Data storage library with component locker for environmental acclimation

• US 9,940,976 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2017
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gale, Ernest S., Iben, Icko E. T., Jesionowski, Leonard G., Karp, James M., McIntosh, Michael P., Nave, Shawn M., Randall, Lee C.
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER, BRIAN E
• Application Number:
  US15/460,389
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0407 using stacker cranes constructional features of stacker cranes B66F9/06
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/68 Automatic cassette changing arrangements; automatic tape changing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/6835 the cassettes being transferred to a fixed recorder or player using a moving carriage
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/144 by detection, control, regulation of the temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/00813 magnetic tapes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20 Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating

Abstract

A data storage library system and method comprising at least one data storage library, the at least one data storage library comprising one or more library frames associated with the one or more library frames and at least one environmental conditioning unit configured to control one or more environmental conditions within the one or more library frames. At least one component locker is housed in an interior portion of the one or more library frames, and the at least one component locker is configured to retain one or more replacement components for use in the at least one data storage library.

Claims

1. A data storage library system, the system comprising:

at least one data storage library, the at least one data storage library comprising at least one library frame, wherein at least one environmental conditioning unit is associated with the at least one frame, the at least one environmental conditioning unit configured to control at least one environmental condition within the at least one library frame; and

at least one component locker housed in an interior portion of the at least one library frame,

wherein the at least one component locker is configured to retain at least one replacement component for use in the at least one data storage library, and further wherein the at least one environmental conditioning unit is configured to adjust at least one environmental condition within the at least one component locker to be within a desired range of at least one environmental condition outside of the at least one library frame prior to insertion of the at least one replacement component into the at least one component locker.

2. The data storage library system of claim 1, wherein the at least one environmental conditioning unit is configured to maintain the at least one environmental condition within the at least one component locker to be similar to the environmental conditions within other interior portions of the at least one library frame.

3. The data storage library system of claim 1, wherein the at least one component locker is located within an unused portion of the at least one library frame.

4. The data storage library system of claim 1, wherein the at least one component locker is located at a bottom portion of the at least one library frame.

5. The data storage library system of claim 1, wherein the at least one component locker is located at a rear portion of the at least one library frame.

6. The data storage library system of claim 1, wherein the at least one component locker is accessible via a rear door of the at least one library frame.

7. The data storage library system of claim 1, wherein the at least one component locker is configured to be accessible by at least one of an operator and an accessor.

8. The data storage library system of claim 7, wherein the at least one component locker is manually replenishable by an operator.

9. The data storage library system of claim 1, wherein the one or more replacement components comprise at least one of a tape drive, a library control card, a communication card, and a data storage cartridge.

10. A system comprising:

a data storage library, the data storage library comprising at least one library frame and at least one environmental conditioning unit, the at least one environmental conditioning unit configured to control at least one environmental condition within the data storage library;

a front access door configured to allow access into a front interior portion of the at least one library frame;

a rear access door configured to allow access into a rear interior portion of at least one library frame, and

at least one component locker housed in the rear interior portion of the at least one library frame, wherein the at least one component locker is configured to retain at least one replacement component for use in the data storage library, and further wherein the at least one environmental conditioning unit is configured to adjust at least one environmental condition within the at least one component locker to be within a desired range of at least one environmental condition outside of the at least one library frame prior to insertion of the at least one replacement component into the at least one component locker.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one component locker is located at a bottom portion of the rear interior portion of the at least one library frame.

12. A method of acclimating one or more replacement components within a data storage library, the method comprising:

providing a data storage library having one or more library frames;

providing an environmental conditioning unit configured to control an environmental condition within the one or more library frames;

providing at least one component locker within a portion of the one or more library frames, the at least one component locker configured for storage of at least one replacement component for the one or more library frames;

providing one or more replacement components;

detecting an environmental condition within the one or more library frames and an ambient environmental condition outside of the one or more library frames;

adjusting the environmental condition within the one or more library frames such that the environmental condition within the one or more library frames is within a desired range of the ambient environmental condition;

inserting the one or more replacement components within the at least one component locker; and

incrementally adjusting the environmental condition within the one or more library frames such that the environmental condition within the one or more library frames reaches a predetermined operational condition.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining if the one or more replacement components are needed within the one or more library frames.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising accessing the at least one component locker to remove the one or more replacement components when it is determined that the one or more replacement components are needed within the one or more library frames.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of accessing the at least one component locker to remove one or more replacement components is performed manually by an operator.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of accessing the at least one component locker to remove one or more replacement components is performed automatically by an accessor.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of determining if the one or more replacement components are needed is performed via active monitoring of components within the one or more library frames by a library controller.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of determining if the one or more replacement components are needed is performed by an operator based on at least one of a scheduled replacement or maintenance procedure.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the environmental condition within the one or more library frames and the ambient environmental condition outside of the one or more library frames is determined by at least one internal environmental sensor and at least one external environmental sensor.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the environmental condition within the one or more library frames and the ambient environmental condition outside of the one or more library frames is at least one of a temperature condition and a humidity condition.