Storage Track Release With Backup Expiration Check

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Solution Overview

Problem

When releasing data storage tracks in a storage volume, existing methods may result in data loss or corruption if tracks relied upon by backups are freed up without ensuring all associated backups have expired, leading to incomplete data restoration capabilities.

Innovation Solution

A method that identifies and waits for corresponding data backups to expire in the backup storage space before releasing the track range, ensuring all necessary data is available for restoration, and uses a space release bitmap to manage asynchronous track releases.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If tracks are released without checking backup expiration, then storage capacity is increased, but data integrity and restoration capability are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage capacityVSAvoiddata integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by checking backup expiration status before releasing tracks. The space release utility identifies tracks that can be released, then the system checks whether corresponding backups have expired in the backup storage space, and only releases tracks after confirming backup expiration, ensuring data integrity is maintained while freeing storage capacity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the relationship between tracks in the storage volume and their corresponding backups in the backup storage space. The space release utility receives feedback about backup expiration status and adjusts track release operations accordingly, ensuring that tracks are only released when it is safe to do so

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If tracks are held until backup expiration, then data integrity is maintained, but storage capacity is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelogical corruption protectionVSAvoidavailable storage capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies discarding and recovering by temporarily holding track release operations (discarding immediate release) until backup expiration is confirmed, then proceeding with the release (recovering storage capacity). This ensures that tracks are not released prematurely while still allowing capacity recovery as soon as it is safe to do so

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Productivity

If space release utility runs immediately, then storage optimization is achieved, but data loss risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestorage optimization speedVSAvoidrestoration capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary verification of backup expiration status before executing the space release operation. The space release utility identifies tracks for release, but the actual release is delayed until confirmation that corresponding backups have expired, ensuring both storage optimization and restoration capability are maintained

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11644997B2Releasing data storage tracks while maintaining logical corruption protection

Publication Date: 2023.05.09 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

A computer-implemented method according to one aspect includes receiving an indication of a track range to be released within a storage volume; identifying a data backup within a backup storage space for the storage volume that corresponds to the track range; and releasing the track range within the storage volume in response to determining that the corresponding data backup has expired within the backup storage space.