Method and apparatus for facilitating progressive increase in allowable mount/demounts during inventory updates
First Claim
1. A method for managing inventory updates in a data storage media library, comprising the steps of:
- initiating an inventory update for the a data storage media library;
scanning data storage media in the data storage media library;
identifying verified data storage media;
receiving a request for moving data storage media between a rack and data storage media drives;
determining if the request is for verified data storage media;
performing the request when the request is determined to be for verified data storage media; and
requeueing the request when the request is for unverified data storage media.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus is disclosed for managing inventory updates in a data library. The method and apparatus allows mount/demount activity to occur during an inventory update and allows a corresponding increase in the number of data storage media that are available for mount/demount during the inventory update. The invention initiates an inventory update for the data storage media library, scans data storage media in the data storage media library behind opened doors, identifies verified data storage media, receives a request for moving data storage media between the slots and the data storage drives, determines if the request is for verified data storage media and performs the request when the request is determined to be for verified data storage media. The request is requeued when the request is for unverified data storage media. Whether a frame containing data storage media has had a door to the frame opened is determined and the data storage media in a frame having had the door opened is designated as being unverified. Data storage media in a frame not having had the door opened is designated as being verified.
33 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A method for managing inventory updates in a data storage media library, comprising the steps of:
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initiating an inventory update for the a data storage media library; scanning data storage media in the data storage media library; identifying verified data storage media; receiving a request for moving data storage media between a rack and data storage media drives; determining if the request is for verified data storage media; performing the request when the request is determined to be for verified data storage media; and requeueing the request when the request is for unverified data storage media. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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5. The method of claim wherein the step of determining if the request is for verified data storage media further comprises the steps of:
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determining whether the mount is a category mount; ascertaining the next volume in the category when the mount is from a category; locating an assigned cell of the volume; resolving whether the assigned cell is included in the inventory; and performing the mount request when the assigned cell is not included in the inventory. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 22)
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19. The data storage media dataserver, comprising:
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a data storage media Library including data storage media; data storage drives; an accessor for accessing accesses the data storage media from storage slots in the data storage media library and delivering the accessed media to the data storage drives; and a library manager, the library manager initiating an inventory update for the data storage media library, scanning data storage media in the data storage media library, identifying verified data storage media, receiving a request for moving data storage media between the slots and the data storage drives, determining the request is for verified data storage media performing the request when the request is determined to be for verified data storage media and requeueing the request when the request is for unverified data storage media. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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23. An article of manufacture or computer-based user-interface, the article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium hanging instructions for causing a computer to perform and manage inventory updates in a data storage media library, the method comprising the steps of:
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initiating an inventory update for the a data storage media library; scanning data storage media in the data storage media library; identifying verified data storage media; receiving a request for moving data storage media between a rack and data storage media drives; determining if the request is for verified data storage media;
performing the request when the request is determined to be for verified data storage media; andrequeueing the request when the request is for unverified data storage media. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method for managing inventory updates in a data storage media library, comprising:
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providing a library containing verified data storage media; experiencing an event that causes at least one verified data storage media to become an unverified data storage media; and performing an inventory update for unverified storage media while allowing verified storage media to be available requests for moving data storage media between a rack and data storage media drives, wherein the inventory update converts unverified data storage media to verified data storage media, the converted verified data storage media becoming available for the requests during the inventory update.
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42. The data storage media dataserver, comprising:
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a data storage media library including data storage media; data storage drives; an accessor for accessing accesses the data storage media from storage slots in the data storage media library and delivering the accessed media to the data storage drives; and a library manager, the library manager providing a library containing verified data storage media, experiencing an event that causes at least one verified data storage media to become an unverified data storage media and performing an inventory update for unverified storage media while allowing verified storage media to be available requests for moving data storage media between a rack and data storage media drives;
wherein the inventory update converts unverified data storage media to verified data storage media, the converted verified data storage media becoming available for the requests during the inventory update.
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43. An article of manufacture or computer-based user-interface, the article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium hanging instructions for causing a computer to perform and manage inventory updates in a data storage media library, the method comprising:
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providing a library containing verified data storage media; experiencing an event that causes at least one verified data storage media to become an unverified data storage media; and performing an inventory update for unverified storage media while allowing verified storage media to be available requests for moving data storage media between a rack and data storage media drives, wherein the inventory update converts unverified data storage media to verified data storage media, the converted verified data storage media becoming available for the requests during the inventory update.
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Specification