Information recorder and its control method

• US 20030214744A1
• Filed: 05/19/2003
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Mori, Yoshiaki, Ishii, Yoshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,191,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/60
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/026 by using processor, e.g. microcomputer
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/04 Preventing, inhibiting, or warning against accidental erasing or double recording G11B15/05 takes precedence

Abstract

There is provided a high-availability duplexing or multiplexing information recorder where a process is not interrupted by a trouble of a drive or a medium. The information recorder is directed to write data instructed to be written from a host system in recording media of at least two drives. The recorder is configured to: detect an abnormality of each drive itself and an abnormality of the recording medium of each drive; cancel the writing of the data in the recording medium of the drive where an abnormality is detected or the drive having the recording medium where an abnormality is detected; and continue the writing of the data in the recording medium of the following drive without notifying any abnormality to the host system, as long as there is at least one drive where any abnormality is not detected and which has the recording medium where any abnormality is not detected.

Claims

1. An information recorder for writing data instructed to be written from a host system in recording media of at least two drives, comprising:

detection means for detecting an abnormality of each drive itself and an abnormality of the recording medium of each drive;

cancellation means for canceling the writing of the data in the recording medium of the drive where an abnormality is detected or the drive having the recording medium where an abnormality is detected; and

continuation means for continuing the writing of the data in the recording medium of the following drive without notifying any abnormality to the host system, as long as there is at least one drive where any abnormality is not detected and which has the recording medium where any abnormality is not detected.

2. The information recorder according to claim 1, which further comprises display means for displaying that each drive and the recording medium of each drive are normal or abnormal.

3. The information recorder according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of recording media which can be specified by the host system are present to each drive;

the detection means detects an abnormality when the recording medium specified by the host system is mounted on or demounted from the drive;

the cancellation means cancels the writing of the data in the recording medium of the drive where an abnormality is detected, the drive of the recording medium where an abnormality is detected, or the drive where an abnormality is detected during the mounting or demounting; and

the continuation means continues the writing of the data in the recording medium of the following drive without notifying any abnormality to the host system, as long as there is at least one drive where any abnormality is not detected and which has the recording medium where any abnormality is not detected and where any abnormality is not detected during the mounting or demounting.

4. The information recorder according to claim 3, which further comprises:

means for replacing, with a spare recording medium, the recording medium where an abnormality is detected, and

means for copying the data on the spare recording medium, with which the recording medium where an abnormality is detected is replaced, from the recording medium, where an abnormality is detected, of a drive other than the drive of the recording medium where an abnormality is detected.

5. The information recorder according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of recording media which can be specified by the host system are present to each drive set as a main drive;

a plurality of spare recording media which cannot be specified by the host system are present to the other drive set as a subdrive;

the detection means detects an abnormality when the recording medium specified by the host system is mounted on or demounted from the main drive and an abnormality when the spare recording medium is mounted on or demounted from the subdrive;

the cancellation means cancels the writing of the data in the recording medium of the drive where an abnormality is detected, the drive of the recording medium where an abnormality is detected, or the drive where an abnormality is detected during the mounting or demounting; and

the continuation means continues the writing of the data in the recording medium of the following drive without notifying any abnormality to the host system, as long as there is at least one drive where any abnormality is not detected and which has the-recording medium where any abnormality is not detected and where any abnormality is not detected during the mounting or demounting;

the information recorder further comprising drive replacement means for replacing the main drive with the subdrive where any abnormality is not detected, when an abnormality is detected in the main drive but any abnormality is not detected in the subdrive; and

spare recording medium replacement means for replacing, with another spare recording medium, the spare recording medium where an abnormality is detected, when an abnormality is detected in the spare recording medium mounted on the subdrive.

6. An information recording method for writing data instructed to be written from a host system in recording media of at least two drives, comprising:

a detection step of detecting an abnormality of each drive itself and an abnormality of the recording medium of each drive;

a cancellation step of canceling the writing of the data in the recording medium of the drive where an abnormality is detected or the drive having the recording medium where an abnormality is detected; and

a continuation step of continuing the writing of the data in the recording medium of the following drive without notifying any abnormality to the host system, as long as there is at least one drive where any abnormality is not detected and which has the recording medium where any abnormality is not detected.

7. The information recording method according to claim 6, which further comprises display means for displaying that each drive and the recording medium of each drive are normal or abnormal.

8. The information recording method according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of recording media which can be specified by the host system are present to each drive;

the detection step detects an abnormality when the recording medium specified by the host system is mounted on or demounted from the drive;

the cancellation step cancels the writing of the data in the recording medium of the drive where an abnormality is detected, the drive of the recording medium where an abnormality is detected, or the drive where an abnormality is detected during the mounting or demounting; and

the continuation step continues the writing of the data in the recording medium of the following drive without notifying any abnormality to the host system, as long as there is at least one drive where any abnormality is not detected and which has the recording medium where any abnormality is not detected and where any abnormality is not detected during the mounting or demounting.

9. The information recording method according to claim 8, which further comprises:

a recording medium replacement step of replacing, with a spare recording medium, the recording medium where an abnormality is detected, and

a copy step of copying the data on the spare recording medium, with which the recording medium where an abnormality is detected is replaced, from the recording medium, where an abnormality is detected, of a drive other than the drive of the recording medium where an abnormality is detected.

10. The information recording method according to claim 6, wherein

a plurality of recording media which can be specified by the host system are present to each drive set as a main drive;

a plurality of spare recording media which cannot be specified by the host system are present to the other drive set as a subdrive;

the detection steps detects an abnormality when the recording medium specified by the host system is mounted on or demounted from the main drive and an abnormality when the spare recording medium is mounted on or demounted from the subdrive;

the cancellation step cancels the writing of the data in the recording medium of the drive where an abnormality is detected, the drive of the recording medium where an abnormality is detected, or the drive where an abnormality is detected during the mounting or demounting; and

the continuation step continues the writing of the data in the recording medium of the following drive without notifying any abnormality to the host system, as long as there is at least one drive where any abnormality is not detected and which has the recording medium where any abnormality is not detected and where any abnormality is not detected during the mounting or demounting;

the information recording method further comprising drive replacement step of replacing the main drive with the subdrive where any abnormality is not detected, when an abnormality is detected in the main drive but any abnormality is not detected in the subdrive; and

spare recording medium replacement step of replacing, with another spare recording medium, the spare recording medium where an abnormality is detected, when an abnormality is detected in the spare recording medium mounted on the subdrive.

11. A program for causing a computer to perform the information recording method for writing data instructed to be written from a host system in recording media of at least two drives, the method comprising:

a detection step of detecting an abnormality of each drive itself and an abnormality of the recording medium of each drive;

a cancellation step of canceling the writing of the data in the recording medium of the drive where an abnormality is detected or the drive having the recording medium where an abnormality is detected; and

a continuation step of continuing the writing of the data in the recording medium of the following drive without notifying any abnormality to the host system, as long as there is at least one drive where any abnormality is not detected and which has the recording medium where any abnormality is not detected.