Abstract: A method for offloading volume space reclamation operations to virtual tape systems is disclosed herein. In certain embodiments, such a method includes writing instruction information to a virtual tape system for use in performing a reclamation operation on a source virtual tape volume. The instruction information identifies the source virtual tape volume as well as valid objects in the source virtual tape volume. The virtual tape system then transforms the source virtual tape volume by retaining valid objects in the source virtual tape volume, removing invalid objects in the source virtual tape volume, and updating metadata associated with the source virtual tape volume to reflect changes made thereto. This generates an updated source virtual tape volume of reduced size. A corresponding computer program product and system are also disclosed and claimed herein.

Abstract: A deterministic flushing of one or more storage data objects buffered within a storage data buffer to a storage medium involves a processing of a host data object including writing a storage data object corresponding to the host data object to the storage data buffer, and a flushing of the storage data object(s) buffered within the storage data buffer to the storage medium prior to or subsequent to (i.e., relative to) the writing of the storage data object corresponding to the host data object to the storage data buffer as a function of an occurrence determination of a storage data buffer flushing event. The deterministic flushing further involves a queuing of a host data buffer meta-data update request for later processing.

Abstract: A deterministic flushing of one or more storage data objects buffered within a storage data buffer to a storage medium involves a processing of a host data object including writing a storage data object corresponding to the host data object to the storage data buffer, and a flushing of the storage data object(s) buffered within the storage data buffer to the storage medium prior to or subsequent to (i.e., relative to) the writing of the storage data object corresponding to the host data object to the storage data buffer as a function of an occurrence determination of a storage data buffer flushing event. The deterministic flushing further involves a queuing of a host data buffer meta-data update request for later processing.

Abstract: A procedure for the optimal processing of variable-cost actions such as encountered in the storage reclamation procedures for a multivolume data library. The procedure introduces a temporary processing queue to minimize idle processing capacity during the scanning and sorting of a large plurality of variable-cost actions such as the recycling of a plurality of data storage volumes each having a variable recycle processing cost related to the action of valid data remaining on the volume. Volumes (actions) are selected for the immediate queue according to a dynamically-adjusted threshold test for the processing cost. This processing cost threshold is dynamically adjusted to optimize the immediate queue in relation to the available processing capacity. After scanning and sorting all volumes according to recycle processing cost, the temporary (immediate) queue is updated to a final recycle processing queue by appending a sorted deferred queue to the remainder of the immediate queue.