Method to allocate storage elements while in a reset state

• US 6,577,562 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2001
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Tipton, Lawrence D., Gallo, Frank David
• Primary Examiner(s): Neyzari, Ali
• Application Number:
  US09/824,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20020141295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 369/71, 369/72, 369/30.34, 369/30.38, 369/30.24, 369/30.46, 369/30.63, 360/128, 360/53, 360/73.03, 360/73.01, 360/73.05, 360/137, 15D/IG.12
• US Class Current: 369/30.63
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/689 Control of the cassette changing arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 17/228 Control systems for magazines G11B17/225 takes precedence

Abstract

A method to return an automated data storage and retrieval system from a reset state to the ready state. An automated data storage and retrieval system which includes a computer useable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to implement Applicants'"'"' method to return the automated data storage and retrieval system to the ready state from a reset state. A method to allocate storage elements disposed within an automated data storage and retrieval system while that automated data storage and retrieval system is in a reset state. An automated data storage and retrieval system which includes computer readable program code disposed therein to implement Applicants'"'"' method to allocate storage elements disposed within an automated data storage and retrieval system while that automated data storage and retrieval system is in a reset state. A method to adjust the system recovery period of an automated data storage and retrieval system after that system is placed in a reset state. An automated data storage and retrieval system which includes a computer useable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to implement Applicants'"'"' method to adjust the system recovery period of an automated data storage and retrieval system after that system is placed in a reset state.

Claims

1. A method to return an automated data storage and retrieval system from a reset state to a ready state, wherein said automated data storage and retrieval system comprises one or more host computers, a plurality of storage elements, one or more data drive devices, and one or more portable data drive cleaning devices not disposed in one or more of said plurality of storage elements, said method comprising the step of:

allocating a different one of said plurality of storage elements for each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices before returning said automated data storage and retrieval system to said ready state from said reset state;

disallowing allocation by said one or more host computers of one or more of said plurality of storage elements when said automated data storage and retrieval system is in said reset state; and

allowing allocation by said one or more host computers of one or more of said plurality of storage elements when said automated data storage and retrieval system is in said ready state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said automated data storage and retrieval system further comprises a cleaning controller and an element status controller, wherein said allocating step further comprises the steps of:

generating a request by said cleaning controller to allocate a different one of said plurality of storage elements for each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices;

communicating said request to said element status controller; and

designating by said element status controller a different one of said plurality of storage elements for each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

determining the number of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices disposed within said automated data storage and retrieval system; and

determining the location of each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said automated data storage and retrieval system further comprises one or more accessors moveably disposed therein, said method further comprising the steps of:

instructing one of said one or more accessors to retrieve, transport, and store one of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices;

retrieving said one of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices;

transporting said one of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices; and

storing said one of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

returning said automated data storage and retrieval system to said ready state.

6. A method to allocate storage elements disposed within an automated data storage and retrieval system while that automated data storage and retrieval system is in a reset state, wherein said automated data storage and retrieval system comprises one or more host computers, one or more data drive devices, one or more portable data drive cleaning devices, and a plurality of storage elements, comprising the step of:

allocating one or more of said plurality of storage elements for storage of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices while said automated data storage and retrieval system is in a reset state; and

disallowing allocation by said one or more host computers of one or more of said plurality of storage elements when said automated data storage and retrieval system is in said reset state.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said automated data storage and retrieval system further comprises a cleaning controller and an element status controller, wherein said allocating step further comprises the steps of:

generating a request by said cleaning controller to allocate a different one of said plurality of storage elements for each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices;

communicating said request to said element status controller; and

designating by said element status controller a different one of said plurality of storage elements for each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

determining the number of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices disposed within said automated data storage and retrieval system; and

determining the location of each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said automated data storage and retrieval system further comprises one or more accessors moveably disposed therein, said method further comprising the steps of:

instructing one of said one or more accessors to retrieve, transport, and store one of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices;

retrieving said one of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices;

transporting said one of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices; and

storing said one of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices.

10. A method to adjust the system recovery period of an automated data storage and retrieval system, wherein said automated data storage and retrieval system comprises a plurality of storage elements, one or more data drive devices, one or more portable data drive cleaning devices not stored in one or more of said storage elements, and one or more host computers, said method comprising the steps of:

placing said automated data storage and retrieval system in a reset state at a first time;

allocating a different one of said plurality of storage elements for each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices at a second time;

returning said automated data storage and retrieval system to a ready state at a third time;

storing each of said one or more of said portable data drive cleaning devices in a different one or more of said allocated storage elements at a fourth time;

wherein the period of time between said first time and said third time comprises said system recovery period;

adjusting the period of time between said first time and said second time to be less than said system recovery period; and

adjusting the period of time between said first time and said fourth time to be greater than said system recovery period.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said adjusting steps comprise the steps of:

adjusting the period of time between said first time and said second time to be greater than said system recovery period; and

adjusting the period of time between said first time and said fourth time to be greater than said system recovery period.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said adjusting steps comprise the steps of:

adjusting the period of time between said first time and said second time to be less than said system recovery period; and

adjusting the period of time between said first time and said fourth time to be equal to said system recovery period.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said automated data storage and retrieval system further comprises a cleaning controller and an element status controller, wherein said allocating step further comprises the steps of:

generating a request by said cleaning controller to allocate a different one of said plurality of storage elements for each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices;

communicating said request to said element status controller; and

designating by said element status controller a different one of said plurality of storage elements for each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

determining the number of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices disposed within said automated data storage and retrieval system; and

determining the location of each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said automated data storage and retrieval system further comprises one or more accessors moveably disposed therein, wherein said storing step further comprises the steps of:

instructing one or more of said one or more accessors to retrieve, transport, and store each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices;

retrieving each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices; and

transporting each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices.

