Optical storage system and storage medium storing copy processing program

• US 6,014,352 A
• Filed: 06/19/1997
• Issued: 01/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Ohshika, Ichizou, Yamamoto, Masao, Nomura, Yuji, Kubota, Hiromi
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, TAN X
• Application Number:
  US08/878,531
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 369/34, 369/84, 369/36, 369/37, 369/38, 369/41, 369/83, 364/478.02, 364/478.11, 711/111, 300/15
• US Class Current: 369/30.05
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2525 Magneto-optical [MO] discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/28 Re-recording, i.e. transcribing information from one optical record carrier on to one or more similar or dissimilar record carriers

Abstract

An MO drive apparatus and an MO library apparatus are connected to an upper apparatus through device buses. A copy processing module of the upper apparatus copies storage contents of a medium of a copy source apparatus to a medium of a copy destination apparatus. When check regions provided for apparatus graphics of a plurality of apparatuses serving as targets to be accessed are clicked, a confirmation processing module of the upper apparatus sends a check command to the corresponding apparatus and flickers a display lamp, thereby allowing the user to confirm. A system construction can be arbitrarily set by a connection and a disconnection using the apparatus graphics.

Claims

1. A storage system, comprising:

at least one drive unit processing a single replaceable medium;

at least one library unit having a medium enclosing unit in which a plurality of replaceable media are enclosed, a drive unit optically accessing the medium, and an accessor conveying the medium between said medium enclosing unit and said drive unit;

device buses of at least one system which are pulled out from an upper unit and connect said at least one drive unit and said at least one library unit as storage units;

a copy processing module, provided for said upper unit, copying storage contents of the medium of the storage unit of a preset copy source to the medium of the storage unit of a preset copy destination; and

a confirmation processing module provided for said upper unit and constructed as unit graphics of said at least one storage unit, accessing targets of said copy processing module, are arranged and displayed on a picture plane, and when a check region corresponding to each of said unit graphics is instructed and operated on the picture plane, a check command is sent to each corresponding storage unit, executing an output operation allowing an operator to confirm that each corresponding unit is installed on the system.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said confirmation processing module drives a display lamp of said unit, allowing the operator to confirm the corresponding unit.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said confirmation processing module drives an acoustic unit of said target unit, allowing the operator to confirm the corresponding unit.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein said confirmation processing module drives an accessor of said library unit, allowing the operator to confirm the corresponding unit.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a system construction control module deciding a system construction by a system connection and a system disconnection of an arbitrary storage unit according to the necessity by operations of a connection instructing region to connect to a system provided for said unit graphics and a disconnection instructing region to disconnect from the system; and

a copy information setting module setting copy information necessary to access said copy processing module for the system construction determined by said system construction control module as a target.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein said copy information setting module automatically decides a copy source and a copy destination by the system construction determined by said system construction control module and sets the copy information.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said copy information setting module is constructed such that:

in case of a system construction in which at least one drive unit and at least one for a library unit is connected to one bus system, said drive unit is automatically set to the copy source and the at least one library unit is automatically set to the copy destinations;

in case of a system construction in which there is one drive unit and at least one library unit connected to a same bus system, said drive unit is automatically set to the copy source and the at least one library unit is automatically set to the copy destinations;

in case of a system construction in which one drive unit is provided for a plurality of bus systems and at least one of library unit is connected to each bus system, for every said bus system, the drive unit is automatically set to the copy source and the at least one library unit is automatically set to the copy destinations; and

in case of a system construction in which only a plurality of library units are connected to different bus systems, the library unit of a predetermined specified bus is automatically set to the copy source and all of said other library units are automatically set to the copy destinations.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein in the case where the library unit is set as a copy destination unit, said copy information setting module sets all of the media enclosed in said library unit into the copy destination medium.

9. The system according to claim 5, wherein said copy information setting module arbitrarily sets the copy source unit and the copy destination unit as necessary for the system construction, as a target, set by said system construction control module by using a copy information set picture plane.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein in the case where the copy source unit is not designated by using the copy information set picture plane, said copy information setting module automatically sets a predetermined specified drive unit or library unit into the copy source unit.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein in the case where the copy destination unit is not designated by using the copy information set picture plane, said copy information setting module automatically sets the at least one library unit excluding the copy source unit to the copy destination unit.

