Data storage media library with scalable throughput rate for data routing and protocol conversion

• US 20020144048A1
• Filed: 03/31/2001
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quantum Corporation (Chi Ko Investment Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Quantum Corporation (Chi Ko Investment Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bolt, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 6,766,412 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0658 Controller construction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0661 Format or protocol conversion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0686 Libraries, e.g. tape libraries, jukebox
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/6835 the cassettes being transferred to a fixed recorder or player using a moving carriage
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1833 by adding special lists or symbols to the coded information G11B20/1806, G11B20/1866 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• 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 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• 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

Abstract

A digital data storage unit, such as tape library, has a multiplicity of storage media slots, each storage media slot for receiving a storage media unit, a plurality of storage media units loaded in particular ones of the storage media slots, a plurality of data transfer devices for writing data to and reading data from the storage media units, a plurality of data transfer device interfaces corresponding to the plurality of the data transfer devices, each data transfer device interface configured for transferring data between a corresponding data transfer device and a host computing environment, a loader mechanism for selectively moving a storage media unit between a storage media slot and one of the plurality of data storage drives, and a storage unit controller connected to the loader mechanism and to the data transfer device interfaces, wherein the storage unit controller is configured for connection to the host computing environment to receive and decode one or more host commands sent by the host computing environment at the storage unit controller, and for controlling the loader mechanism for selectively moving storage media units from the storage media slot locations to the data transfer devices for data transfer in response to host commands.

Claims

1. A digital data storage unit, comprising:

a multiplicity of storage media slots, each storage media slot for receiving a storage media unit,

a plurality of storage media units loaded in particular ones of the storage media slots,

a plurality of data transfer devices for writing data to and reading data from the storage media units,

a plurality of data transfer device interfaces corresponding to the plurality of the data transfer devices, each data transfer device interface configured for transferring data between a corresponding data transfer device and a host computing environment,

a loader mechanism for selectively moving a storage media unit between a storage media slot and one of the plurality of data storage drives, and

a storage unit controller connected to the loader mechanism and to the data transfer device interfaces, wherein the storage unit controller is configured for connection to the host computing environment to receive and decode one or more host commands sent by the host computing environment at the storage unit controller, and for controlling the loader mechanism for selectively moving storage media units from the storage media slot locations to the data transfer devices for data transfer in response to host commands.

2. The digital data storage unit of claim 1, wherein each data transfer device has a unique logical address, and at least one host command comprises a media unit access request including a media unit address generated by the host computing environment and a logical address corresponding to a data storage drive specified by the host computing environment, and wherein the storage unit controller controls the loader mechanism for moving said requested storage media unit from the storage media slot location to the specified data transfer device.

3. The digital data storage unit of claim 2, wherein the requested media unit address comprises a source address corresponding to a storage media slot location containing the requested media unit.

4. The digital data storage unit of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of device canisters, wherein each data transfer device and a corresponding data transfer device interface are housed in a device canister.

5. The digital data storage unit of claim 1, wherein each data transfer device comprises a media player for writing data to and reading data from a storage media unit

6. The digital data storage unit of claim 1, wherein at least a number of the data transfer device interfaces are interconnected via at least a communication link, wherein each of said at least a number of data transfer device interfaces includes logic circuitry for selectively routing data to one or more other data transfer devices.

7. The digital data storage unit of claim 1, wherein at least one data transfer device interface selectively transfers data between the host computing environment and two or more data transfer devices.

8. The digital data storage unit of claim 1, wherein at least one data transfer device interface includes a communication protocol converter.

9. The digital data storage unit of claim 1, wherein at least one data transfer device interface comprises a switched fabric topology.

10. The digital data storage unit of claim 1, at least one data transfer device interface comprises a microcontroller programmed to perform said data transfer functions between a corresponding data transfer device and the host computing environment.

11. The digital data storage unit of claim 1 wherein each data transfer device interface includes a device data interface for connecting that data transfer device interface to a corresponding data transfer device via a device communication link.

12. The digital data storage unit of claim 11, wherein the device data interface in at least one data transfer device interface comprises a fibre channel interface connected to a corresponding data transfer device via said device communication link.

13. The digital data storage unit of claim 11, wherein the device data interface in at least one data transfer device interface comprises a SCSI interface connected to a corresponding data transfer device via said device communication link.

14. The digital data storage unit of claim 11, wherein the device data interface in at least one data transfer device interface comprises an Ethernet interface connected to a corresponding data transfer device via said device communication link.