17. The automated data storage and retrieval system of claim 14, wherein said automated data storage and retrieval system further comprises a cleaning controller and an element status controller, said computer readable program code further comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

generating a request by said cleaning controller to allocate a different one of said plurality of storage elements for each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices;

communicating said request to said element status controller; and

designating by said element status controller a different one of said plurality of storage elements for each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices.

18. The automated data storage and retrieval system of claim 17, said computer readable program code further comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

determining the number of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices disposed within said automated data storage and retrieval system; and

determining the location of each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices.

19. The automated data storage and retrieval system of claim 18, wherein said automated data storage and retrieval system further comprises one or more accessors moveably disposed therein, said computer readable program code further comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

instructing one of said one or more accessors to retrieve, transport, and store one of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices;

retrieving said one of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices;

transporting said one of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices; and

storing said one of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices.

20. The automated data storage and retrieval system of claim 19, said computer readable program code further comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

returning said automated data storage and retrieval system to said ready state.

16. An automated data storage and retrieval system comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein for returning said automated data storage and retrieval system to a ready state from a reset state, wherein said automated data storage and retrieval system comprises one or more host computers, one or more data drive devices, a plurality of storage elements, and one or more portable data drive cleaning devices not disposed within said plurality of storage elements, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

allocating a different one of said plurality of storage elements for each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices before returning said automated data storage and retrieval system to said ready state from said reset state;

disallowing allocation by said one or more host computers of one or more of said plurality of storage elements when said automated data storage and retrieval system is in said reset state; and

allowing allocation by said one or more host computers of one or more of said plurality of storage elements when said automated data storage and retrieval system is in said ready state.

21. An automated data storage and retrieval system comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein for allocating storage elements, wherein said automated data storage and retrieval system comprises one or more host computers, one or more portable data drive cleaning devices, and a plurality of storage elements, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

allocating one or more of said plurality of storage elements for said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices while said automated data storage and retrieval system is in a reset state; and

disallowing allocation by said one or more host computers of one or more of said plurality of storage elements when said automated data storage and retrieval system is in said reset state.

22. The automated data storage and retrieval system of claim 21, wherein said automated data storage and retrieval system further comprises a cleaning controller and an element status controller, said computer readable program code further comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

generating a request by said cleaning controller to allocate a different one of said plurality of storage elements for each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices;

communicating said request to said element status controller; and

designating by said element status controller a different one or more of said plurality of storage elements for each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices.

23. The automated data storage and retrieval system of claim 22, said computer readable program code further comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

determining the number of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices disposed within said automated data storage and retrieval system; and

determining the location of each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices.

24. The automated data storage and retrieval system of claim 23, wherein said automated data storage and retrieval system further comprises one or more accessors moveably disposed therein, said computer readable program code further comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

instructing one of said one or more accessors to retrieve, transport, and store one of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices;

retrieving said one of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices;

transporting said one of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices; and

storing said one of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices.

25. An automated data storage and retrieval system comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein for adjusting the system recovery period after said automated data storage and retrieval system is placed in a reset state at a first time, wherein said automated data storage and retrieval system comprises a plurality of storage elements, one or more portable data drive cleaning devices not located in one or more of said storage elements, and one or more host computers, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

allocating one or more of said plurality of storage elements for each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices at a second time;

returning said automated data storage and retrieval system to a ready state at a third time; and

storing each of said one or more of said portable data drive cleaning devices in a different one of said plurality of storage elements at a fourth time;

wherein the period of time between said first time and said third time comprises said system recovery period;

adjusting the period of time between said first time and said second time to be less than said system recovery period; and

adjusting the period of time between said first time and said fourth time to be greater than said system recovery period.

26. The automated data storage and retrieval system of claim 25, wherein said computer readable program code further comprises a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

adjusting the period of time between said first time and said second time to be greater than said system recovery period; and

adjusting the period of time between said first time and said fourth time to be greater than said system recovery period.

27. The automated data storage and retrieval system of claim 25, wherein said computer readable program code further comprises a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

adjusting the period of time between said first time and said second time to be less than said system recovery period; and

adjusting the period of time between said first time and said fourth time to be equal to said system recovery period.

28. The automated data storage and retrieval system of claim 25, wherein said automated data storage and retrieval system further comprises a cleaning controller and an element status controller, wherein said computer readable program code further comprises a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

generating a request by said cleaning controller to allocate a different one of said plurality of storage elements for each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices;

communicating said request to said element status controller; and

designating by said element status controller a different one of said plurality of storage elements for each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices.

29. The automated data storage and retrieval system of claim 28, wherein said computer readable program code further comprises a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

determining the number of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices disposed within said automated data storage and retrieval system; and

determining the location of each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices.

30. The automated data storage and retrieval system of claim 29, wherein said automated data storage and retrieval system further comprises one or more accessors moveably disposed therein, wherein said computer readable program code further comprises a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

instructing one or more of said one or more accessors to retrieve, transport, and store each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices;

retrieving each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices; and

transporting each of said one or more portable data drive cleaning devices.