Patent EP0535922A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0535922A2
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EP
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Automated library data retrieval system
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1992-09-30
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-09-30
Abstract
Abstract An automated library system has sequentially stored data on a recording tape medium. A multiplicity of copies of the data is stored on different tape cartridges. The copies and the original are stored in different areas of the library. Each data segment stored on the tape media copy is stored in different areas of the media length from the original. The multiple copies are created and deleted independent of any user control by a multiple virtual cartridge control 82. The usage of the original and any copies, accumulated by a use log 92, determine the number of copies and their residence times. A logic function 90 in a library manager 18 selects the tape cartridge that can be retrieved in the shortest response time using the location of the original and the copies, the location on each cartridge of the data requested, the drive and library robot picker availability add the respective queues.
Inventors
- 👤 John James Gniewek
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 13:05
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/06; G06F3/0601; G06F3/0602; G06F3/061; G06F3/0611; G06F3/0628; G06F3/0646; G06F3/065; G06F3/0652; G06F3/0668; G06F3/0671; G06F3/0683; G06F3/0686; G11; G11B; G11B15/00; G11B15/675; G11B15/68; G11B15/689; G11B17/00; G11B17/22; G11B17/228; G11B27/00; G11B27/002; G11B2220/00; G11B2220/40; G11B2220/41; G11B2220/90; G11B27/36
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
117 words
An automated storage library comprising means for creating multiple copies of data of a unit cartridge containing data, means for determining whether one or more copies of the data are to be made, and means for receiving a request for required data and responsive thereto to activate selecting means to select the unit cartridge from multiple copies of unit cartridges having the required data that may be retrieved in the shortest period of time using the storage location of each copy, the availability of data retrieving means for retrieving data from the unit cartridge selected by the selecting means, the location and availability of the selecting means, and any queues already in place for the data requested.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
27 words
A library according to Claim 1, including means for maintaining a use pattern indication criteria of each copy of the required data stored in each unit cartridge.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
A library according to Claim 1 or 2, including means for selecting a residence time for the multiple copies created by the multiple copies creating means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
A library according to Claim 3, including means for deleting any copies at the end of the residence time.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
A library according to Claim 4, as appendant to Claim 2, wherein the deleting means is disabled according to the use pattern indication criteria collected by the use pattern maintaining means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
A library according to any preceding Claim, including catalogue means for maintaining a listing of all data and unit cartridges stored in the library.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
A library according to any preceding Claim, wherein the multiple copies creating means creates duplicated copies of the data of a unit cartridge.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
A library according to any preceding Claim, wherein the multiple copies creating means creates data shifted copies of the data of a unit cartridge.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
58 words
A library according to Claim 8, wherein the receiving means receives the request for the required data and is responsive thereto to activate the selecting menas to select the unit cartridge from the multiple copies of unit cartridges having the required data based also on the storage placement of the data in the copies of the unit cartridges.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
261 words
A library data storage system including a plurality of unit cartridges (20) containing storage media, a picker means (22) for retrieving unit cartridges from the storage subsystem, a recorder/reproducer means (24) for retrieving data from the storage media of the unit cartridges, and a managing controller (18) for managing the data stored on the media in the unit cartriges in the storage system, characterised by a multiple virtual cartridge control (MVCC) (82) for creating, managing and deleting multiple copies of data of each unit cartridge, an administrator (86) under control of the MVCC (82) to select whether one or more copies of the data in one unit cartridge are to be automatically copied at any selected data end, and to select whether one or more duplicated copies or data shifted copies are to be made, a log data accumulator (92) under control of the MVCC (82) for maintaining a use pattern indication criteria of each copy of the data stored on the media in the plurality of unit cartridges, a unit cartridge catalogue (88) under control of the MVCC (82) for maintaining a listing of all data and unit cartridges stored in the library storage subsystem, and a logic function (90) under control of the MVCC (82) for receiving the request for data from the managing controller for selecting the unit cartridges from which the data may be retrieved in the shortest period of time using the storage location of each unit cartridge, recorder/reproducer means availability, picker means location and availability, and any queues already in place for the data requested.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
61 words
A library system according to Claim 10, wherein the administrator (86) selects the amount of data shift on the media copies for data shifted copies and wherein the logic function (90) also uses the storage placement of the data to be retrieved on the media in each unit cartridge in order to determine the shortest retrieval time for the requested data.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
A system according to Claim 10 or 11, wherein the administrator (86) selects the residence time for the duplicated copies and deletes the copies at the end of the selected residence time.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
A system according to Claim 12, wherein the MVCC (82) can override the deletion of the copies according to the use pattern indication criteria collected by the use log accumulator (92).
Claim 14
Independent Claim
182 words
A method of managing a library storage system containing media storage in unit cartridges, comprising the steps of maintaining a use pattern indication criteria of each copy of the data stored on the media in the plurality of unit cartridges, determining whether data on the media stored in the unit cartridge is to be automatically copied when full according to the use pattern maintained, creating copies of the data on the media under control of an operator if the data stored on the media is not to be automatically copied, creating copies of the data on the media by the library storage system if the data stored on the media is to be automatically copied, determining whether a duplicated copy or a shifted copy of the data on the media is to be made, selecting the number of copies to be made according to the use pattern criteria maintained of the data on the media, determining the residence time for the number of copies selected, and deleting the copies of the data on the media after the determined residence time has passed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method according to Claim 14, including the step of shifting of the data into different areas of the media on the copies after the step of determining whether a duplicated copy or a shifted copy is to be made and a shifted copy is determined.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method according to Claim 14 or 15, including the step of overriding the step of deleting the copies if the use pattern criteria maintained of the copies indicates a continued heavy use of the copies of the data.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method according to Claim 14, 15 or 16, wherein the step of maintaining a use pattern indication uses the number of requests of the cartridge containing the data and the date that the multiple copies of the data was made as the pattern criteria.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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