Abstract: Retention management for data stored in data blocks on a tape is provided. A block mapping table has entries each of which include an expiration date for data blocks stored on the tape. The entries of the block mapping table may be sorted in accordance with at least one sorting criterion. Data blocks on the tape are rearranged according to the block mapping table. The block mapping table is then stored, either on the tape or in a memory associated with the tape.

Abstract: A data storage system includes a data storage array configured for de-duplication of duplicate data therein by: identification of a plurality of portions of data; a comparison of each portion of the data to identify duplicate data and identification of a link associated with each duplicate data; a determination of whether a Hamming link-separation-distance of the identified link is greater than twice a Hamming radius of an error correction code in the data storage system; and replacement of the duplicate data with the identified link when it is determined that the Hamming link-separation-distance is greater than twice the Hamming radius.

Abstract: A Redundant Array of Independent Devices uses convolution encoding to provide redundancy of the striped data written to the devices. No parity is utilized in the convolution encoding process. Trellis decoding is used for both reading the data from the RAID and for rebuilding missing encoded data from one or more failed devices, based on a minimal, and preferably zero, Hamming distance for selecting the connected path through the trellis diagram.

Abstract: A method of adjusting a security level of a removable medium, including receiving a unique identification (ID) of a removable medium, a name of a file being processed, and a requested operation, determining the security level of the removable medium, determining a security level of the file being processed, and one of increasing and decreasing the security level of the removable medium based on the determined security level of the file being processed. Further, security levels of removable media are mapped to security zones which are subsequently used to allow or prevent transportation of a removable medium inside or outside of certain boundaries.