Mainframe Cloud Tape Interface for Parallel Legacy Data I/O

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mainframe computers face inefficiencies and limitations with traditional tape storage, including complex management, high costs, serial access architecture, block size limitations, and poor performance, which are not adequately addressed by existing solutions like Virtual Tape Libraries and Transparent Cloud Tiering.

Innovation Solution

A system intercepts I/O calls at the BSAM level to enable direct data transfer to cloud storage, using a cloud agent module for asynchronous and parallel data operations, including encryption, compression, and manipulation, while simulating tape operations to maintain compatibility with legacy applications.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If data is stored on traditional tape storage devices, then storage capacity and cost-effectiveness are improved, but access speed and operational efficiency deteriorate due to serial access architecture

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage capacityVSAvoidaccess speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a cloud storage intermediary layer that mediates between mainframe applications and physical storage resources. This cloud storage layer provides parallel access capabilities while maintaining compatibility with traditional tape storage interfaces, thereby improving access speed without sacrificing storage capacity or cost-effectiveness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical serial access system of physical tape drives with a software-based cloud storage system that enables parallel data access. This substitution eliminates the physical constraints of tape rewinding and sequential reading/writing while preserving the logical tape storage interface

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Adaptability or versatility

If legacy mainframe applications continue to use traditional tape storage interfaces, then application compatibility is maintained, but system complexity and management overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplication compatibilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a virtual copy of the traditional tape storage interface in the cloud environment. This virtual tape interface replicates the behavior and protocols of physical tape drives, allowing legacy applications to operate unchanged while the underlying physical infrastructure is replaced with simpler cloud-based storage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Adaptability or versatility

If block size is limited to 64K for legacy programs, then compatibility with traditional tape devices is maintained, but writing efficiency and performance deteriorate due to excessive write requests

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecompatibilityVSAvoidwriting efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple small 64K block write requests into larger aggregated write operations to the cloud storage system. This consolidation reduces the total number of write requests and improves writing efficiency while maintaining compatibility with legacy programs through the virtual tape interface

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Ease of operation

If multiple tape cartridges with the same volume name are mounted in parallel, then data access flexibility is improved, but the operating system forbids this operation causing operational limitations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata access flexibilityVSAvoidoperational flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from the single-dimension constraint of physical tape cartridge mounting to a multi-dimensional cloud storage architecture. In this new dimension, multiple virtual tape volumes with the same name can coexist and be accessed in parallel without physical conflicts, thereby enabling operational flexibility that was impossible with physical tape drives

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS12585406B2Writing and reading data sets to and from cloud storage for legacy mainframe applications

Publication Date: 2026.03.24 BMC SOFTWARE INC

AI summary

Methods, and computer program product, the computer program product comprising program instructions implementing: a cloud agent module executed by the mainframe computer for communicating with the cloud storage; one or more first routines implementing low level I/O control events of the mainframe computer, including at least mount and unmount routines, said first routines substituting one or more OS routines executed by the mainframe computer; a SAM EOB routine for calling the cloud agent module to transmit or retrieve data from the cloud storage, the SAM EOB routine substituting an OS routine; and one or more exit routines, called for Open, Close and End of Volume related events, said exit routines sending notifications to the cloud agent module.