US6055604A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Forced transaction log posting using a least busy storage media without maintaining redundancy of the transaction log
Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
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Filing: 1997-08-26
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Granted: 2000-04-25
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Expires: 2017-08-26
Abstract
Abstract A transaction log stored in a first memory is posted to one of two separate log areas, selectively, on a storage system having a plurality of storage media such as disk drives. Posting occurs to a "disk log" area when a page-full status of the first memory transaction log is detected. Alternatively, when a posting request occurs before a page-full status of the transaction log has been detected, then posting occurs immediately to a least busy disk of a "staging log" area. Posting occurs to the least busy disk of the "staging log" area by circumventing normal storage system data management and redundancy techniques such that data in the staging log area is not kept redundantly on the storage media. Rather redundancy is maintained by the fact that the transaction log remains with the first memory in addition to being copied to the staging log area. The staging log area includes reserved space on each of the plurality of storage media and is divided into logically separate portions on each of the storage media. This prohibits two consecutive "force" postings from overwriting the same portion of the reserved area, regardless of which disk is the least busy. Finally, sequence numbers and disk set numbers are associated with data records that are posted to the disk log areas for enabling recovery of the transaction log data from the disk log areas.
Inventors
- 👤 Douglas L. Voigt
- 👤 Don L. Burkes
- 👤 Kirk A. Hanson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 13:50
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B20/00; G11B20/10; G11B20/12; G11B19/00; G11B19/02; G11B19/12; G11B27/00; G11B27/002; G11B27/10; G11B27/11; G11B2220/00; G11B2220/20; G11B2220/40; G11B2220/41; G11B2220/415
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
103 words
A method of writing to a storage system having multiple storage media, the method comprising: (a) in response to a first detected criteria that is indicative of a request to write to the storage system, writing data to the storage system without regard to any least busy storage media; and, (b) in response to a second detected criteria that is indicative of a request to write to the storage system: (i) selecting a least busy storage media from the multiple storage media; (ii) writing data to the selected least busy storage media; and, (iii) recording indicia for identifying the data most recently written.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
103 words
A method of writing to a storage system having multiple storage media, the method comprising: (a) in response to a first detected criteria that is indicative of a request to write to the storage system, writing data to the storage system without regard to any least busy storage media; and, (b) in response to a second detected criteria that is indicative of a request to write to the storage system: (i) selecting a least busy storage media from the multiple storage media; (ii) writing data to the selected least busy storage media; and, (iii) recording indicia for identifying the data most recently written.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the multiple storage media are random access storage media.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the least busy storage media is selected based on input/output (I/O) activity.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the second detected criteria includes a request to force a posting of a transaction log to the storage media.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the request to force a posting occurs prior to a designated portion of the transaction log being detected as being full with the data.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 1 wherein in response to the first detected criteria the data is written to the storage system redundantly, and in response to the second detected criteria the data is written to the selected least busy storage media non-redundantly.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the data includes indicia indicative of a sequence ordering of the data being written.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 wherein each of the storage media includes a reserved area used only for writing when the least busy storage media is selected.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
86 words
The method of claim 8 wherein the reserved area includes at least two sub areas, and wherein one of the sub areas is written to upon a first event of selecting a least busy storage media, and the other of the sub areas is written to upon a next consecutive event of selecting a least busy storage media, whereby no immediately previously written sub area is overwritten on a next consecutive write in the event of a same least busy storage media being selected twice consecutively.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
103 words
A method of writing a transaction log to a data storage system having multiple storage media, the method comprising: (a) detecting an event pertinent to the transaction log; (b) in response to a first detected event pertinent to the transaction log, writing to the storage system such that redundancy of the transaction log is maintained on the multiple storage media; and, (c) in response to a second detected event pertinent to the transaction log, writing to a least busy storage media of the multiple storage media, and writing such that redundancy of the transaction log is not maintained on the multiple storage media.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
103 words
A method of writing a transaction log to a data storage system having multiple storage media, the method comprising: (a) detecting an event pertinent to the transaction log; (b) in response to a first detected event pertinent to the transaction log, writing to the storage system such that redundancy of the transaction log is maintained on the multiple storage media; and, (c) in response to a second detected event pertinent to the transaction log, writing to a least busy storage media of the multiple storage media, and writing such that redundancy of the transaction log is not maintained on the multiple storage media.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 10 wherein the transaction log is stored in a first memory prior to writing to the storage system, and wherein the first detected event includes a status indicative of the transaction log filling a given portion of the first memory.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 10 wherein the transaction log is stored in a first memory prior to writing to the storage system, and wherein the second detected event includes an event indicative of something other than the transaction log filling a given portion of the first memory.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 10 wherein the least busy storage media is selected based on input/output (I/O) activity of that storage media.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
88 words
The method of claim 10 wherein each of the storage media includes a reserved area used only for writing when the second event is detected, and wherein the reserved area includes at least two sub areas, and wherein one sub area is written to upon a first event of selecting a least busy storage media, and the other sub area is written to upon a next event of selecting a least busy storage media, whereby no immediately previously written sub area is overwritten on a next consecutive write.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
122 words
A storage system comprising: (a) a first memory for holding data records; (b) multiple storage media connected to the first memory; (c) means for detecting an event pertinent to the first memory; (d) means for writing the data records to the storage system pursuant to a first storage management criteria in response to a first detected event pertinent to the first memory; and, (e) means for writing the data records to the storage system pursuant to a second storage management criteria in response to a second detected event pertinent to the first memory, the second storage management criteria including writing to a least busy storage media of the multiple storage media and recording indicia for identifying the data records most recently written.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
122 words
A storage system comprising: (a) a first memory for holding data records; (b) multiple storage media connected to the first memory; (c) means for detecting an event pertinent to the first memory; (d) means for writing the data records to the storage system pursuant to a first storage management criteria in response to a first detected event pertinent to the first memory; and, (e) means for writing the data records to the storage system pursuant to a second storage management criteria in response to a second detected event pertinent to the first memory, the second storage management criteria including writing to a least busy storage media of the multiple storage media and recording indicia for identifying the data records most recently written.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
The storage system of claim 15 wherein the first detected event includes an event indicative of a portion of the first memory being full with the data records.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
The storage system of claim 15 wherein the first storage management criteria includes maintaining redundancy of the data records on the multiple storage media.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
30 words
The storage system of claim 15 wherein the second detected event includes an event indicative of something other than the transaction log filling a given portion of the first memory.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
The storage system of claim 15 wherein the second storage management criteria includes not maintaining redundancy of the data records on the multiple storage media.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
The storage system of claim 15 wherein the least busy storage media includes at least two sub areas reserved for writing the data records.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
29 words
The storage system of claim 15 wherein the second storage management criteria includes writing into the data records indicia indicative of a sequence ordering of the data being written.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4633387A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-04-25 | 2003-10-25 | 2004-04-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-04-25 | 2007-10-25 | 2008-04-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-04-25 | 2011-10-25 | 2012-04-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |