Patent ID: 7711876
Filing Date: 2010-05-04
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for dynamically moving orders within a category of logical volumes stored in a data storage library, comprising: a) retrieving an identification of a first category of a plurality of categories of logical volumes stored in the data storage library, the first category including a first plurality of orders in sequential locations, each order indicative of a location in the first category to which a logical volume is assignable; b) determining if the first category includes at least one vacant order to which a logical volume is not assigned and if a number of vacant orders in the first category is greater than a predetermined vacancy level; c) if the number of vacant orders in the first category is greater than the predetermined vacancy level, retrieving an identification number of a first vacant order in the first category; d) retrieving an identification number of a first non-vacant order to which a first logical volume is assigned of the first category following the first vacant order; e) moving the identified first non-vacant order to the first vacant order whereby the first vacant order is indicative of the location in the first category to which the first logical volume is assigned; f) if a predetermined amount of time has elapsed, storing the identification of the first category and the identification number of the first vacant order of the first category, whereby moving the orders in the first category is resumed at a later time; g) if the predetermined amount of time has not elapsed, repeating steps b)-f); and h) if at step c) the first category does not include at least one vacant order or the number of vacant orders in the first category is not greater than a predetermined vacancy level, retrieving an identification of a second category of the plurality of categories in the data storage library, the second category including a second plurality of orders in sequential locations, and repeating steps b)-g) for the orders in the second category.