Method for storing data

Details Method for storing data Method for storing data

1998-07-28

2001-05-15

Ho, Ruay Lian (Department: 2172)

Data processing: database and file management or data structures

Database design

Data structure types

C375S222000, C380S268000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06233579

ABSTRACT:

The invention relates to a method for storing data in the form of a plurality of data sequences on a plurality of data carriers in order to be able to make the data of the data sequences available again following a loss of data.
In the methods known so far for storing data sequences there is always the problem of being able to make the data of the data sequences available again in as simple a manner as possible following a loss of data.
The object underlying the invention is therefore to provide a method for restoring data following a loss of data which is as reliable and simple to carry out as possible.
This object is accomplished in accordance with the invention, in a method of the type described at the outset, in that a defined number from the plurality of data sequences is combined to form a respective data group, that a test data sequence is generated for the data sequences of the data group and stored in addition, this test data sequence allowing the reconstruction of data from one of the data sequences in that the test data sequence and the other data sequences are combined with one another, that the test data sequence is generated by allocating a preliminary test data sequence to one of the data sequences and that the preliminary test data sequence, by taking into account this and an additional data sequence from the data group, is extended to this additional data sequence and that the preliminary test data sequence is extended to additional data sequences of the data group for such a time until this comprises all the data sequences of the data group.
The advantage of the inventive solution is to be seen in the fact that with it an advantageous possibility exists of generating a test data sequence which includes all the data sequences of a data group without it being necessary to keep all the data sequences of the data group ready for access in parallel in order to generate the test data sequence.
A particular advantage of the inventive method is to be seen in the fact that the data sequences of a data group need not have any correlation with respect to content and so optional data sequences can be combined to form data groups and the respective test data sequences compiled for them.
In principle, it would, however, also be possible with the inventive method to always extend the preliminary,test data sequence to several data sequences of the data group in each step during its generation. This does, however, make it necessary to keep all the data sequences, to which the preliminary test data sequence is intended to be extended, ready for access in parallel.
For this reason, the inventive method is particularly advantageous when the respective preliminary test data sequence is extended to only one of the additional data sequences.
With respect to storing the test data sequence, no further details have so far been given. It would be conceivable, for example, to also store the preliminary test data sequence on a data carrier which can be handled individually. A particularly favorable solution provides, however, for the preliminary test data sequence to be stored on an intermediate storage means.
This may be carried out in a particularly favorable manner when the intermediate storage means is established on a data carrier separate from the data carriers for the data group.
In this respect, the intermediate storage means is preferably established on a hard disk memory.
With respect to the type of storage of the data sequences themselves, no further details have so far been given. It could be provided, for example, for a data carrier to have several data sequences.
The inventive method may be carried out, however, in a particularly favorable manner when each data sequence of a data group is arranged on a separate data carrier so that the number of data sequences combined to form the data group is equal to the number of data carriers belonging to this data group. The data of an entire data carrier can thus be reconstructed when this is no longer available.
With respect to the arrangement of the data carriers, no further details have so far been given. These data carriers could, for example, likewise be hard disk memories. However, the inventive method is particularly suitable for the case where each of the data carriers is an interchangeable data carrier, for example, a removable hard disk, a magnetooptical data carrier or is arranged in a data carrier cassette which can be handled in an archive storage means.
With respect to the procedure during the inventive generation of test data sequences, the most varied of solutions are conceivable. It would be conceivable, for example, to generate the corresponding preliminary test data sequence immediately after generation of the individual data sequences and to extend this for such a time until all the data sequences of a data group are included.
This method does, however, have the disadvantage that with it storage of incoming data in the form of data sequences is possible either at a slower speed or with greater computer power.
For this reason, a particularly advantageous embodiment provides for incoming data to be written onto the data carriers first of all in the form of the data sequences and for the data sequences of a data group to then be read from the data carriers in non-active or less active periods of time of the computer or in times of less activity of the data storage unit and the test data sequence to be generated via the preliminary test data sequences. Furthermore, this method has the advantage that the written data is automatically checked with respect to its readability.
Also when the data sequences are being written onto the data carriers it would be conceivable, for example, especially when a rapid storage of data is required, for several data sequences to be written onto several data carriers at the same time.
The inventive method may, however, be realized more advantageously when the data sequences are written onto the data carriers one after the other.
In the same way, it would be possible to proceed during the generation of the preliminary test data sequences such that several data sequences are read from several data carriers at the same time. In this case, particularly in order to keep the complexity of the inventive method as low as possible, it has, however, proven to be especially advantageous when the data sequences on the data carriers are read one after the other.
The procedure explained in conjunction with the preceding embodiment to the effect that the data sequences are first written onto the data carriers and after they are read again the preliminary test data sequences and, finally, the test data sequence are then determined does, however, have the disadvantage that until the test data sequence has been determined no additional data protection is provided and so during any loss of data up to this determination of the test data sequence a restoration of the data is not possible.
For the purpose of improved data protection, it is provided in one advantageous embodiment of the inventive method that when each of the data sequences is written onto one of the data carriers this data sequence is written onto a supplementary data carrier in addition.
As a result of this, an additional data protection is attained which ensures that at any point of time the possibility exists of reconstructing lost data again.
In order to keep the storage capacity during such writing of the data sequences onto a supplementary data carrier as small as possible, it is preferably provided for the supplementary data carrier to be released after inclusion of the data sequence corresponding to this in the preliminary test data sequence.
This is possible, for example, due to the fact that following each individual inclusion of a data sequence the corresponding data sequence on the supplementary data carrier is released. It is, however, also conceivable for the corresponding data sequences on the supplementary data carriers to be released only after generation of the entire test data sequence so that even a loss of data during the

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