Library apparatus, control method and program

• US 20060039248A1
• Filed: 12/01/2004
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Sasaki, Shinobu
• Granted Patent: US 7,630,164 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 369/30.270
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/6835 the cassettes being transferred to a fixed recorder or player using a moving carriage
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/689 Control of the cassette changing arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/228 Control systems for magazines G11B17/225 takes precedence

Abstract

Radio tags storing parts identifying information are arranged for the individual constituent modules such as tape drives and conveying robots of the library apparatus. Upon every rise of the apparatus, the conveying robots are moved to positions permitting read of the radio tags arranged on the individual constituent modules. The parts identifying information such as the serial number is read by the tag reader and stored in the non-volatile memory. When this is different from the serial number read in the preceding run, stored in the non-volatile memory, it is determined that the part has been replaced. The statistical information of the number of operating runs is then cleared, and management of the parts service life is started.

Claims

1. A library apparatus comprising, as constituent modules, a medium depot keeping storage media in units of cells in a plurality of keeping cells;

a plurality of recording/regenerating devices which record and regenerate information by the use of said storage media;

medium conveyors which convey storage media between said medium depot and said recording/regenerating devices; and

a controller which enters the storage medium taken out from said medium depot into said recording/regenerating device under the control by said medium conveyor based on a command from a host to cause said recording/regenerating device to record or regenerate the same;

wherein the library apparatus has radio tags arranged for the individual constituent modules maintained and replaced, and storing parts identifying information intrinsic to the individual constituent modules; and

a tag reader mounted on said medium conveyor and reading the parts identifying information stored in said radio tags; and

wherein said controller has a parts replacement determining unit which, for every rise of the apparatus, moves said medium conveyor to a position permitting reading of said radio tags arranged for the individual constituent modules to read the parts identifying information by means of said tag reader and store the information in a non-volatile memory, and when the read information is different from the parts identifying information read in the preceding run stored in said non-volatile memory, determines that the part has been replaced; and

a parts management unit which manages the parts service life by obtaining statistical information such as the number of operating runs for each of said constituent modules, and when said parts replacement determining unit determines that the part has been replaced, starts a new run of management of the parts life by clearing the statistical information such as said number of operating runs. (1)

2. The library apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a constituent module to be maintained and replaced includes said medium conveyor and recording/regenerating unit.

3. The library apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said radio tag stores at least the edition number of parts and the serial number thereof, and said parts replacement determining unit determines, when the serial number read by said radio tag reader is different from the serial number read in the preceding run, that the part has been replaced.

4. The library apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said parts management unit displays an alarm on an apparatus operating panel and reports the alarm to a host when the statistical information of the number of operating runs obtained for each constituent module approaches a prescribed number of operating runs representing the life.

5. The library apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said parts management unit counts the number of starting runs as a number of operating runs of said medium conveyor, and counts the number of charging runs or the number of discharging runs of said storage medium as a number of operating runs of said recording/regenerating unit.

6. The library apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said parts management unit causes said replaced recording/regenerating unit to execute an alignment measuring processing for charging or discharging the medium by positioning said medium conveyor when said parts replacement determining unit determines that said recording/regenerating unit has been replaced.

7. The library apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said parts management unit changes the setting of the port name of the data transfer port of said replaced recording/regenerating unit to be connected to the host into the port name which has been set for the recording/regenerating unit before replacement, when said parts replacement determining unit determines the necessity to replace said recording/regenerating unit.

8. The library apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said medium depot and said recording/regenerating unit can be increased in number in units of module;

wherein said radio tags storing module information are arranged for each of said modules; and

wherein a constituent information generating unit which moves, upon the rise of the apparatus, said medium conveyor to a position permitting read of said radio tags arranged for the individual modules to read the parts identifying information stored therein, and generates constituent information including the arrangement of storing cells of said medium depot and the mounting position of said recording/regenerating unit is provided in said controller.

9. A control method of a library apparatus comprising, as constituent modules, a medium depot keeping storage media in units of cells in a plurality of keeping cells;

a plurality of recording/regenerating devices which record and regenerate information by the use of said storage media;

medium conveyors which convey storage media between said medium depot and said recording/regenerating devices; and

a controller which enters the storage medium taken out from said medium depot into said recording/regenerating device under the control of said medium conveyor based on a command from a host to cause said recording/regenerating device to record or regenerate the same; and

further comprising radio tags arranged for the individual constituent modules maintained and replaced, and storing parts identifying information intrinsic to the individual constituent modules; and

a tag reader mounted on said medium conveyor and reading the parts identifying information stored in said radio tags;

said control method comprises;

a parts replacement determining step of moving, for every rise of the apparatus, said medium conveyor to a position permitting read of said radio tags arranged for the individual constituent modules to read the parts identifying information by means of said tag reader and store the information in a non-volatile memory, and when the read information is different from the parts identifying information read in the preceding run stored in said non-volatile memory, determining that the part has been replaced; and

a parts managing step of managing the parts service life by obtaining statistical information such as the number of operating runs for each of said constituent modules, and when said parts replacement determining unit determines that the part has been replaced, starting a new run of management of the parts life by clearing the statistical information such as said number of operating runs.

