Method for storing data files on a multiple volume media set

Claim 1

A method for sequentially writing non-sequentially formatted meta-data for a set of files on a multiple volume media set, wherein said method minimizes a number of media swaps necessary to read and write said metadata from and to said multiple volume media set, comprising the steps of: (a) determining an amount of space on said media set required to store an information control block table containing information control blocks for all data files and directories as well as any overflow sectors and logical links in the set of files; (b) reserving space, on the multiple volume media set, for said information control block table to be recorded in a first portion having a size sufficient to store said information control block table; (c) building a directory having an entry for each of its subdirectories and files, wherein each entry has an information control block address sequentially assigned to each of said subdirectories and said files; (d) writing said directory to a second portion of the multiple volume media set; (e) repeating steps (c)-(d) for every other directory file in said set of files, wherein said repeating step starts at a starting point and follows a preset order; (f) building an information control block for each of said data files and directories in the set of files, directories and subdirectories; and (g) writing each of said information control blocks built at step (f) into said information control block table at said information control block address assigned in step (c), wherein the number of media swaps necessary to read and write said metadata from and to said multiple volume media set is minimized.

Claim 2

A method for sequentially writing non-sequentially formatted meta-data for a set of files on a multiple volume media set, wherein said method minimizes a number of media swaps necessary to read and write said metadata from and to said multiple volume media set, comprising the steps of: (a) determining an amount of space on said media set required to store an information control block table containing information control blocks for all data files and directories as well as any overflow sectors and logical links in the set of files; (b) reserving space, on the multiple volume media set, for said information control block table to be recorded in a first portion having a size sufficient to store said information control block table; (c) building a directory having an entry for each of its subdirectories and files, wherein each entry has an information control block address sequentially assigned to each of said subdirectories and said files; (d) writing said directory to a second portion of the multiple volume media set; (e) repeating steps (c)-(d) for every other directory file in said set of files, wherein said repeating step starts at a starting point and follows a preset order; (f) building an information control block for each of said data files and directories in the set of files, directories and subdirectories; and (g) writing each of said information control blocks built at step (f) into said information control block table at said information control block address assigned in step (c), wherein the number of media swaps necessary to read and write said metadata from and to said multiple volume media set is minimized.

Claim 11

A method for sequentially writing non-sequentially formatted metadata and data for a set of files on a multiple volume media set, wherein said method minimizes a number of media swaps necessary to read and write said metadata and data from and to said multiple volume media set, comprising the steps of: (a) writing out the data sequentially for the set of files on the multiple volume media set; (b) reserving a list of extents describing a location and a plurality of attributes of each of the files whose data was written in step (a) in temporary storage; (c) determining an amount of space on the multiple volume media set required to store an information control block table containing information control blocks for all data files and directories as well as any overflow sectors and logical links in the set of files; (d) reserving space, on the multiple volume media set, for said information control block table to be recorded in a first portion having a size sufficient to store said information control block table; (e) building a directory having an entry for each of its subdirectories and files, wherein each entry has an information control block address sequentially assigned to each of said subdirectories and said files; (f) writing said directory to a second portion of the multiple volume media set; (g) repeating steps (e)-(f) for every other directory file in said set of files, wherein said repeating step starts at a starting point and follows a preset order; (h) building an information control block for each of said data files and directories in the set of files, directories and subdirectories; and (i) writing each of said information control blocks built at step (h) into said information control block table at said information control block address assigned in step (e), wherein the number of media swaps necessary to read and write said metadata and data from and to said multiple volume media set is minimized.

Claim 12

A method for sequentially writing non-sequentially formatted metadata and data for a set of files on a multiple volume media set, wherein said method minimizes a number of media swaps necessary to read and write said metadata and data from and to said multiple volume media set, comprising the steps of: (a) writing out the data sequentially for the set of files on the multiple volume media set; (b) reserving a list of extents describing a location and a plurality of attributes of each of the files whose data was written in step (a) in temporary storage; (c) determining an amount of space on the multiple volume media set required to store an information control block table containing information control blocks for all data files and directories as well as any overflow sectors and logical links in the set of files; (d) reserving space, on the multiple volume media set, for said information control block table to be recorded in a first portion having a size sufficient to store said information control block table; (e) building a directory having an entry for each of its subdirectories and files, wherein each entry has an information control block address sequentially assigned to each of said subdirectories and said files; (f) writing said directory to a second portion of the multiple volume media set; (g) repeating steps (e)-(f) for every other directory file in said set of files, wherein said repeating step starts at a starting point and follows a preset order; (h) building an information control block for each of said data files and directories in the set of files, directories and subdirectories; and (i) writing each of said information control blocks built at step (h) into said information control block table at said information control block address assigned in step (e), wherein the number of media swaps necessary to read and write said metadata and data from and to said multiple volume media set is minimized.