Methods for managing ownership of redundant data and systems thereof

Abstract

A storage system according to one embodiment includes a first storage tier; a second storage tier; logic for storing instances of a file in the first storage tier and the second storage tier; logic for associating each instance of the file on the first and second storage tier with a unique program identifier (UPI); logic for receiving a request to access the file or instance thereof from a user in a group of users; logic for searching for a UPI associated with an instance of the file that exists on the first storage tier; and logic for providing the user requesting access to the file with remote access to the instance of the file on the first storage tier. Additional systems, methods, and computer program products are also presented.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]Reference is made to the following U.S. patent applications, which are coassigned and filed on even date herewith: U.S. patent application entitled “METHODS FOR MANAGING OWNERSHIP OF REDUNDANT DATA AND SYSTEMS THEREOF” having Attorney Docket Number TUC920100096USI / TUCIP054; U.S. patent application entitled “METHODS FOR MANAGING OWNERSHIP OF REDUNDANT DATA AND SYSTEMS THEREOF” having Attorney Docket Number TUC920100095USI / TUC1P053; U.S. patent application entitled “METHODS FOR MANAGING OWNERSHIP OF REDUNDANT DATA AND SYSTEMS THEREOF” having Attorney Docket Number TUC920100100US1 / TUC1P056; and U.S. patent application entitled “METHODS FOR MANAGING OWNERSHIP OF REDUNDANT DATA AND SYSTEMS THEREOF” having Attorney Docket Number TUC920100101US1 / TUC1P057.BACKGROUND[0002]The present invention relates to data storage systems, and more particularly, this invention relates to hierarchical or “tiered” storage-based systems capable of being used in hi...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

One issue plaguing the implementation of RS-DVR services is the need to provide fast access to huge amounts of data to multiple users at once.

Implementation of higher speed storage systems, such as hard disk drives, in an RS-DVR work well, but the high cost of an all-disk system makes such systems unaffordable.

One approach previously deemed too slow for high performance, high demand systems such as RS-DVRs is storage hierarchical storage management (HSM) systems.

However, traditional HSM systems suffer from several drawbacks which limit their adoption, particularly in high performance systems such as RS-DVRs.

One problem with using standard HSM for a RS-DVR application is that data may need to be moved from the lower, slower tier (e.g. tape) to the higher, faster tier (e.g. disk) very quickly.

Standard HSM operation results in too much latency for these high performance environments.

In some instances, a worst case read access time of up to about 2 minutes can be encountered, which is unacceptable in high performance environments such as video playback.

Since users typically expect that when a program is chosen and “play” is selected, that the program will begin to play expediently, any significant delay to accessing the program is unacceptable to the service provider.

The result is that standard HSM systems have heretofore been thought too slow for use in RS-DVR applications.

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