10. The control method of a library apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the constituent module to be maintained and replaced includes said medium conveyor and said recording/regenerating unit.

11. The control method of a library apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said radio tag stores at least the edition number of parts and the serial number thereof, and said parts replacement determining step determines, when the serial number read by said radio tag reader is different from the serial number read in the preceding run, that the part has been replaced.

12. The control method of a library apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said parts managing step displays an alarm on an apparatus operating panel and report the alarm to a host when the statistical information of the number of operating runs obtained for each constituent module approaches a prescribed number of operating runs representing the life.

13. The control method of a library apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said parts managing step counts the number of starting runs as a number of operating runs of said medium conveyor, and counts the number of charging runs or the number of discharging runs of said storage medium as a number of operating runs of said recording/regenerating unit.

14. The control method of a library apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said parts managing step causes said replaced recording/regenerating unit to execute an alignment measuring processing for charging or discharging the medium by positioning said medium conveyor when said parts replacement determining unit determines that the recording/Regenerating unit.

15. The control method of a library apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said parts managing step changes the setting of the port name of the data transfer port of said replaced recording/regenerating unit to be connected to the host into the port name which has been set for the recording/Regenerating unit before replacement, when said parts replacement determining step determines that the recording/Regenerating unit has been replaced.

16. The control method of a library apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said medium depot and said recording/regenerating unit can be increased in number in units of modules;

wherein said radio tags storing module information are arranged for each of said modules; and

wherein a constituent information generating step which moves, upon the rise of the apparatus, said medium conveyor to a position permitting read of said radio tags arranged for the individual modules to read the parts identifying information stored therein, and generates constituent information including the arrangement of storing cells of said medium depot and the mounting position of said recording/regenerating unit is provided in said controller.

17. A program which causes a computer serving as a controller for a library apparatus comprising, as constituent modules, a medium depot keeping storage media in units of cells in a plurality of keeping cells;

a plurality of recording/regenerating devices which record and regenerate information by the use of said storage media;

medium conveyors which convey storage media between said medium depot and said recording/regenerating devices; and

a controller which enters the storage medium taken out from said medium depot into said recording/regenerating device under the control of said medium convey based on a command from a host to cause said recording/regenerating device to record or regenerate the same, to execute;

a parts replacement determining step of moving for every rise of the apparatus, said medium conveyor to a position permitting read of said radio tags arranged for the individual constituent modules to read the parts identifying information by means of said tag reader and store the information in a non-volatile memory, and when the read information is different from the parts identifying information read in the preceding run stored in said non-volatile memory, determining that the part has been replaced; and

a parts managing step of managing the parts service life by obtaining statistical information such as the number of operating runs for each of said constituent modules, and when said parts replacement determining unit determines that the part has been replaced, starting a new run of management of the parts life by clearing the statistical information such as said number of operating runs.

18. The program according to claim 17, wherein the constituent module to be maintained and replaced includes said medium conveyor and said recording/regenerating unit.

19. The program according to claim 17, wherein said radio tag stores at least the edition number of parts and the serial number thereof, and said parts replacement determining step determines, when the serial number read by said radio tag reader is different from the serial number read in the preceding run, that the part has been replaced.

20. The program according to claim 17, wherein said parts managing step displays an alarm on an apparatus operating panel and reports the alarm to a host when the statistical information of the number of operating runs obtained for each constituent module approaches a prescribed number of operating runs representing the life.

21. The program according to claim 17, wherein said parts managing step counts the number of starting runs as a number of operating runs of said medium conveyor, and counts the number of charging runs or the number of discharging runs of said storage medium as a number of operating runs of said recording/regenerating unit.

22. The program according to claim 17, wherein said parts managing step causes said replaced recording/regenerating unit to execute an alignment measuring processing for charging or discharging the medium by positioning said medium conveyor when said parts replacement determining unit determines that said recording/regenerating unit has been replaced.

23. The program according to claim 17, wherein said parts managing step changes the setting of the port name of the data transfer port of said replaced recording/regenerating unit to be connected to the host into the port name which has been set for the recording/regenerating unit before replacement, when said parts replacement determining step determines that the recording/regenerating unit has been replaced.

24. The program according to claim 17, wherein said medium depot and said recording/regenerating unit can be increased in number in units of modules;

wherein said radio tags storing module information are arranged for each of said modules; and

wherein a constituent information generating step which moves, upon the rise of the apparatus, said medium conveyor to a position permitting read of said radio tags arranged for the individual modules to read the parts identifying information stored therein, and generates constituent information including the arrangement of storing cells of said medium depot and the mounting position of said recording/regenerating unit is provided in said controller.