12. The system according to claim 5, wherein said copy information setting module further arbitrarily sets as necessary whether a copy is a copy in a group or a copy over the group with respect to the number of media of the copy source, the number of media of the copy destination, and a unit group divided every bus system by using a copy information set picture plane.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein in the case where the copy destination is an library unit and the number of media of the copy destination is not set, said copy information setting module automatically sets all of the media of said library unit into a copy destination medium.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein in the case where a medium of a capacity different from that of the copy destination medium is included in the copy source medium, said copy processing module copies into the copy destination medium of the same capacity.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said copy processing module is constructed such that a copying process from the copy source medium to the copy destination medium is repeated on a sector unit basis, a dummy copy of one sector is further executed after completion of the copy of a final sector of the copy source medium, when an error occurs by said dummy copy, it is determined that capacities of the copy source medium and the copy destination medium are equal, so that the copying process is normally finished, and when the dummy copy could normally be performed, it is decided that the capacities are different, error information is recorded, and the processes are finished.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein when the copy is performed from the copy source unit to the copy destination unit, said copy processing module reads a capacity of the copy destination medium and the copy is executed to only the copy destination medium of the same capacity.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein in the case where a medium of a capacity different from that of the copy source medium is included in the copy destination medium, said copy processing module copies to the copy destination medium of a capacity which is equal to or larger than that of the copy source medium.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said copy processing module is constructed such that the copying process from the copy source medium to the copy destination medium is repeated on a sector unit basis, when an error occurs for an interval of time up to the copy of the final sector of the copy source medium, it is determined that a capacity is insufficient, error information is recorded and finished, and when the copy is performed up to the final sector of the copy source medium, it is determined that a capacity of the copy destination medium is equal to or larger than the capacity of the copy source medium, and the copying process is normally finished.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein said copy processing module previously reads a data recording region of the copy source medium and recognizes and copies only the recognized recording region to the copy destination medium.

20. The system according to claim 1, wherein said copy processing module is constructed such that data recording regions of a plurality of copy source media are previously read, a whole data amount of the copy sources is recognized, the copy destination medium is previously read, a capacity is recognized, and when the capacity of the copy destination medium is equal to or larger than the whole data amount of the copy sources, the data is copied in a lump from said plurality of copy source media to one copy destination medium.

21. The system according to claim 1, wherein said copy processing module sets a plurality of copy source media to one group and copies to the copy destination media of a plurality of groups.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said copy processing module sets a plurality of copy source media into one group for a plurality of media in a same library unit as targets and copies to the copy destination media of a plurality of groups.

23. The system according to claim 1, wherein

said library unit has at least two drive units, and

in the case where said at least one library unit is set to the copy destination, said copy processing module sequentially transfers copy data read out from the medium of the copy source unit to said two drive units provided for said library unit and writes to the media of the copy destinations in parallel.

24. The system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of media include magnetooptic cartridge media of 230 MB, 540 MB, and 640 MB which are detachable for the storing unit enclosed in a cartridge.

25. A storage medium in which a copy processing program used in a storage system is stored, said storage medium comprising:

at least one drive unit processing a single replaceable medium;

at least one library unit having a medium enclosing unit in which a plurality of replaceable media are enclosed, a drive unit optically accessing the medium, and an accessor conveying the medium between said medium enclosing unit and said drive unit; and

device buses of at least one system which is pulled out from an upper unit and connect said drive unit and a library unit as storage units, wherein said copy processing program includes;

a copy processing module installed in said upper unit and copying storage contents of the medium of the storage unit of a preset copy source to the medium of the storage unit of a preset copy destination; and

a confirmation processing module installed in said upper unit and constructed as unit graphics of said at least one storage unit accessing targets of said copy processing modules is arranged and displayed on a picture plane, and when a check region corresponding to each of said unit graphics is instructed and operated on the picture plane, a check command is sent to each corresponding storage unit, executing an output operation allowing an operator to confirm that each corresponding unit is installed on the system.

