Patent ID: 7809914
Filing Date: 2010-10-05
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for performing a storage operation using at least two physical storage devices, the method comprising: receiving a request to perform a first storage operation to store first data, the first storage operation having at least a first storage characteristic associated therewith; identifying a first virtual library with dynamically allocated physical storage devices that are allocated based on characteristics associated with different storage operations, wherein the first virtual library comprises a first configuration with at least first and second physical storage devices, wherein a single logical network pathway is associated with the first configuration of the first virtual library such that the first and second physical storage devices appear as a single device; performing the first storage operation using the first virtual library; storing the first configuration of the first virtual library; receiving a request to perform a second storage operation to store second data, the second storage operation having at least a second storage characteristic associated therewith that is different than the first storage characteristic, wherein the second storage operation requires more storage than exists in the first configuration of the first virtual library; automatically determining that the second storage operation requires more storage than exists in the first and second physical storage devices associated with the first configuration of the first virtual library; automatically detecting with one or more computer processors, at least a third physical storage device associated with a second virtual library, wherein the third physical storage is adequate to satisfy both the second storage characteristic associated with the second storage operation for the first virtual library and one or more future scheduled storage operations associated with the second virtual library, and wherein detection of the third storage device is based at least in part on the likelihood of congestion in one or more of the future scheduled storage operations; automatically allocating with one or more computer processors the third physical storage device with both the first virtual library and the second virtual library without the need of user intervention, wherein the first virtual library comprises a second configuration with at least the first physical storage device, the second physical storage device and the third physical storage device, and wherein the single logical network pathway is associated with the second configuration of the first virtual library such that the first, second and third physical storage devices of the second configuration appear to be the single device, and wherein the second configuration of the first virtual library and the first configuration of the first virtual library share the single logical network pathway; performing the second storage operation using the second configuration comprising third storage device in association with the first virtual library; performing one or more of the future scheduled storage operations using the third storage device in association with second virtual library while the third storage device remains in association with the first virtual library; storing the second configuration of the first virtual library; receiving a first request for data via the single logical network pathway at the first virtual library wherein the first request is for data associated with the first configuration of the first virtual library; receiving a second request for data via the single logical network pathway at the first virtual library wherein the second request is for data associated with the second configuration of the first virtual library; and automatically determining the location of the data associated with the first and second requests by accessing the stored first and second configurations of the first virtual library.