MULTIPLE LOGIC MEDIA DRIVE
First Claim
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1. A single physical drive apparatus for use with removable-media partitioned into sections with multiple host computers making conflicting I/O requests comprising:
- a plurality of logical media drives located in the single physical drive apparatus for the removable-media partitioned into sections wherein each logical media drive comprises;
an I/O interface each having a unique device identifier;
a virtual buffer associated uniquely with each device identifier; and
an individual drive logic associated uniquely with each device identifier;
wherein the removable-media is structurally partitioned into sections and each partition is assigned to one of the plurality logical media drives wherein each logical media drive is structured so that it only may use a uniquely assigned partition on the removable-media partitioned into sections according to the device identifier;
a removable-media drive read and write head;
a synchronized parallel central drive logic structured to manage and coordinate with each individual drive logic for reading, writing, and access to the removable-media partitioned into sections, by the plurality of logical media drives in parallel in order to synchronize and manage conflicting I/O requests, and the synchronized parallel central drive logic is also structured to provide buffer management based on a state of the logical media drives and an amount of virtual buffer allocated to the logical media drives wherein the central drive logic manages the assignment of the buffer to the appropriate logical media drive.
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Abstract
A system, apparatus, method, and computer product that allow multiple host systems to read and write, in parallel, to a single media and/or tape drive unit, without conflict.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A single physical drive apparatus for use with removable-media partitioned into sections with multiple host computers making conflicting I/O requests comprising:
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a plurality of logical media drives located in the single physical drive apparatus for the removable-media partitioned into sections wherein each logical media drive comprises; an I/O interface each having a unique device identifier; a virtual buffer associated uniquely with each device identifier; and an individual drive logic associated uniquely with each device identifier; wherein the removable-media is structurally partitioned into sections and each partition is assigned to one of the plurality logical media drives wherein each logical media drive is structured so that it only may use a uniquely assigned partition on the removable-media partitioned into sections according to the device identifier; a removable-media drive read and write head; a synchronized parallel central drive logic structured to manage and coordinate with each individual drive logic for reading, writing, and access to the removable-media partitioned into sections, by the plurality of logical media drives in parallel in order to synchronize and manage conflicting I/O requests, and the synchronized parallel central drive logic is also structured to provide buffer management based on a state of the logical media drives and an amount of virtual buffer allocated to the logical media drives wherein the central drive logic manages the assignment of the buffer to the appropriate logical media drive. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for controlling a physical media drive apparatus for use with removable-media partitioned into sections and for use with multiple host computers making conflicting I/O requests comprising:
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reading or writing different sets of data in parallel to or from the multiple host computers to a plurality of logical media drives comprising; addressing a plurality of I/O interfaces each having a unique device identifier and located in the same physical media drive apparatus, wherein each logical media drive; sends data through an I/O interface each having a unique device identifier; stores the data in a virtual buffer associated uniquely with each device identifier; and reads or writes the data via a media drive logic associated uniquely with each device identifier; assigning partitions in the removable-media partitioned into sections wherein each partition is assigned to one of the plurality logical media drives so that each logical drive only may use a uniquely assigned partition on the removable-media partitioned into sections according to the device identifier; and reading or writing the data to the removable-media partitioned into sections in the uniquely assigned partition on the removable-media partitioned into sections in parallel fashion according to the device identifier via a central drive logic located in the same physical media drive apparatus and structured to manage and coordinate with each of the media drive logics for reading, writing, and accessing the removable-media in parallel by the plurality of logical media drives; and providing buffer management based on a state of the logical media drives and an amount of virtual buffer allocated to the logical media drives wherein the central drive logic manages the assignment of the buffer to the appropriate logical media drive. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17)
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16. A computer program product for controlling a physical removable-media drive apparatus for use with multiple host computers making conflicting I/O requests, the computer program product comprising a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for facilitating a method comprising:
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reading or writing different sets of data in parallel to or from the multiple host computers to a plurality of logical media drives comprising; addressing a plurality of I/O interfaces each having a unique device identifier and located in the same physical removable-media drive, wherein each logical media drive; sends data through an I/O interface each having a unique device identifier; stores the data in a virtual buffer associated uniquely with each device identifier; and reads or writes the data via a media drive logic associated uniquely with each device identifier; partitioning a removable-media into sections wherein each partition is assigned to one of the plurality logical media drives so that each logical media drive only may use a uniquely assigned partition on the removable-media according to the device identifier; and reading or writing the data to the removable-media in the uniquely assigned partition on the removable-media in parallel fashion according to the device identifier via a central media drive logic located in the same physical removable-media drive and structured to manage and coordinate with each of the media drive logics for reading, writing, and accessing the removable-media in parallel by the plurality of logical removable-media drives; and providing buffer management based on a state of the logical media drives and an amount of virtual buffer allocated to the logical media drives wherein the central drive logic manages the assignment of the buffer to the appropriate logical media drive.
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Specification