15. The digital data storage unit of claim 11, wherein the device data interface in at least one data transfer device interface comprises an Infiniband interface connected to a corresponding data transfer via said device communication link.

16. The digital data storage unit of claim 1, further comprising at least one host computer interface module for connecting the digital data storage unit to the host computing environment via at least one communication link, wherein the host computing environment communicates with the storage unit controller via the host computer interface module.

17. The digital data storage unit of claim 1, wherein each data transfer device interface includes a host interface for connecting that data transfer device interface to the host computing environment.

18. The digital data storage unit of claim 17, wherein the host interface in at least one data transfer device interface comprises a fibre channel interface for connecting that data transfer device interface to the host computing environment.

19. The digital data storage unit of claim 17, wherein the host interface in at least one data transfer device interface comprises an Ethernet interface for connecting that data transfer device interface to the host computing environment.

20. The digital data storage unit of claim 17, wherein the host interface in at least one data transfer device interface comprises an Infiniband interface for connecting that data transfer device interface to the host computing environment.

21. The digital data storage unit of claim 1 wherein each data transfer device interface includes a management interface for connecting that data transfer device interface to the storage unit controller for management communication.

22. The digital data storage unit of claim 21, wherein the management interface in at least one data transfer device interface comprises a fibre channel interface connected to the storage unit controller via a communication link.

23. The digital data storage unit of claim 21, wherein the management interface in at least one data transfer device interface comprises a i2c channel interface connected to the storage unit controller via a communication link.

24. The digital data storage unit of claim 21, wherein the management interface in at least one data transfer device interface comprises a USB interface connected to the storage unit controller via a communication link.

25. The digital data storage unit of claim 21, wherein the management interface in at least one data transfer device interface comprises an Ethernet interface connected to the storage unit controller via a communication link.

26. The digital data storage unit of claim 21, wherein the storage unit controller is further configured for selectively managing configuration of the data transfer device interfaces via the management interface in each data transfer device interface.

27. The digital data storage unit of claim 26, wherein said management configuration of the data transfer device interfaces by the storage unit controller includes selectively configuring data routing by each data transfer device interface to one or more other data transfer interfaces.

28. The digital data storage unit of claim 26, wherein said management configuration of the data transfer device interfaces by the storage unit controller includes selectively configuring protocol conversion by each data transfer device interface.

29. The digital data storage unit of claim 1, wherein one or more data transfer device interfaces are configured to receive and decode host commands sent by the host computing environment to specified data transfer devices corresponding to said one or more data transfer device interfaces.

30. The digital data storage unit of claim 29, wherein the storage unit controller is further configured for selectively controlling at least one data transfer device interface for rerouting data flow between the host computing environment and a specified data transfer device to a second data transfer device.

31. The digital data storage unit of claim 29, wherein the storage unit controller is further configured for using a second data transfer device in place of a specified data transfer device by rerouting host commands directed to the specified data transfer device to said second data transfer device, and controlling the loader mechanism for moving the requested media storage unit at the storage media slot location to the second data transfer device.

32. The digital data storage unit of claim 31, wherein at least one data transfer device is reserved as a spare data transfer device and wherein the storage unit controller is configured to selectively control at least one data transfer device interface for rerouting data flow between the host computing environment and a corresponding data transfer device specified by the host computing environment, to the spare data transfer device.

33. The digital data storage unit of claim 32, wherein the storage unit controller is further configured for determining if a data transfer device specified by the host computing environment for data transfer is available, and if not, then using a spare data transfer device in place of the specified data transfer device, and signaling the loader mechanism for moving the requested media storage unit at the storage media slot location to the spare data transfer device.

34. The digital data storage unit of claim 29, wherein at least a number of the data transfer device interfaces are interconnected via at least a communication link, each of said at least a number of data transfer device interfaces including logic circuitry for selectively routing data to one or more of said data transfer device interfaces.

35. The digital data storage unit of claim 34, wherein each of said at least a number of data transfer device interfaces is further configured for selectively routing host commands directed to a specified data transfer device, to a data transfer device interface corresponding to another data transfer device.

36. The digital data storage unit of claim 1, wherein:

at least one host command includes a source address corresponding to a storage media slot location and a destination address corresponding to a data transfer device specified by the host computing environment; and

the storage unit controller is further configured for;

determining if the specified data transfer device is available, and

if the specified data transfer device is not available, then using a spare data transfer device in place of the specified data transfer device.