26. A storage system comprising:

at least one drive unit processing a single replaceable medium;

at least one library unit having a medium enclosing unit in which replaceable media are enclosed, a drive unit accessing the medium, and an accessor conveying the medium between said medium enclosing unit and said drive unit;

device buses of at least one system which is pulled out from an upper unit and connect said drive unit and a library unit as storage units;

a copy processing module, provided for said upper unit, copying storage contents of the medium of the storage unit of a preset copy source to the medium of the storage unit of a preset copy destination; and

a confirmation processing module provided for said upper unit and constructed as unit graphics of said at least one storage unit, accessing targets of said copy processing module, is arranged and displayed on a picture plane, and when a check region corresponding to each of said unit graphics is instructed and operated on the picture plane, a check command is sent to each corresponding storage unit, executing an output operation allowing an operator to confirm that each corresponding unit is installed on the system.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein said confirmation processing module drives a display lamp of said target unit, allowing the operator to confirm the corresponding unit.

28. The system according to claim 26, wherein said confirmation processing module drives an acoustic unit of said target unit, allowing the operator to confirm the corresponding unit.

29. The system according to claim 27, wherein said confirmation processing module drives an accessor of said library unit, allowing the operator to confirm the corresponding unit.

30. The system according to claim 26, further comprising:

a system construction control module deciding a system construction by a system connection and a system disconnection of an arbitrary storage unit according to the necessity by operations of a connection instructing region to connect to a system provided for said unit graphics and a disconnection instructing region to disconnect from the system; and

a copy information setting module setting copy information necessary to access said copy processing module for the system construction determined by said system construction control module as a target.

31. The system according to claim 30, wherein said copy information setting module automatically decides a copy source and a copy destination by the system construction determined by said system construction control module and sets the copy information.

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein said copy information setting module is constructed such that:

in case of a system construction in which one drive unit and at least one library unit is connected to one bus system, said drive unit is automatically set to the copy source and said at least one library unit is automatically set to the copy destinations;

in case of a system construction in which there is one drive unit and at least one library unit connected to a same bus system, said drive unit is automatically set to the copy source and said at least one library unit is automatically set to the copy destinations;

in case of a system construction in which one drive unit is provided for a plurality of bus systems and at least one library unit is connected to each bus system, for every said bus system, the drive unit is automatically set to the copy source and said at least one library unit is automatically set to the copy destinations; and

in case of a system construction in which only a plurality of library units are connected to different bus systems, the library unit of a predetermined specified bus is automatically set to the copy source and all of said other library units are automatically set to the copy destinations.

33. The system according to claim 32, wherein in the case where the library unit is set as a copy destination unit, said copy information setting module sets all of the media enclosed in said library unit into the copy destination medium.

34. The system according to claim 30, wherein said copy information setting module arbitrarily sets the copy source unit and the copy destination unit as necessary for the system construction, as a target, set by said system construction control module by using a copy information set picture plane.

35. The system according to claim 34, wherein in the case where the copy source unit is not designated by using the copy information set picture plane, said copy information setting module automatically sets a predetermined specified drive unit or library unit into the copy source unit.

36. The system according to claim 33, wherein in the case where the copy destination unit is not designated by using the copy information set picture plane, said copy information setting module automatically sets all of the library units excluding the copy source unit to the copy destination unit.

37. The system according to claim 30, wherein said copy information setting module further arbitrarily sets as necessary whether a copy is a copy in a group or a copy over the group with respect to the number of media of the copy source, the number of media of the copy destination, and a unit group divided every bus system by using a copy information set picture plane.

38. The system according to claim 37, wherein in the case where the copy destination is a library unit and the number of media of the copy destination is not set, said copy information setting module automatically sets all of the media of said library unit into a copy destination medium.

39. The system according to claim 37, wherein in the case where a medium of a capacity different from that of the copy destination medium is included in the copy source medium, said copy processing module copies into the copy destination medium of the same capacity.

