Access control management

• US 7,861,031 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2007
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Billimoria, Shiraz, Maddocks, Steven, Ballard, Curtis C., Feather, Stanley S.
• Primary Examiner(s): BATAILLE, PIERRE MICHE
• Application Number:
  US11/712,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20080215806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 711/154, 711/112, 707/100
• US Class Current: 711/111
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/805 using a security table for the storage sub-system
• 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 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier

Abstract

In one embodiment, a cartridge library comprises a library controller comprising a first processor module and a memory medium communicatively connected to the processor module, and a cartridge drive controller comprising a second processor module and a memory medium communicatively connected to the processor module. The cartridge drive controller comprises logic instructions stored on a computer readable medium which, when executed, cause the first processor module to receive, from a management component coupled to the cartridge library, at least one access control parameter, wherein the access control parameter identifies at least one of a user, a server, a command, or a time, record, in a memory medium coupled to the cartridge library, the at least one access control parameter; receive a request for at least one resource of the cartridge library; and use the access control parameter in determining whether to grant access to the at least one resource of the cartridge library.

Claims

1. A cartridge library, comprising:

a management component;

a library controller comprising a first processor module and a memory medium communicatively connected to the first processor module;

a cartridge drive controller comprising a second processor module and a memory medium communicatively connected to the second processor module,

wherein the management component is configured to;

receive at least one access control parameter, wherein the at least one access control parameter identifies at least one of a user, a server, a command, or a time;

verify the received at least one access control parameter by verifying that a resource of the cartridge library identified by the at least one access control parameter is a valid resource in the cartridge library; and

in response to the verifying, send the at least one control parameter to the cartridge drive controller;

wherein the memory medium of the cartridge drive controller stores logic instructions which, when executed, cause the second processor module to;

record, in the memory medium of the cartridge drive controller, the at least one access control parameter received from the management component;

receive a request for at least one resource of the cartridge library, wherein the request for the at least one resource of the cartridge library includes a request to access a storage cartridge of the cartridge library; and

use the access control parameter in determining whether to grant access to the at least one resource of the cartridge library in response to the request.

2. The cartridge library of claim 1, wherein the memory medium of the cartridge drive controller stores logic instructions which, when executed, cause the second processor module to receive via a user interface in the management component instructions which assign access rights to a user of the cartridge library, wherein the access control parameter comprises the access rights.

3. The cartridge library of claim 2, wherein the access rights limit the user'"'"'s ability to perform at least one command on at least one resource of the cartridge library during at least one time period.

4. The cartridge library of claim 1, wherein using the access control parameter in determining whether to grant access to the at least one resource of the cartridge library comprises:

obtaining an identifier from the request for at least one resource, wherein the identifier identifies a user of the cartridge library;

locating a record associated with the identifier in an access control file; and

granting access to the at least one resource when the request is consistent with access control parameters in the access control file.

5. The cartridge library of claim 1, wherein the memory medium of the cartridge drive controller stores logic instructions which, when executed, cause the second processor module to:

obtain an identifier from the request for at least one resource, wherein the identifier identifies a user of the cartridge library;

locate a record associated with the identifier in an access control file; and

invoke an error routine when the request is inconsistent with access control parameters in the access control file.

6. The cartridge library of claim 5, wherein the memory medium of the cartridge drive controller stores logic instructions which, when executed, cause the second processor module to:

transmit an error message to the user, wherein the error message indicates that a requested resource is unavailable to the user at this time; and

record the error message in a log.

7. The cartridge library of claim 1, comprising multiple storage cartridges and plural cartridge drives to access data on the storage cartridges, and wherein the request is to access the data on one of the storage cartridges.

8. The cartridge library of claim 1, wherein the access control parameter includes an identifier of the storage cartridge.

9. The cartridge library of claim 8, wherein the cartridge drive controller is to further verify, based on the identifier of the storage cartridge, that the storage cartridge is a valid resource in the cartridge library.

