System For Managing Object Storage And Retrieval In Partitioned Storage Media

Abstract

The invention is directed to a system for managing storage of an object in a storage system having a plurality of different storage media divided into different partitions, which includes a storage processor for determining whether a particular storage partition has reached a predetermined capacity threshold; a data migration processor for identifying within the particular storage partition an object to be moved and for identifying a target destination partition for the particular object in response to the capacity determination, the migration processor identifying the target destination partition based on one or more selected from the group consisting of (a) media type of the particular storage partition, and (b) information identifying related objects in the target destination partition; and a transfer processor for transferring data representing the particular object to the target destination partition.

1 . In a storage system comprising a plurality of different storage media, a system for managing storage of an object comprising: 
 an availability detector for determining whether a particular object at a particular storage location is unavailable for access by a requesting user due to an error condition;    an access processor for identifying a plurality of alternate available copies of said particular object together with information identifying (a) media type of storage medium containing individual alternate copies of said particular object, and (b) whether an alternate copy is available without operator intervention, said access processor determining from said information a preferred alternate copy for access by said user with expected lowest access delay time of said plurality of alternate copies; and    a transfer processor for providing said user with access to said preferred alternate copy.    
   
   
       2 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said information identifies one or more selected from the group consisting of (i) whether said alternate copy is created by a user or automatically during operation of said system, and (ii) whether said alternate copy is retained on a permanent or removable storage medium.    
   
   
       3 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising 
 a copy processor for generating alternate copies of said particular object in response to two or more selected from the group consisting of (a) initial creation and storage of said particular object, (b) movement of said particular object during a storage management operation, and (c) copying of said particular object to a different storage medium than a current storage medium.    
   
   
       4 . A system according to  claim 1 , including 
 a migration processor for storing said preferred alternate copy in a location in response to a target destination attribute of said preferred alternate copy and    said transfer processor provides said user with access to said preferred alternate copy at said location.    
   
   
       5 . A storage system for managing document processing following a document processing error comprising: 
 an operation log in non-volatile memory for maintaining a progress record of an initiated and incomplete document processing operation, said progress record indicating how far said incomplete document processing operation progressed prior to interruption by an error condition;    an alternate copy processor for identifying an alternate accessible copy of said document in a storage location, said alternate accessible copy of said document being stored in said location in response to a migration process and having an expected substantially lowest access delay time of a plurality of alternate copies;    a repair processor for using said operation log to identify and undo said incomplete document processing operation to return a document in a current state to a previous version prior to initiation of said incomplete document processing operation; and    a log processor for clearing said progress record in response to successful completion of said incomplete document processing operation.    
   
   
       6 . A system according to  claim 5 , wherein 
 said repair processor uses said operation log to undo said incomplete document processing operation by undoing individual component operations of said incomplete processing operation in reverse order to the order they were initially applied to said document and    said component operations comprise one or more of, (a) store, (b) replace, (c) insert, and (d) migrate, operations.    
   
   
       7 . A system according to  claim 5 , including 
 a migration processor for storing said alternate accessible copy of said document in said location in response to a target destination attribute of said document.    
   
   
       8 . A system according to  claim 5 , wherein 
 said log processor records a number of iterative repair attempts made by said repair processor to return said document to said previous version and terminates said repair attempts in response to a predetermination iteration threshold number.    
   
   
       9 . A system for managing object storage and retrieval in storage media having a plurality of partitions hierarchically arranged into different storage levels and an individual partition includes a plurality of different data objects individually having attributes for indicating a target destination partition and for enabling determination of objects having similar data retention characteristics, comprising: 
 a storage server component for grouping related data objects on said partitioned storage media and for migrating said data objects among a plurality of partitions by identifying within a particular storage partition individual different data objects to be moved to corresponding different target destination partitions identified based on corresponding attributes of said different data objects; and    a background service component for automatically accessing at least one of a plurality of copies of an individual data object stored on said storage media and repairing at least one computer file containing said individual data object.    
   
   
       10 . In a storage system comprising a plurality of different storage media, a method for managing storage of an object comprising the activities of: 
 determining whether a particular object at a particular storage location is unavailable for access by a requesting user due to an error condition;    identifying a plurality of alternate available copies of said particular object together with information identifying (a) media type of storage medium containing individual alternate copies of said particular object, and (b) whether an alternate copy is available without operator intervention, said access processor determining from said information a preferred alternate copy for access by said user with expected lowest access delay time of said plurality of alternate copies; and    providing said user with access to said preferred alternate copy.    
   
   
       11 . In a storage system for managing document processing following a document processing error, a method comprising the activities of: 
 maintaining an operation log in non-volatile memory for maintaining a progress record of an initiated and incomplete document processing operation, said progress record indicating how far said incomplete document processing operation progressed prior to interruption by an error condition;    identifying an alternate accessible copy of said document in a storage location, said alternate accessible copy of said document being stored in said location in response to a migration process and having an expected substantially lowest access delay time of a plurality of alternate copies;    using said operation log to identify and undo said incomplete document processing operation to return a document in a current state to a previous version prior to initiation of said incomplete document processing operation; and    clearing said progress record in response to successful completion of said incomplete document processing operation.