Highly available removable media storage network environment

• US 7,484,040 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2005
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jesionowski, Leonard G., Mueller, Wolfgang, Deicke, Juergen
• Primary Examiner(s): Sough; Hyung
• Assistant Examiner(s): Doan; Duc T
• Application Number:
  US11/125,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20060259688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1662 the resynchronized component or unit being a persistent storage device re-synchronization of failed mirror storage G06F11/2082; rebuild or reconstruction of parity RAID storage G06F11/1008
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/689 Control of the cassette changing arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/049 Cassettes for special applications not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A method for a removable media storage network environment that employs a media management system for managing a removable media system on behalf of client applications, and a media management agent to enhance the management of the removable media system by the media management system. The media management agent operates to determine an operational state of the removable media system, and to enhance an availability and a performance of the removable media system as managed by a media management system, wherein one or more one error recovery techniques are conditionally initiated based on the determined operational state of the removable media system and wherein the media management system is conditionally reconfigured based on the determined operational state of the removable media system.

Claims

1. A method for managing a removable media system by a media management system, the method comprising:

determining a readiness of a tape drive in the removable media system;

initiating at least one error recovery technique based on the determined readiness;

wherein initiating the at least one error recovery technique includes disabling the tape drive based on the determined readiness, implementing the error recovery technique based on the disabling, and enabling the tape drive based on the implementing;

determining a tape degradation status of a tape cartridge;

initiating at least one error recovery technique based on the determined tape degradation;

wherein initiating the at least one error recovery technique includes copying data from the degraded tape cartridge, erasing the degraded tape cartridge, and ejecting the erased degraded tape cartridge;

determining a number of scratch tape cartridges;

comparing the determined number of scratch tape cartridges to a threshold;

performing at least one administrative task based on the comparison of the determined number of scratch tape cartridges to a threshold;

obtaining tape drive mount statistics associated with a dismounted tape drive;

comparing the obtained tape drive mount statistics with a cleaning threshold;

mounting a cleaning cartridge based on the comparison between the obtained tape drive mount statistics and cleaning threshold;

cleaning the dismounted tape drive based on the mounting of the cleaning cartridge;

resetting a clean mount counter based on the cleaning of the dismounted tape drive;

comparing the obtained tape drive mount statistics with a maintenance threshold;

disabling the dismounted tape drive and performing administrative tasks based on the disabling based on the comparison of the obtained tape drive mount statistics with the maintenance threshold;

adjusting a priority of the dismounted tape drive based on a difference between a maximum priority of a tape drive and the product of the maximum priority of a tape drive and a ratio of the number of mounts of the dismounted tape drive to a maximum number of mounts of a tape drive based on the comparison of the obtained tape drive mount statistics with the maintenance threshold;

obtaining tape drive error statistics;

comparing the obtained tape drive error statistics with an error threshold;

disabling the dismounted tape drive based on the comparison of the obtained tape drive error statistics with the error threshold;

adjusting a priority of the dismounted tape drive based on a difference between a maximum priority of a tape drive and the product of the maximum priority of a tape drive and a ratio of the number of errors of the dismounted tape drive to a maximum number of errors of a tape drive based on the comparison of the obtained tape drive error statistics with the error threshold;

obtaining tape drive access routes of a tape drive;

determining whether all tape drive access routes are visible;

notifying the media management system of any invisible tape drive access routes based on the determination of whether all tape drive access routes are visible; and

notifying the media management system of any alternate routes.