Systems and methods for managing location of media in a storage system

• US 20070106697A1
• Filed: 12/13/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Kottomtharayil, Rajiv, Ilkal, Zahid, Amarendran, Arun
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0686 Libraries, e.g. tape libraries, jukebox
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A system and method for operating a storage library. The system comprises a management server, a media agent connected to the management server, a library connected to the media agent and a database connected to the management server. The management server controls the media agent to monitor for the addition or removal of a piece of media in the library. When the media agent determines that the piece of media has been added to the library or removed from the library, the media agent causes the library to read a media label stored as data on the piece of media, the media label including an identifier identifying the piece of media. When a backup or restore is performed, the system checks the media label to ensure that the correct media is being used. Inventory procedures are disclosed. Media labels are stored in a database along with an indication of the corresponding slot where the media is stored, a time when the label was put on the medium, and a confidence parameter indicating how confident the system is that the particular medium is stored in the respective slot.

Claims

1. A method of performing an inventory of media stored in a storage device system, the method comprising:

removing media from a first slot of a plurality of slots of a storage device;

loading the media into a drive;

reading a media label stored on the media, the media label including an identifier identifying the media;

accessing a database to determine a database entry that corresponds to the identifier; and

storing with the database entry an indication of the first slot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the media is a non-bar coded material.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said media label comprises electronic data stored in the media.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said accessing comprises accessing the database entry in a library slot table.

5. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising returning the media to a second slot of the storage device.

6. The method of claim 5, additionally comprising updating the database entry with an indication of the second slot.

7. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising storing with the database entry a confidence parameter indicating a confidence level that the media identified as being associated with the first slot is correctly identified.

8. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising storing with the database entry an index of data stored on the media.

9. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising storing with the database entry a time that the media label was written.

10. A system for managing media in a storage device, the system comprising:

a storage library comprising a plurality of slots, each slot configured to hold a piece of media;

a media agent coupled to the storage library and configured to read a media label stored as data on a piece of media when the piece of media is added to or removed from a slot in the storage library, the media label including an identifier identifying the piece of media; and

a management module in communication with the media agent, the management module configured to access a database entry associated with the identifier and to store with the database entry an indication of the slot associated with the piece of media.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a drive configured to receive the piece of media when the piece of media is removed from the slot.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the management module is further configured to mount the piece of media in the drive.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein management module is further configured to return the piece of media from the drive to a second slot of the plurality of slots.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the management module is further configured to update the database entry with an indication of the second slot.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising a database storing a slot table comprising the database entry.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the piece of media comprises a tape.

17. The system of claim of 10, wherein the media agent is further configured to write a media label to a new piece of media when the new piece of media is loaded into one of the plurality of slots.

18. A system for operating a storage device, the system comprising:

means for storing a plurality of pieces of media in a plurality of slots;

means for removing a first piece of media from a first slot of the plurality of slots and for loading the piece of the media into a drive;

means for reading a media label stored on the piece of media, the media label including an identifier identifying the piece of media;

means for storing a plurality of data entries, wherein at least one of said plurality of data entries corresponds to the identifier; and

means for updating the database entry with an indication of the first slot.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said means for removing and loading is further configured to return the piece of media to a second slot of the plurality of slots.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said means for updating is further configured to update the database entry with an indication of the second slot.