Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
224 words
An apparatus for maintaining and rebuilding directory information for compressed data on a direct access storage device (DASD) of a type including addressable sectors for storing data comprising: a storage controller; said storage controller including means for storing a directory of written compressed data; means for writing directory information to the DASD; and means for compressing data to provide at least one compressed data page; means for reading and writing compressed data to the DASD with a compression sector header including; drive write count means for counting each compressed data page write operation and each directory write operation to the DASD and for providing a drive write count; number of sector means for identifying a number of sectors in a compressed data page for said drive write count; write length indicator means for identifying a span for said compressed data page for said drive write count; page offset means for identifying a page offset for said identified number of sectors in said compressed data page; and deallocation means for identifying a status of a first page of an extent; said extent being a block of sequential compressed data pages; said compression sector header being written for each compressed data page write operation to the DASD and including said drive write count, said identified number of sectors, said identified page offset and said identified status.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
224 words
An apparatus for maintaining and rebuilding directory information for compressed data on a direct access storage device (DASD) of a type including addressable sectors for storing data comprising: a storage controller; said storage controller including means for storing a directory of written compressed data; means for writing directory information to the DASD; and means for compressing data to provide at least one compressed data page; means for reading and writing compressed data to the DASD with a compression sector header including; drive write count means for counting each compressed data page write operation and each directory write operation to the DASD and for providing a drive write count; number of sector means for identifying a number of sectors in a compressed data page for said drive write count; write length indicator means for identifying a span for said compressed data page for said drive write count; page offset means for identifying a page offset for said identified number of sectors in said compressed data page; and deallocation means for identifying a status of a first page of an extent; said extent being a block of sequential compressed data pages; said compression sector header being written for each compressed data page write operation to the DASD and including said drive write count, said identified number of sectors, said identified page offset and said identified status.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said drive write count is a unique count value that is incremented with each compressed data page write operation and each directory write operation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said write length indicator means defines a number of unwritten pages that follow said compressed data page.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said DASD includes a plurality of compression groups; each compression group including a predetermined number of pages and said page offset defines one of said predetermined number of said pages.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
An apparatus as recited in claim 1 further includes means for identifying a sector sequence number for each of said identified number of sectors in said compressed data page for said drive write count.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus as recited in claim 1 further includes means for identifying said compression sector header for said directory write operation and said compression sector header for compressed data write operation.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
245 words
A method for maintaining and rebuilding directory information for compressed data on a direct access storage device (DASD) of a type including addressable sectors for storing data using a storage controller, said method comprising the steps of: storing a directory of written compressed data for DASD compressed data in the storage controller; periodically writing directory information to the DASD; compressing data to provide at least one compressed data page; counting each compressed data page write operation and each directory write operation to the DASD and generating a drive write count; identifying a number of sectors in a compressed data page for said drive write count for each compressed data page write operation; identifying a sector sequence number for each of said number of sectors in said compressed data page; identifying a span for said compressed data page for said drive write count for each compressed data page write operation; identifying a page offset for said identified number of sectors in said compressed data page; and identifying a deallocation status of a first page of an extent; said extent being a block of sequential compressed data pages; and for each compressed data page write operation to the DASD, writing a compression sector header including said drive write count, said identified number of sectors, said identified write length indicator, said identified page offset; said identified span and said identified deallocation status; and reading compressed data from the DASD and utilizing said compression sector header for directory recovery.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
245 words
A method for maintaining and rebuilding directory information for compressed data on a direct access storage device (DASD) of a type including addressable sectors for storing data using a storage controller, said method comprising the steps of: storing a directory of written compressed data for DASD compressed data in the storage controller; periodically writing directory information to the DASD; compressing data to provide at least one compressed data page; counting each compressed data page write operation and each directory write operation to the DASD and generating a drive write count; identifying a number of sectors in a compressed data page for said drive write count for each compressed data page write operation; identifying a sector sequence number for each of said number of sectors in said compressed data page; identifying a span for said compressed data page for said drive write count for each compressed data page write operation; identifying a page offset for said identified number of sectors in said compressed data page; and identifying a deallocation status of a first page of an extent; said extent being a block of sequential compressed data pages; and for each compressed data page write operation to the DASD, writing a compression sector header including said drive write count, said identified number of sectors, said identified write length indicator, said identified page offset; said identified span and said identified deallocation status; and reading compressed data from the DASD and utilizing said compression sector header for directory recovery.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
65 words
A method for maintaining and rebuilding directory information as recited in claim 7 wherein said step of reading compressed data from the DASD and utilizing said compression sector header for directory recovery includes the steps of initializing a sector header working table; sequentially reading sectors for a compression data storage group; and utilizing a drive write count to identify a potentially valid compressed data page.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
60 words
A method for maintaining and rebuilding directory information as recited in claim 8 wherein said step of reading compressed data from the DASD and utilizing said compression sector header for directory recovery further includes the step of identifying a sector sequence number (SSN) for a progression starting at one to identify a start of said potentially valid compressed data page.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
55 words
A method for maintaining and rebuilding directory information as recited in claim 7 wherein said step of reading compressed data from the DASD and utilizing said compression sector header for directory recovery further includes the step of checking a deallocate (DEAL) bit to identify whether said potentially valid compressed data page is marked as deallocated.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method for maintaining and rebuilding directory information as recited in claim 8 wherein said step of reading compressed data from the DASD and utilizing said compression sector header for directory recovery further includes the step of identifying a number of sectors for said potentially valid compressed data page.