Positionable vision indicators for configuring logical libraries

• US 6,185,165 B1
• Filed: 07/24/1998
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jesionowski, Leonard George, Yardy, Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, TAN X
• Application Number:
  US09/121,848
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 369/34, 369/30, 369/36, 369/37, 369/38, 369/39, 369/178, 300/92, 710/1, 710/13, 700/57, 700/64, 700/214, 700/213, 700/215
• US Class Current: 369/30.34
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/6835 the cassettes being transferred to a fixed recorder or player using a moving carriage

Abstract

Disclosed is a vision system for partitioning an automated data storage library into multiple logical libraries. The system includes a positionable vision indicator having logical library indicia, which is positioned at a location where it is desired to identify storage slots for a logical library. A reader is provided for reading the indicia and for locating the positionable vision indicator. A logical library controller assigns, in response to the indicia and the location, a sequential portion of the storage slots adjacent the location to one of the multiple logical libraries. Data storage drives and I/O slots may also be identified for logical libraries. The positionable vision indicator may comprise a dummy data storage media positionable in the storage slots. Alternatively, holders are at locations adjacent groups of the storage slots and the positionable vision indicator is a label support mountable on the holders. A snap-on label support assembly may be pressed onto and engage the holders. Alternatively, the holders have attachment surfaces, and the label support comprises a removably engageable element which may be moved into proximity with and engage the holders.

Claims

1. A vision system for partitioning an automated data storage library into multiple logical libraries, said automated data storage library having a plurality of storage slots for storing data storage media, said system comprising:

a positionable vision indicator having logical library indicia;

a reader for reading said indicia and for locating said positionable vision indicator; and

a logical library controller coupled to said reader, assigning, in response to said indicia and said location, a sequential portion of said storage slots adjacent said location to one of said multiple logical libraries.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said data storage media have media indicia thereon, and wherein said positionable vision indicator comprises a dummy data storage media positionable in said storage slots, and wherein said logical library indicia and said media indicia are both readable by said reader.

3. The system of claim 2, additionally comprising an accessor robot for retrieving said data storage media from and storing said data storage media to selected ones of said storage slots, said accessor robot additionally positioning said dummy data storage media in said storage slots.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said library additionally comprises a plurality of input/output slots, and wherein said dummy data storage media is positioned in said input/output slots, and wherein said logical library controller additionally assigns, in response to said indicia thereof read by said reader and said location, a sequential portion of said input/output slots adjacent said location to one of said multiple logical libraries.

5. The system of claim 3, additionally comprising an operator panel for instructing said logical library controller to command said accessor robot to position said dummy data storage media in a selected storage slot.

6. A vision system for partitioning an automated data storage library into multiple logical libraries, said automated data storage library having a plurality of storage slots for storing data storage media, said system comprising:

holders positioned at locations adjacent groups of said storage slots;

a positionable vision indicator label support having logical library indicia, said label support mountable on said holders;

a reader for reading said indicia and for locating said positionable vision indicator label supports; and

a logical library controller coupled to said reader, assigning, in response to said indicia and said location, a sequential portion of said storage slots adjacent said location to one of said multiple logical libraries.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said positionable vision indicator label support comprises a snap-on label support assembly which is pressed onto and engages said holders.

8. The system of claims 6, wherein said holders comprise an attachment surface, and wherein said positionable vision indicator label support comprises a removably engageable element which is moved into proximity with and engages said holders.

9. The system of claim 6, additionally comprising a plurality of data storage drives for reading and/or writing on said data storage media from said storage slots, said data storage drives having drive holders positioned thereat, wherein said positionable vision indicator label support having said logical library indicia is mountable on said drive holders, and wherein said logical library controller assigns, in response to said indicia and said location, said drive having said positionable vision indicator label support mounted on said drive holder thereof to one of said multiple logical libraries.

10. A vision system for partitioning an automated data storage library into multiple logical libraries, said automated data storage library having a plurality of storage slots for storing data storage media, said data storage media having media labels, said library having an accessor robot for retrieving data storage media from and storing said media to selected ones of said storage slots at specific X-Y locations in said library, and having a reader mounted on said accessor robot and positionable thereby to view said X-Y locations for reading said media labels, said system comprising:

a positionable vision indicator having logical library indicia;

said reader mounted on said accessor robot and positionable thereby for locating said positionable vision indicator and for reading said indicia; and

a logical library controller coupled to said reader for detecting said positionable vision indicator location from the X-Y location of said accessor robot upon said reader reading said indicia thereof, said logical library controller assigning, in response to said indicia and said location, a sequential portion of said storage slots adjacent said location to one of said multiple logical libraries.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said positionable vision indicator indicia comprises an identification of a specific one of said multiple logical libraries.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said positionable vision indicator indicia comprises a bar code.

13. A vision system for partitioning an automated data storage library into multiple logical libraries, said automated data storage library having a plurality of storage slots for storing data storage media, said system comprising:

a plurality of positionable vision indicators, each having logical library indicia;

a reader for reading said indicia and for locating said positionable vision indicators; and

a logical library controller coupled to said reader, autoconfiguring, in response to said indicia and said location, said logical libraries, mapping said storage slots to said multiple logical libraries in contiguous sequential groups between said positionable vision indicators.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said library additionally comprises a plurality of input/output slots, and wherein said positionable vision indicators is positioned at said input/output slots, and wherein said logical library controller additionally autoconfigures, in response to said indicia thereof read by said reader and said location, mapping said input/output slots to ones of said multiple logical libraries in contiguous sequential groups between said positionable vision indicators positioned at said input/output slots.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said library additionally comprises a plurality of data storage drives for reading and/or writing on said data storage media from said storage slots, wherein said positionable vision indicators are positionable on said drives, and wherein said logical library controller autoconfigures, in response to said indicia and said locations at said drives, said logical libraries, mapping ones of said drives to said multiple logical libraries based upon said indicia and said locations of said positionable vision indicators at said drives.

16. A method for autoconfiguring an automated data storage library into multiple logical libraries, said automated data storage library having a plurality of storage slots for storing data storage media, comprising the steps of:

positioning positionable vision indicators, each having logical library indicia, at selected locations at said storage slots;

reading said indicia and for locating said positionable vision indicators; and

autoconfiguring, in response to said indicia and said locations, said logical libraries, mapping said storage slots to said multiple logical libraries in contiguous sequential groups between said positionable vision indicators.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said library additionally comprises a plurality of input/output slots, comprising the additional steps of:

positioning said positionable vision indicators at locations at said input/output slots; and

autoconfiguring, in response to said indicia of said input/output slot positionable vision indicators and said locations thereof, mapping said input/output slots to ones of said multiple logical libraries in contiguous sequential groups between said positionable vision indicators positioned at said input/output slots.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said library additionally comprising a plurality of data storage drives for reading and/or writing on said data storage media from said storage slots, comprising the additional steps of:

positioning said positionable vision indicators at locations associated with said drives; and

autoconfiguring, in response to said indicia and said locations at said drives, said logical libraries, mapping ones of said drives to said multiple logical libraries based upon said indicia and said locations of said positionable vision indicators at said drives.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said library additionally comprises an accessor robot for retrieving said data storage media from and storing said data storage media to selected ones of said storage slots, and wherein said positioning step comprises operating said accessor robot to position said positionable vision indicators at said locations.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said positioning step additionally comprises instructing said processor to command said accessor robot to position said positionable vision indicators at said locations.