10. A method of managing access to data stored in a cartridge library, comprising:

receiving, in a management component coupled to the cartridge library, at least one access control parameter, wherein the at least one access control parameter identifies at least one of a user, a server, a command, or a time;

verifying the received at least one access control parameter by verifying that a resource of the cartridge library identified by the at least one access control parameter is a valid resource in the cartridge library;

in response to the verifying, recording, in a memory medium coupled to the cartridge library, the at least one access control parameter;

receiving, by a controller in the cartridge library, a request for at least one resource of the cartridge library, wherein the request for the at least one resource of the cartridge library includes a request to access a storage cartridge of the cartridge library; and

using, by the controller, the access control parameter in determining whether to grant access to the at least one resource of the cartridge library in response to the request.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving, in the management component coupled to the cartridge library, the at least one access control parameter comprises receiving, via a user interface in the management component, instructions which assign access rights to a user of the cartridge library.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the access rights limit the user'"'"'s ability to perform at least one command on at least one resource of the cartridge library during at least one time period.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein recording, in the memory medium, the at least one access control parameter comprises:

transmitting the at least one access control parameter to at least one library controller; and

storing the at least one access control parameter in a data file maintained by the at least one library controller.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein recording, in the memory medium, the at least one access control parameter comprises:

storing the at least one access control parameter in a data file in a removable non-volatile storage medium coupled to the management component.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein using the access control parameter in determining whether to grant access to the at least one resource of the cartridge library comprises:

obtaining an identifier from the request for at least one resource, wherein the identifier identifies a user of the cartridge library;

locating a record associated with the identifier in an access control file; and

granting access to the at least one resource when the request is consistent with access control parameters in the access control file.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein using the access control parameter in determining whether to grant access to the at least one resource of the cartridge library comprises:

obtaining an identifier from the request for at least one resource, wherein the identifier identifies a user of the cartridge library;

locating a record associated with the identifier in an access control file; and

invoking an error routine when the request is inconsistent with access control parameters in the access control file.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein invoking the error routine when the request is inconsistent with access control parameters in the access control file comprises:

transmitting an error message to the user, wherein the error message indicates that a requested resource is unavailable to the user at this time; and

recording the error message in a log.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the cartridge library includes multiple storage cartridges and plural cartridge drives to access data on the storage cartridges, and wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request to access the data on one of the storage cartridges.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

the management component recording information relating to an error associated with loading the storage cartridge, wherein the recorded information describes a position of a movable mechanical component for loading the storage cartridge.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein the access control parameter includes an identifier of the storage cartridge.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising verifying, based on the identifier of the storage cartridge, that the storage cartridge is a valid resource in the cartridge library.

22. A computer program product comprising logic instructions stored on a computer readable storage medium which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to manage access requests in a cartridge library by performing operations, comprising:

receiving, in a management component coupled to the cartridge library, at least one access control parameter, wherein the at least one access control parameter identifies at least one of a user, a server, a command, or a time;

verifying the received at least one access control parameter by verifying that a resource of the cartridge library identified by the at least one access control parameter is a valid resource in the cartridge library;

in response to the verifying, recording, in a memory medium coupled to the cartridge library, the at least one access control parameter;

receiving a request for at least one resource of the cartridge library, wherein the request for the at least one resource of the cartridge library includes a request to access a storage cartridge of the cartridge library; and

using the access control parameter in determining whether to grant access to the at least one resource of the cartridge library in response to the request.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, further comprising logic instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to manage access requests in the cartridge library by performing operations, comprising receiving via a user interface in the management component instructions which assign access rights to a user of the storage system.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the access rights limit the user'"'"'s ability to perform at least one command on at least one resource of the cartridge library during at least one time period.

25. The computer program product of claim 22, further comprising logic instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to manage access requests in a cartridge library by performing operations, comprising:

transmitting the at least one access control parameter to at least one library controller; and

storing the at least one access control parameter in a data file maintained by the at least one library controller.

26. The computer program product of claim 22, further comprising logic instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to manage access requests in a cartridge library by performing operations, comprising:

storing the at least one access control parameter in a data file in a removable non-volatile storage medium coupled to the management component.