Management of multiple virtual data copies

1. A method of managing more than two multi-volume copies in a storage management system recognizing a first multi-volume copy and a second multi-volume copy, each multi-volume copy holding at least one virtual volume, the first multi-volume copy and the second multi-volume copy listed in a control data set maintained by the storage management system, the control data set associating the first multi-volume storage device and the second multi-volume storage device with virtual volumes held thereon, the method comprising:

directing at least one virtual volume from the first multi-volume copy to a receiving management class within the storage management system;

exporting the at least one virtual volume to a third multi-volume copy based on the receiving management class, the third multi-volume copy unknown to the storage management system;

creating a manifest file listing the at least one exported virtual volume, the manifest file separated from the control data set;

determining that at least one of the exported at least one virtual volumes held on the first multi-volume copy is erroneous;

unlinking the at least one determined erroneous virtual volume from the storage management system; and

importing into the storage management system the at least one determined erroneous virtual volume from the third multi-volume copy.

2. A method of managing more than two multi-volume copies in a storage management system as in claim 1 further comprising:

defining a second management class; and

assigning the at least one virtual volume to the second management class.

3. A method of managing more than two multi-volume copies in a storage management system as in claim 2 further comprising repeating the steps of directing and exporting to the receiving management class.

4. A method of managing more than two multi-volume copies in a storage management system as in claim 1 further comprising removing the second multi-volume copy to a location remote from the storage management system.

5. A method of managing more than two multi-volume copies in a storage management system as in claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the third multi-volume copy falls beneath a usage threshold;

identifying the at least one virtual volume held on the third multi-volume copy based on the manifest file;

exporting at least one virtual volume, including the at least one identified virtual volume, from the storage management system to a fourth multi-volume copy; and

producing a new manifest file listing the at least one virtual volume exported to the fourth multi-volume copy.

6. A method of managing more than two multi-volume copies in a storage management system as in claim 5 wherein the usage threshold is based on an amount of valid data remaining on the third multi-volume copy.

7. A system comprising:

a plurality of multi-volume storage devices, each multi-volume storage device operative to hold a plurality of data sets;

a storage management system for writing at least one data set onto each multi-volume storage device, the storage management system operative to

(a) write at least one data set onto a first multi-volume storage device,

(b) write the at least one data set onto a second multi-volume storage device,

(c) list the first multi-volume storage device and the second multi-volume storage device in a control data set, the control data set associating the at least one data set with the first multi-volume storage device and the second multi-volume storage device,

(d) direct the at least one data set to a receiving management class,

(e) export to a third multi-volume storage device the at least one data set directed to the receiving management class, and

(f) create a manifest file associating the third multi-volume storage device with the exported at least one data set, the manifest file separated from the control data set;

(g) determine that at least one of the at least one exported data sets written onto the first multi-volume storage device contains an unrecoverable error;

(h) disassociate the at least one determined first multi-volume storage device data set from the storage management system; and

(i) import into the storage management system the at least one determined data set from the third multi-volume storage device.

8. A system as in claim 7 wherein the storage management system is further operative to direct the at least one data set to a second management class once the at least one data set has been exported.

9. A system as in claim 8 wherein the storage management system is further operative to direct at least one new data set to the receiving management class for exporting to the third multi-volume storage device.

10. A system as in claim 7 wherein the storage management system is further operative to:

determine that the third multi-volume storage device falls beneath a usage threshold;

identify each valid data set exported to the third multi-volume storage device based on the manifest file;

export at least one data set, including the at least one identified valid data set, from the storage management system to a fourth multi-volume storage device; and

produce a new manifest file listing each data set exported to the fourth multi-volume copy.

11. A system as in claim 10 wherein the usage threshold is based on an amount of valid data remaining on the third multi-volume storage device.