Methods and systems for providing predictive maintenance, preventative maintenance, and/or failure isolation in a tape storage subsystem

• US 20050052772A1
• Filed: 07/16/2004
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quantum Corporation (Chi Ko Investment Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Quantum Corporation (Chi Ko Investment Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Payne, Mark A., Tumblin, Christopher B., Chaney, Richard, Barbian, Douglas F., Ewaskowitz, Joe
• Granted Patent: US 7,277,246 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/69
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/655 Memory in cassette [MIC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/328 on a tape [TTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06

Abstract

A system and method of operating a storage system is provided. The storage system includes a tape cartridge having a magnetic tape medium and a tape drive for reading and writing data to the magnetic tape medium of the tape cartridge. Performance data associated with specific operating loci (e.g., bands, directions, tracks, segments, etc.) of the tape drive and tape medium are collected, analyzed, and stored, allowing for analysis and detection of trends over time. In one example, tape usage events are monitored and when they cross a threshold the system may remove particular tapes in a preventative maintenance approach to reduce system outage. Performance data is collected and analyzed with a portion of the performance data being saved to emulated medium auxiliary memory (EMAM) on the magnetic tape, and a portion of the of the performance data saved in non-volatile storage in the drive.

Claims

1. A storage system, comprising:

a tape cartridge having a magnetic tape medium; and

a tape drive for reading and writing data to the magnetic tape medium of the tape cartridge, wherein performance data relating to at least one of the tape drive and the tape cartridge is stored at least partially on the magnetic tape medium and at least partially on a memory of the tape drive.

2. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the performance data includes emulated auxiliary memory storage data stored on the magnetic tape medium.

3. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the performance data includes EEROM storage data stored in the tape drive.

4. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the tape drive memory includes one or more algorithms for collecting and assessing the performance data.

5. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the performance data includes at least one of error information and history information.

6. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the performance data is stored in data buckets associated with particular tracks and segments of the magnetic tape medium.

7. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the performance data is stored in data buckets associated with particular tracks and segments of the magnetic tape only when the performance data is associated with read/write activity in the particular track and segment.

8. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the performance data is stored in data buckets associated with particular directions, tracking bands, and segments in which the tape drive operates.

9. The storage system of claim 1, wherein the performance data is stored in data buckets associated with particular directions, tracking bands, and segments in which the tape drive operates only when the performance data is associated with read/write activity in the particular directions, tracking bands, and segments.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the tape drive further includes a secondary port allowing access to the drive memory and performance data stored therein.

11. The storage system of claim 10, wherein an application accesses performance data stored in the drive through the secondary port and executes one or more preventative, predictive, or fault isolation algorithms.

12. The storage system of claim 1, wherein a host application accesses performance data stored in the drive and executes one or more preventative, predictive, or fault isolation algorithms.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the secondary port includes an infrared port.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein a portable device may access the drive memory and performance data through the infrared port.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the performance data is accessible through a SCSI interface.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further includes an auxiliary memory emulator for receiving I/O commands to perform I/O operations on an auxiliary memory and for rerouting said commands to perform said I/O operations on the magnetic tape medium.

17. A method for managing a storage system having a tape drive and a magnetic tape storage device, comprising:

retrieving performance data from at least one of a tape drive memory and a magnetic tape storage device;

comparing the performance data to one or more predetermined values; and

determining a source of errors between a tape drive and a magnetic tape storage device if the performance data exceeds the one or more predetermined values.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the performance data includes emulated auxiliary memory storage data stored on the magnetic tape medium.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the performance data includes data stored on a memory of the tape drive.

20. The method of claim 17, further including accessing performance data through an algorithm.

21. The method of claim 17, further including accesses performance data by executing one or more preventative, predictive, or fault isolation algorithms.

22. The method of claim 17, further including accesses performance data stored in the drive through a secondary port and executing one or more preventative, predictive, or fault isolation algorithms.

23. A method of storing diagnostic data in a storage system, comprising:

storing performance data for each track and segment of a magnetic tape in a data bucket associated with each track and segment; and

overwriting performance data in buckets for tracks and segments that undergo read/write activity while preserving data in buckets for tracks and segments that do not undergo read/write activity.

24. The method of claim 23, further including storing performance data associated with directions, tracking bands, and segments in which the tape drive operates.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein performance data associated with the track and segment are stored on the magnetic tape, and performance data associated with the directions, tracking bands, and segment in which the drive operates is stored on the memory of the drive.

26. The method of claim 23, further including creating a drive log that stores a number of unique drive serial numbers and tape load counts for each drive in the storage system.

27. The method of claim 23, further including creating at least one of WRITE and READ logs to store histories of the performance data.