System for online SCSI drive repair utilizing detachable secondary I/O buses pigtailed to primary I/O bus wherein each secondary I/O bus has a length in excess of 100mm
First Claim
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1. A multiple drive library computer system, comprising:
- a) an I/O bus comprising;
i) a primary I/O bus; and
ii) a plurality of detachable secondary I/O buses pigtailed to said primary I/O bus;
wherein each of said plurality of secondary I/O buses has a length in excess of 100 mm, and the I/O bus as a whole, but for its length, is configured as a SCSI single-ended cable;
b) a plurality of SCSI storage drives, connected to said plurality of secondary I/O buses; and
c) a library controller, connected to said primary I/O bus, said controller comprising;
i) means to communicate with said SCSI storage drives; and
ii) means to communicate with a host computer via said I/O bus.
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Abstract
An online repairable multiple drive library computer system, and method of online drive repair for repairing same, wherein the method comprises the steps of detecting that a drive has failed, placing the failed drive in an offline state, removing power to the failed drive, disconnecting any cabling attached to the failed drive, replacing the failed drive, reconnecting cabling to the replaced drive, restoring power to the replaced drive, and placing the replaced drive in an online state. All of the steps occur while one or more good drives in the multiple drive library computer system remain online, and accessible to a host.
94 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A multiple drive library computer system, comprising:
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a) an I/O bus comprising; i) a primary I/O bus; and ii) a plurality of detachable secondary I/O buses pigtailed to said primary I/O bus; wherein each of said plurality of secondary I/O buses has a length in excess of 100 mm, and the I/O bus as a whole, but for its length, is configured as a SCSI single-ended cable; b) a plurality of SCSI storage drives, connected to said plurality of secondary I/O buses; and c) a library controller, connected to said primary I/O bus, said controller comprising; i) means to communicate with said SCSI storage drives; and ii) means to communicate with a host computer via said I/O bus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of replacing one or more failed SCSI storage drives in a multiple drive library computer system, wherein each of the SCSI storage drives comprises an electrical connection face opposite a media-inserting face, wherein the SCSI storage drives of said library computer system are mounted in one or more modular housings which in turn are mounted within said library computer system such that the media-inserting faces of said SCSI storage drives abut a robotic media inserter, and the electrical connection faces of said SCSI storage drives are connected to pigtails of an I/O bus which are greater than 100 mm in length, wherein said I/O bus, but for its length, is configured as a SCSI single-ended cable, wherein said I/O bus is accessible to a service technician while the library computer system is online, and wherein said replacement is accomplished while one or more good SCSI storage drives in said library computer system remain in an Online-- good state so that a host, with the aid of a library controller, has continual access to information stored within said library computer system, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) detecting that a SCSI storage drive has failed; b) placing said failed SCSI storage drive in an Offline-- failed state, wherein further access to said failed SCSI storage drive is not allowed; c) placing any good SCSI storage drives mounted within the same modular housing as said failed SCSI storage drive in an Offline-- good-- pending state; d) removing any media remaining in said SCSI storage drives in an Offline-- good-- pending state; e) placing said Offline-- good-- pending SCSI storage drives in an Offline-- good state; f) removing power to any SCSI storage drive in an Offline-- failed or Offline-- good state; g) disconnecting from the library computer system any cabling which is attached to said electrical connection faces of said Offline-- failed and Offline-- good SCSI storage drives, including the pigtails of the I/O bus; h) replacing said failed SCSI storage drive; i) reconnecting to the electrical connection faces of said replaced SCSI storage drive, and any good SCSI storage drives mounted within the same modular housing as said replaced SCSI storage drive, any cabling disconnected from said SCSI storage drives, including the pigtails of the I/O bus; j) placing said Offline-- failed and Offline-- good SCSI storage drives in an Online-- pending state; k) restoring power to said Online-- pending SCSI storage drives; l) placing said Online-- pending SCSI storage drives in an Online-- good state so that these SCSI storage drives may again be accessed by said host and library controller. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification