Highly available removable media storage network environment

• US 20060259688A1
• Filed: 05/10/2005
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jesionowski, Leonard G., Mueller, Wolfgang, Deicke, Juergen
• Granted Patent: US 7,484,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1662 the resynchronized component or unit being a persistent storage device re-synchronization of failed mirror storage G06F11/2082; rebuild or reconstruction of parity RAID storage G06F11/1008
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/689 Control of the cassette changing arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/049 Cassettes for special applications not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A removable media storage network environment employs a media management system for managing a removable media system on behalf of client applications, and a media management agent to enhance the management of the removable media system by the media management system. The media management agent operates to determine an operational state of the removable media system, and to enhance an availability and a performance of the removable media system as managed by a media management system, wherein one or more one error recovery techniques are conditionally initiated based on the determined operational state of the removable media system and wherein the media management system is conditionally reconfigured based on the determined operational state of the removable media system.

Claims

1. A signal bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by at least one processor to perform operations to enhance a management of a removable media system by a media management system, the operations comprising:

determining an operational state of the removable media system; and

enhancing an availability and a performance of the removable media system as managed by the media management system,

wherein at least one error recovery technique is conditionally initiated based on the determined operational state of the removable media system, and

wherein the media management system is conditionally reconfigured based on the determined operational state of the removable media system.

2. The signal bearing medium of claim 1, wherein the removable media system is a tape system including at least one tape drive and at least one tape cartridge.

3. The signal bearing medium of claim 1,

wherein the determining of the operational state of the removable media system includes collecting operational information of a removable media drive of the removable media system;

and

wherein the enhancing of the availability and the performance of the removable media system as managed by the media management system includes conditionally imitating the at least one error recovery technique based on the collected operational information of the removable media drive.

4. The signal bearing medium of claim 1,

wherein the determining of the operational state of the removable media system includes collecting operational information of a first removable media of the removable media system;

and

wherein the enhancing of the availability and the performance of the removable media system as managed by the media management system includes conditionally copying at least a portion of the data stored on the first removable media to a second removable media of the removable media system based on the collected operational information of the first removable media.

5. The signal bearing medium of claim 1,

wherein the determining of the operational state of the removable media system includes collecting operational information of a removable media drive of the removable media system;

and

wherein the enhancing of the availability and the performance of the removable media system as managed by the media management system includes at least one of;

conditionally cleaning the removable media drive based on the collected operational information of the removable media drive; and

adjusting a priority of the removable media drive in the media management system based on the collected operational information of the removable media drive.

6. The signal bearing medium of claim 1,

wherein the determining of the operational state of the removable media system includes collecting operational information of a removable media drive of the removable media system;

and

wherein the enhancing of the availability and the performance of the removable media system as managed by the media management system includes at least one of;

conditionally disabling the removable media drive in the media management system based on the collected operational information of the removable media drive; and

adjusting a priority of the removable media drive in the media management system based on the collected operational information of the removable media drive.

7. The signal bearing medium of claim 1,

wherein the determining of the operational state of the removable media system includes collecting operational information of a removable media drive of the removable media system;

and

wherein the enhancing of the availability and the performance of the removable media system as managed by the media management system includes conditionally notifying the media management system of a visibility state of at least one access route from at least one client application to the removable media drive.

8. A system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing instructions operable with the at least one processor for enhancing a management of a removable media system by a media management system, the instructions being executed for;

determining an operational state of the removable media system; and

enhancing an availability and a performance of the removable media system as managed by the media management system,

wherein at least one error recovery technique is conditionally initiated based on the determined operational state of the removable media system, and

wherein the media management system is conditionally reconfigured based on the determined operational state of the removable media system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the removable media system is a tape system including at least one tape drive and at least one tape cartridge.

10. The system of claim 8,

wherein the determining of the operational state of the removable media system includes collecting operational information of a removable media drive of the removable media system;

and

wherein the enhancing of the availability and the performance of the removable media system as managed by the media management system includes conditionally imitating the at least one error recovery technique based on the collected operational information of the removable media drive.

