Figure 2. Data Snapping. SnapShot creates a logical copy by copying the FTD pointers.

Only when either the original or the copied track is updated is its associated FTD pointer changed to point to the new data location. The other FTD pointer remains unchanged. Additional space is needed in this case. As long as there is a pointer to a data block in the physical disk storage, the block cannot become free for the freespace collection process. A reference counter in the TNT prevents the block from becoming free.

Although the creation of the copy is a logical manipulation of pointers, the data exists on disk, so in this sense is not a logical copy. As far as the operating system is concerned, the two copies are completely independent of each other. On the RVA hardware side, the snap is a virtual copy of the data.

1.2.3 What Is IXFP?

The IXFP portion of IXFP/SnapShot for VSE/ESA provides two functions: DDSR and reporting.

1.2.3.1 Deleted Data Space Release

The RVA manages the freespace in the back-end storage by monitoring space that is no longer occupied by active data. This may be space formerly occupied by temporary files, such as DFSORT for VSE work files, or it may be space that previously held data that has been updated and written back to a different array track in the back-end storage of the RVA. The difference is that the RVA does not know that the sort work space is no longer needed without being explicitly told to release it into the free space pool.

The DDSR option of the IXFP operator command provides the ability to release this freespace back to the RVA. Using DDSR, allocated space can be returned to the RVA on a subsystem or volume basis. Individual files can also be deleted and their space returned. DDSR is done using the new IXFP Attention Routine command when space reclamation is needed. Either the operator can invoke the commands, or a job stream can include them.

4 RAMAC Virtual Array, Peer-to Peer Remote VSE/ESA

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IBM SG24-5360-00 manual What Is IXFP?, Deleted Data Space Release