Migrating virtual tapes between different virtual tape storages without host involvement
Migrating virtual tapes between different virtual tape storages without host involvement is described herein. A system as described herein can include a local tape library comprising respective storage devices; a memory that stores executable components; and a processor that executes the executable components stored in the memory. The executable components can comprise a connection component that establishes a first connection to a host system and a second connection to an external tape library; a request processing component that receives an access request for a requested storage device from the host system via the first connection; and a proxy component that accesses the requested storage device at the outside tape library via the second connection and enables access to the requested storage device by the host system via the first connection in response to the requested storage device being determined to be absent from the local tape library.
1. A tape management system, comprising:
a local tape library comprising respective storage devices;
a memory that stores executable components; and
a processor that executes the executable components stored in the memory, wherein the executable components comprise:
a connection component that establishes a first connection to a first host system via a first direct physical coupling between the tape management system and the first host system and further establishes a second connection to an outside tape library via a second direct physical coupling between the tape management system and an external tape management system, distinct from the tape management system, for the outside tape library and a third direct physical coupling between the external tape management system and the outside tape library, wherein the first host system and the external tape management system are not directly physically coupled;
a request processing component that receives an access request for a requested storage device from the first host system via the first connection, the access request comprising a first identifier that indicates the first host system as a requesting system; and
a proxy component that modifies the first identifier of the access request to indicate the tape management system as the requesting system, instead of the first host system, and represents, in the access request, the tape management system as a second host system, instead of as the tape management system, resulting in a modified access request, and accesses the requested storage device at the outside tape library by transmitting the modified access request to the outside tape library via the second connection, resulting in the proxy component enabling access to the requested storage device by the first host system via the first connection in response to the requested storage device being determined to be absent from the local tape library.
2. The tape management system of claim 1 , wherein the respective storage devices of the local tape library are respective first storage devices, and wherein the executable components further comprise:
a migration component that migrates data stored on respective second storage devices of the outside tape library to the respective first storage devices of the local tape library.
3. The tape management system of claim 2 , wherein the migration component migrates data stored on the requested storage device to a first storage device of the local tape library in response to the proxy component accessing the requested storage device at the outside tape library.
4. The tape management system of claim 2 , wherein the executable components further comprise:
a load monitor component that monitors a loading level of the first host system, wherein the migration component migrates the data stored on the respective second storage devices of the outside tape library to the respective first storage devices of the local tape library in response to the loading level of the first host system being determined to be below a threshold.
5. The tape management system of claim 4 , wherein the access request is a first access request, and wherein the migration component initiates migration of the data stored on the respective second storage devices of the outside tape library by transmitting a second access request for the respective second storage devices to the outside tape library via the second connection.
6. The tape management system of claim 1 , wherein the first connection and the second connection utilize a same communication protocol.
7. The tape management system of claim 1 , wherein the second direct physical coupling between the tape management system and the external tape management system comprises a wired connection between the tape management system and the external tape management system.
8. The tape management system of claim 7 , wherein the wired connection between the tape management system and the external tape management system operates according to a Fibre Channel protocol.
9. The tape management system of claim 1 , wherein the access request further comprises a second identifier that corresponds to the requested storage device.
10. A method, comprising:
facilitating, by a device operatively coupled to a processor and a first tape library, establishing a first connection from a first host system to the first tape library via a first direct physical coupling between the first host system and the device and a second direct physical coupling between the device and the first tape library;
facilitating, by the device, establishing a second connection from the first tape library to a second tape library via a third direct physical coupling between the device and an external tape management system for the second tape library and a fourth direct physical coupling between the external tape management system and the second tape library, wherein the external tape management system is distinct from the device, and wherein the first host system and the external tape management system are not directly physically coupled;
receiving, by the device, an access request for a target storage device from the first host system via the first connection, wherein the access request comprises a first identifier that indicates the host system as a requesting system;
modifying, by the device, the access request by modifying the first identifier of the access request to indicate the device as the requesting system, instead of the first host system, and to represent the device as a second host system, instead of as the device, wherein the modifying results in a modified access request; and
in response to the target storage device being determined to be absent from the first tape library, accessing, by the device, the target storage device at the second tape library by transmitting the modified access request to the second tape library via the second connection and providing, by the device, access to the target storage device by the first host system via the first connection.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first tape library comprises respective first storage devices, and wherein the method further comprises:
migrating, by the device, data stored on respective second storage devices of the second tape library to the respective first storage devices of the first tape library.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the migrating comprises migrating data stored on the target storage device from the second tape library to a first storage device of the first tape library in response to the accessing the target storage device at the second tape library.
13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
tracking, by the device, a loading level of the first host system, wherein the migrating comprises migrating the data stored on the respective second storage devices of the second tape library to the respective first storage devices of the first tape library in response to the loading level of the first host system being determined to be below a threshold.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the access request is a first access request, and wherein the method further comprises:
initiating, by the device, the migrating by transmitting a second access request for the respective second storage devices to the second tape library via the second connection.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the access request further comprises a second identifier for the target storage device.
16. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a data storage system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
establishing a first connection from a first mainframe system to a local tape library via a first direct physical coupling between the first mainframe system and a first tape management system for the local tape library and a second direct physical coupling between the first tape management system and the local tape library;
establishing a second connection from the local tape library to an external tape library via a third direct physical coupling between the local tape library and a second tape management system, distinct from the first tape management system, for the external tape library and a fourth direct physical coupling between the second tape management system and the external tape library, wherein the first mainframe system and the second tape management system are not directly physically coupled;
receiving a request for access to a requested storage device from the first mainframe system via the first connection, wherein the request comprises a first identifier that indicates the mainframe system as a request originator;
modifying the request by modifying the first identifier of the request to indicate the local tape library as the request originator, instead of the mainframe system, and to represent the local tape library as a second mainframe system, instead of as the local tape library, resulting in a modified request; and
in response to the requested storage device being determined to be absent from the local tape library, accessing the requested storage device at the external tape library by transmitting the modified request to the external tape library via the second connection and facilitating access to the requested storage device by the mainframe system via the first connection.
17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the local tape library comprises respective first storage devices, and wherein the operations further comprise:
migrating data stored on respective second storage devices of the external tape library to the respective first storage devices of the local tape library.
18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:
migrating data stored on the requested storage device from the external tape library to a first storage device of the local tape library in response to the accessing the requested storage device at the external tape library.
19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:
monitoring a load level of the first mainframe system; and
migrating the data stored on the respective second storage devices of the external tape library to the respective first storage devices of the local tape library in response to the load level of the first mainframe system being determined to be below a threshold.
20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the request is a first request, and wherein the operations further comprise:
initiating the migrating by transmitting a second request for access to the respective second storage devices to the external tape library via the second connection.