37. The digital data storage unit of claim 36, wherein the storage unit controller is further configured for determining if the specified data transfer device is available by:

querying status information from the data transfer device interface corresponding to the specified data transfer device.

38. The digital data storage unit of claim 36, wherein the storage unit controller is further configured for using a spare data transfer device in place of the specified data transfer device by:

redirecting the host command from the data transfer device interface corresponding to the specified data transfer device, to the data transfer device interface corresponding to the spare data transfer device.

39. The digital data storage unit of claim 38, wherein the storage unit controller is further configured for redirecting the host command from the data transfer device interface corresponding to the specified data transfer device, to the data transfer device interface corresponding to the spare data transfer device, by:

changing the address of the spare data transfer device to correspond to the destination address of the specified data transfer device.

40. The digital data storage unit of claim 38, wherein the storage unit controller is further configured for redirecting the host command from the data transfer device interface corresponding to the specified data transfer device, to the data transfer device interface corresponding to the spare data transfer device, by:

commanding the data transfer device interface corresponding to the spare data transfer device to change the address of the spare data transfer device to correspond to the destination address of the specified data transfer device.

41. The digital data storage unit of claim 29, wherein the storage unit controller comprises a microcontroller programmed to perform said storage unit controller functions including receiving and decoding host commands sent by the host computing environment at the storage controller to control the loader mechanism, and generating control signals for the loader mechanism to move the requested media storage unit at the storage media slot location to a data transfer device.

42. The digital data storage unit of claim 29, wherein the storage unit controller comprises:

a loader controller for controlling the loader mechanism to selectively move a storage media unit between a storage media slot and one of the plurality of data transfer devices; and

a storage controller configured for;

receiving and decoding at least one host command sent by the host computing environment at the storage controller to control the loader mechanism, the host command including a source address corresponding to a storage media slot location, and a logical destination drive address corresponding to a data transfer device specified by the host computing environment, and

signaling the loader controller for moving a requested media storage unit at the storage media slot location to a data transfer device.

43. The digital data storage unit of claim 1, wherein each storage media unit comprises a tape cartridge, and wherein the data transfer devices comprise tape drives for writing and reading digital data to and from tape media within one or more tape cartridges.

44. The digital data storage unit of claim 1, wherein the storage unit controller is further configured for data duplication including transferring data from the host computing environment to both a host specified data transfer device and to at least another data transfer device.

45. The digital data storage unit of claim 1, wherein at least one data transfer device interface is further configured for data duplication including transferring data from the host computing environment to both the corresponding specified data transfer device and to at least another data transfer device.

46. The digital data storage unit of claim 45, wherein at least a number of the data transfer device interfaces are interconnected via at least a communication link, each of said at least a number of data transfer device interfaces including logic circuitry for selectively routing data to one or more other data transfer devices interfaces.

47. The digital data storage unit of claim 1, wherein at least one data transfer device interface is further configured for data duplication including transferring data from the host computing environment to both the corresponding specified data transfer device and to at least another data transfer device interface corresponding to another data transfer device.

48. The digital data storage unit of claim 44, wherein said data duplication comprises data mirroring, such that the specified data transfer device and said other data transfer device form a mirrored pair.

49. The digital data storage unit of claim 44, wherein said data duplication comprises tape parity grouping, such that two or more data transfer devices form a parity group.

50. The digital data storage unit of claim 44, wherein if the host specified data transfer device is not operational, the storage unit controller continues transferring data from the host computing environment to said at least another data transfer device.

51. A method for controlling a digital data storage unit comprising a multiplicity of storage media slots for receiving media storage units, a plurality of media storage units loaded in particular ones of the storage media slots, a plurality of data transfer devices for writing data to and reading data from the storage media units, a loader mechanism for selectively moving a media storage unit between a storage media slot and one of the plurality of data transfer devices, and a storage unit controller connected to a host computing environment, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of data transfer device interfaces corresponding to the plurality of the data transfer devices, each data transfer device interface configured for transferring data between a corresponding data transfer device and the host computing environment;

receiving and decoding a host command sent by the host computing environment at the storage unit controller, the host command including a source address corresponding to a storage media slot location and a destination address corresponding to a data storage drive specified by the host computing environment; and

controlling the loader mechanism for selectively moving storage media units from the storage media slot locations to the data transfer devices for data transfer in response to host commands.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein at least a number of the data transfer device interfaces are interconnected via at least a communication link, the method further comprising the steps of selectively routing data from one data transfer device interface to at least another data transfer device interface.