40. The system according to claim 39, wherein said copy processing module is constructed such that a copying process from the copy source medium to the copy destination medium is repeated on a sector unit basis, a dummy copy of one sector is further executed after completion of the copy of a final sector of the copy source medium, when an error occurs by said dummy copy, it is determined that capacities of the copy source medium and the copy destination medium are equal, so that the copying process is normally finished, and when the dummy copy could normally be performed, it is decided that the capacities are different, error information is recorded, and the processes are finished.

41. The system according to claim 26, wherein when the copy is performed from the copy source unit to the copy destination unit, said copy processing module reads a capacity of the copy destination medium and the copy is executed to only the copy destination medium of the same capacity.

42. The system according to claim 26, wherein in the case where a medium of a capacity different from that of the copy source medium is included in the copy destination medium, said copy processing module copies to the copy destination medium of a capacity which is equal to or larger than that of the copy source medium.

43. The system according to claim 42, wherein said copy processing module is constructed such that the copying process from the copy source medium to the copy destination medium is repeated on a sector unit basis, when an error occurs for an interval of time up to the copy of the final sector of the copy source medium, it is determined that a capacity is insufficient, error information is recorded and finished, and when the copy is performed up to the final sector of the copy source medium, it is determined that a capacity of the copy destination medium is equal to or larger than the capacity of the copy source medium, and the copying process is normally finished.

44. The system according to claim 26, wherein said copy processing module previously reads a data recording region of the copy source medium and recognizes and copies only the recognized recording region to the copy destination medium.

45. The system according to claim 26, wherein said copy processing module is constructed such that data recording regions of a plurality of copy source media are previously read, a whole data amount of the copy sources is recognized, the copy destination medium is previously read, a capacity is recognized, and when the capacity of the copy destination medium is equal to or larger than the whole data amount of the copy sources, the data is copied in a lump from said plurality of copy source media to one copy destination medium.

46. The system according to claim 26, wherein said copy processing module sets a plurality of copy source media to one group and copies to the copy destination media of a plurality of groups.

47. The system according to claim 46, wherein said copy processing module sets a plurality of copy source media into one group for a plurality of media in a same library unit as targets and copies to the copy destination media of a plurality of groups.

48. The system according to claim 26, wherein

said library unit has at least two drive units, and

in the case where said at least library unit is set to the copy destination, said copy processing module sequentially transfers copy data read out from the medium of the copy source unit to said two drive units provided for said library unit and writes to the media of the copy destinations in parallel.

49. A storage method, comprising:

processing a single replaceable medium;

enclosing an enclosing unit in which replaceable media are enclosed, optically accessing the medium using a drive unit, and conveying the medium between said enclosing unit and said drive unit;

connecting said drive unit and a library unit as storage units;

copying storage contents of the medium of the storage unit of a preset copy source to the medium of the storage unit of a preset copy destination; and

arranging and displaying a confirmation processing module constructed as unit graphics, accessing targets of the storage contents, and when a check region corresponding to each of said unit graphics is instructed and operated on a picture plane, sending a check command to the corresponding storage unit, executing an output operation allowing an operator to confirm that each corresponding unit is installed in the system.

50. A storage system, comprising:

at least one drive unit processing replaceable media;

at least one library unit connected to said drive unit as a storage unit;

a copy processing module, copying contents of the medium of the storage unit of a copy source to the medium of the storage unit of a copy destination; and

a confirmation processing module constructed as unit graphics of said at least one storage unit, accessing targets of said copy processing module, are arranged and displayed on a picture plane, and when a check region corresponding to each of said unit graphics is instructed and operated on the picture plane, a check command is sent to each corresponding storage unit, executing an output operation allowing an operator to confirm that each corresponding unit is installed on the system.

51. A storage method, comprising:

processing replaceable media using a drive unit;

connecting said drive unit and a library unit as storage units;

copying storage contents of the medium of the storage unit of a copy source to the medium of the storage unit of a copy destination; and

arranging and displaying a confirmation processing module constructed as unit graphics, accessing targets of the storage contents, and when a check region corresponding to each of said unit graphics is instructed and operated on a picture plane, sending a check command to the corresponding storage unit, executing an output operation allowing an operator to confirm that each corresponding unit is installed in the system.