Systems and methods for uniquely identifying removable media by its manufacturing defects wherein defects includes bad memory or redundant cells or both

• US 8,886,853 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Kottomtharayil, Rajiv, Vijayan, Manoj Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): PEYTON, TAMMARA R
• Application Number:
  US14/028,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20140019647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 710/3, 710/320, 710/10, 710/16, 709224-226, 714/6.13
• US Class Current: 710/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3051 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0676 Magnetic disk device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A system and method for determining media to be exported out of a media library is described. In some examples, the system determines a media component to be exported, determines the media component is in the media library for a specific process, and exports the media component after the process is completed.

Claims

1. A method of generating identifiers for storage devices, the method comprising:

automatically scanning a data storage device to identify certain manufacturing defects;

identifying characteristics associated with the manufacturing defects,

wherein the characteristics associated with the manufacturing defects are substantially unique to the storage device; and

automatically generating an identifier for the storage device based on the identified characteristics associated with the manufacturing defects, wherein

the storage device is a magnetic disk drive, and the identifying comprises identifying bad sectors or portions on the magnetic disk drive, or

the storage device is a semiconductor memory drive, and the identifying comprises identifying bad memory cells, enabled redundant memory cells, or both.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the generating includes performing a hashing function.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the characteristics associated with the manufacturing defects have a particular number, location or number and location, and

wherein the generating includes algorithmically combining the identified locations or numbers for the defects with known data to generate the unique identifier or tracking value.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifier is configured for use in tracking the storage device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the characteristics associated with the defects comprise the location of the defects.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the characteristics associated with the defects comprise the quantity of the defects.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the generated identifier is substantially unique.

8. A system for generating identifiers for storage devices, the system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores instructions to be executed by the at least one processor to perform the process of—

automatically scanning a data storage device to identify certain manufacturing defects;

identifying characteristics associated with the manufacturing defects,

wherein the characteristics associated with the manufacturing defects have a particular number, location or number and location, and

wherein the characteristics associated with the manufacturing defects are substantially unique to the storage device;

automatically generating an identifier for the storage device based on the identified characteristics associated with the manufacturing defects.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the storage device is a magnetic disk drive, and wherein the identifying comprises identifying bad sectors or portions on the magnetic disk drive.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the storage device is a semiconductor memory drive, and wherein the identifying comprises identifying bad memory cells, enabled redundant memory cells, or both.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the generating includes performing a hashing function.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the generating includes algorithmically combining the identified locations or numbers for the defects with known data to generate the unique identifier or tracking value.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the identifier is configured for use in tracking the storage device.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the generated identifier is substantially unique.

15. A tangible, computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for generating identifiers for storage devices, comprising:

automatically scanning a data storage device to identify certain manufacturing defects;

identifying characteristics associated with the manufacturing defects,

wherein the characteristics associated with the manufacturing defects are substantially unique to the storage device; and

automatically generating an identifier for the storage device based on the identified characteristics associated with the manufacturing defects, wherein

the storage device is a magnetic disk drive, and the identifying comprises identifying bad sectors or portions on the magnetic disk drive, or

the storage device is a semiconductor memory drive, and the identifying comprises identifying bad memory cells, enabled redundant memory cells, or both.