53. The method of claim 51, further comprising the steps of performing communication protocol conversion in at least one data transfer device interface for data transfer between the corresponding data transfer device and the host computing environment.

54. The method of claim 51 wherein each data transfer device interface includes a device data interface for connecting that data transfer device interface to a corresponding data transfer device via a device communication link.

55. The method of claim 51, wherein each data transfer device interface includes a host interface for connecting that data transfer device interface to the host computing environment.

56. The method of claim 51 wherein each data transfer device interface includes a management interface for connecting that data transfer device interface to the storage unit controller for management communication.

57. The method of claim 56, further comprising the steps of selectively managing configuration of the data transfer device interfaces via the management interface in each data transfer device interface.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein the step of managing configuration of the data transfer device interfaces includes selectively configuring data routing by each data transfer device interface to one or more other data transfer device interfaces.

59. The method of claim 57, wherein the step of managing configuration of the data transfer device interfaces includes selectively configuring protocol conversion by each data transfer device interface.

60. The method of claim 51, further comprising the steps of receiving and decoding host commands sent by the host computing environment to specified data transfer devices at corresponding data transfer device interfaces.

61. The method of claim 51, further comprising the steps of selectively controlling at least one data transfer device interface for rerouting data flow between the host computing environment and a specified data transfer device to a second data transfer device.

62. The method of claim 51, further comprising the steps of:

using a second data transfer device in place of a specified data transfer device by rerouting host commands directed to the specified data transfer device to said second data transfer device, and

controlling the loader mechanism for moving the requested media storage unit at the storage media slot location to the second data transfer device.

63. The method of claim 51, further comprising the steps of:

reserving at least one data transfer device as a spare data transfer device, and

selectively controlling at least one data transfer device interface for rerouting data flow between the host computing environment and a corresponding data transfer device specified by the host computing environment, to the spare data transfer device.

64. The method of claim 63, further comprising the steps of:

determining if a data transfer device specified by the host computing environment for data transfer is available, and

if not, then using a spare data transfer device in place of the specified data transfer device, and signaling the loader mechanism for moving the requested media storage unit at the storage media slot location to the spare data transfer device.

65. The method of claim 51, wherein at least a number of the data transfer device interfaces are interconnected via at least a communication link, further comprising the steps of selectively routing data from one data transfer device interface to one or more other data transfer device interfaces.

66. The method of claim 65, further comprising the steps of selectively routing host commands directed to a specified data transfer device, to a data transfer device interface corresponding to another data transfer device.

67. The method of claim 51, wherein:

at least one host command includes a source address corresponding to a storage media slot location and a destination address corresponding to a data transfer device specified by the host computing environment;

further comprising the steps of;

determining if the specified data transfer device is available, and

if the specified data transfer device is not available, then using a spare data transfer device in place of the specified data transfer device.

68. The method of claim 67, further comprising the steps of determining if the specified data transfer device is available by querying status information from the data transfer device interface corresponding to the specified data transfer device.

69. The method of claim 67 further comprising the steps of using a spare data transfer device in place of the specified data transfer device by redirecting the host command from the data transfer device interface corresponding to the specified data transfer device, to the data transfer device interface corresponding to the spare data transfer device.

70. The method of claim 69 further comprising the steps of redirecting the host command from the data transfer device interface corresponding to the specified data transfer device, to the data transfer device interface corresponding to the spare data transfer device, by steps including changing the address of the spare data transfer device to correspond to the destination address of the specified data transfer device.

71. The method of claim 69 further comprising the steps of redirecting the host command from the data transfer device interface corresponding to the specified data transfer device, to the data transfer device interface corresponding to the spare data transfer device, by steps including:

commanding the data transfer device interface corresponding to the spare data transfer device to change the address of the spare data transfer device to correspond to the destination address of the specified data transfer device.

72. The method of claim 51, further comprising the steps of data duplication including transferring data from the host computing environment to both a host specified data transfer device and to at least another data transfer device.

73. The method of claim 72, wherein said data duplication step further comprises data mirroring, such that the specified data transfer device and said other data transfer device form a mirrored pair.

74. The method of claim 72, wherein said data duplication step further comprises parity grouping, such that two or more data transfer devices form a parity group.