11. The system of claim 8,

wherein the determining of the operational state of the removable media system includes collecting operational information of a first removable media of the removable media system;

and

wherein the enhancing of the availability and the performance of the removable media system as managed by the media management system includes conditionally copying at least a portion of the data stored on the first removable media to a second removable media of the removable media system based on the collected operational information of the first removable media.

12. The system of claim 8,

wherein the determining of the operational state of the removable media system includes collecting operational information of a removable media drive of the removable media system;

and

wherein the enhancing of the availability and the performance of the removable media system as managed by the media management system includes at least one of;

conditionally cleaning the removable media drive based on the collected operational information of the removable media drive; and

adjusting a priority of the removable media drive in the media management system based on the collected operational information of the removable media drive.

13. The system of claim 8,

wherein the determining of the operational state of the removable media system includes collecting operational information of a removable media drive of the removable media system;

and

wherein the enhancing of the availability and the performance of the removable media system as managed by the media management system includes at least one of;

conditionally disabling the removable media drive in the media management system based on the collected operational information of the removable media drive; and

adjusting a priority of the removable media drive in the media management system based on the collected operational information of the removable media drive.

14. The system of claim 8,

wherein the determining of the operational state of the removable media system includes collecting operational information of a removable media drive of the removable media system;

and

wherein the enhancing of the availability and the performance of the removable media system as managed by the media management system includes conditionally notifying the media management system of a visibility state of at least one access route from at least one client application to the removable media drive.

15. A method for enhancing a management of a removable media system by a media management system, the method comprising:

determining an operational state of the removable media system; and

enhancing an availability and a performance of the removable media system as managed by the media management system,

wherein at least one error recovery technique is conditionally initiated based on the determined operational state of the removable media system, and

wherein the media management system is conditionally reconfigured based on the determined operational state of the removable media system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the removable media system is a tape system including at least one tape drive and at least one tape cartridge.

17. The method of claim 15,

wherein the determining of the operational state of the removable media system includes collecting operational information of a removable media drive of the removable media system;

and

wherein the enhancing of the availability and the performance of the removable media system as managed by the media management system includes conditionally imitating the at least one error recovery technique based on the collected operational information of the removable media drive.

18. The method of claim 15,

wherein the determining of the operational state of the removable media system includes collecting operational information of a first removable media of the removable media system;

and

wherein the enhancing of the availability and the performance of the removable media system as managed by the media management system includes conditionally copying at least a portion of the data stored on the first removable media to a second removable media of the removable media system based on the collected operational information of the first removable media.

19. The method of claim 15,

wherein the determining of the operational state of the removable media system includes collecting operational information of a removable media drive of the removable media system;

and

wherein the enhancing of the availability and the performance of the removable media system as managed by the media management system includes at least one of;

conditionally cleaning the removable media drive based on the collected operational information of the removable media drive; and

adjusting a priority of the removable media drive in the media management system based on the collected operational information of the removable media drive.

20. The method of claim 15,

wherein the determining of the operational state of the removable media system includes collecting operational information of a removable media drive of the removable media system;

and

wherein the enhancing of the availability and the performance of the removable media system as managed by the media management system includes at least one of;

conditionally disabling the removable media drive in the media management system based on the collected operational information of the removable media drive; and

adjusting a priority of the removable media drive in the media management system based on the collected operational information of the removable media drive.

21. The method of claim 15,

wherein the determining of the operational state of the removable media system includes collecting operational information of a removable media drive of the removable media system;

and

wherein the enhancing of the availability and the performance of the removable media system as managed by the media management system includes conditionally notifying the media management system of a visibility state of at least one access route from at least one client application to the removable media drive.

22. A system, comprising:

a media management system operable to management a removable media system; and

a media management agent operable to determine an operational state of the removable media system and to enhance an availability and a performance of the removable media system as managed by the media management system,

wherein at least one error recovery technique is conditionally initiated by the media management agent based on the determined operational state of the removable media system, and

wherein the media management system is conditionally reconfigured by the media management agent based on the determined operational state of the removable media system.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the removable media system is a tape system including at least one tape drive and at least one tape cartridge.