Mass data storage library

• US 5,412,791 A
• Filed: 04/12/1993
• Issued: 05/02/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: E-Systems LLC
• Inventors: Adams, Steve M., Shannon, C. Pat, Pirpich, Eric A., Martin, Charles W., Reid, Frederick S., Forbus, Gary L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Jack B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz R.
• Application Number:
  US08/045,025
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 395/425, 395/325
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/221 Column-oriented storage; Management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2003/0697 device management, e.g. handlers, drivers, I/O schedulers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06

Abstract

A mass data storage unit includes a plurality of first data storage modules that form a mass information storage library, a data directory archive for maintaining a directory of the information contained on each data storage module, and data record/playback modules for receiving any selected any data storage module in the mass storage library. A plurality of interface computers are coupled to a plurality of host computers for receiving data and for generating request signals to access information stored in the mass storage library. A file directory is coupled to the interface computers and the data directory archive for receiving the request signals, locating in the data directory archive the address containing the stored information and generating a data address location output signal for the stored information. A control computer is coupled to the file directory and the mass storage library for receiving the data address location output signal from the file directory and in response thereto generating a signal for causing the selected data storage module containing the requested information to be loaded into a selected data record/playback unit. An input/output data channel couples the interface computer generating the access request signal to the selected data record/playback module.

Claims

1. A mass data storage and retrieval system comprising:

a plurality of means for information storage forming a mass storage library;

a data directory for maintaining a directory of the information stored in the mass storage library and for generating, in response to a request, a data location output signal identifying the location within the mass storage library of information responsive to the request;

a plurality of data recorder modules for receiving and reading information from and writing information to a selected means for information storage;

interface means bi-directionally coupled to the data recorder modules for simultaneous reading and writing of information from and to the selected means for information storage received by the data recorder module;

a control computer coupled to the data directory for receiving the data location output signal and, in response thereto, generating a first command signal output to the mass storage library for selecting and loading the selected means for information storage in the data recorder module and for generating a second command signal for coupling the interface means to the recorder module loaded with the selected means for information storage.

2. The system as in claim 1 wherein the mass storage library comprises:

a plurality of storage modules each having a plurality of openings in at least one side thereof for retaining means for information storage; and

an accessor associated with the storage modules for retrieving one of the means for information storage from an opening in the storage module for use by one of the data recorder modules during simultaneous information read and write.

3. The system as in claim 2 further comprising a lateral transfer means for moving the means for information storage between adjacent storage modules.

4. The system as in claim 3 wherein the lateral transfer means comprises a storage unit movable on a trolley from one of the adjacent storage modules to another, said trolley having slots for retaining the means for information storage, the slots being accessible to each accessor to enable lateral transfer of the means for information storage between adjacent storage modules.

5. A data retrieval and recording system having a computer for interfacing with a recorder and a storage library to read data from or write data to a predetermined area of a selected storage medium, comprising:

means for interfacing the computer to the recorder for simultaneous read and write operations; and

controller means coupled to said means for interfacing for receiving operational function commands from the computer and for configuring the means for interfacing for simultaneous read and write operations, the controller means further coupled to the storage library for loading a selected storage medium in the recorder, and further coupled to the recorder for queuing the loaded storage medium to the predetermined area.

6. The system as in claim 5 wherein the means for interfacing comprises:

a buffer memory; and

a buffer control circuit coupled to the buffer memory for storing data written from the computer in one area of the buffer memory and for storing data read from the storage medium to be stored in another area of the buffer memory.

7. The system as in claim 6 further including a read-after-write means including means for reading and sorting data after writing to the storage medium in one area in the buffer, and means for storing the data to be recorded in another area, further including means for comparing the data to be recorded with the data read from the storage medium, and means responsive to the means for comparing for generating an error signal indicating that the data from the computer was recorded incorrectly.

8. The system as in claim 7 further including means responsive to the error signal from said means for generating for causing incorrectly recorded data to be read from the buffer and rewritten on the storage medium.

9. A mass data storage system, comprising:

a storage module having means for retaining a plurality of recording media on a plurality of sides thereof;

at least one recorder module having means for writing data to and reading data from a recording media;

a recording medium accessor module for retrieving a retained recording medium from a side of the storage module and for inserting the recording medium in the recorder module; and

means for providing access to recording media retained on any side of the storage module for insertion in the recorder module.

10. The system as in claim 9 wherein the means for providing access comprises means for rotating the storage module to associate the recording media on the side of the storage module with the accessor module for retrieving the recording media by the accessor module for insertion into the recorder module.

11. The system as in claim 9 including a plurality of separate storage modules and accessor modules further comprising:

at least one transfer module adjacent the plurality of storage modules having openings for retaining recording media therein deposited by an accessor module; and

means for moving said transfer module between individual ones of the plurality of storage modules to enable transfer of recording media from one storage module to and from the transfer module by an accessor module for movement between modules.

12. A mass data storage library system, comprising:

a plurality of data storage devices in a library each having areas for storing data;

means for identifying a designated storage device in the library for access and for identifying and selecting an area of the designated storage device on which data is to be read or written;

means for accessing the designated data storage device to read or write data in the selected area; and

file directory means for storing file directory data representing the identity of the designated storage device, the area of that device selected for the data and a code identifying the data stored on the accessed storage device at the selected area.

13. The system as in claim 12 further comprising:

means responsive to a request for selected data for accessing the file directory means to identify the storage device and the area thereon containing the selected data;

means for retrieving the data storage device having the selected data; and

a record/playback module for selectively receiving the data storage device having the selected data.

14. A system for providing any one of a plurality of host computers with access to stored data, comprising:

a mass storage data library comprising a plurality of individually accessible data storage devices;

a data directory archive for maintaining an address directory of the data stored on each data storage device;

a plurality of data record/playback modules, each of said modules reading data from and writing data to a selected data storage device;

interface means for bi-directionally coupling a host computer to one of the data record/playback modules; and

a controller computer coupled to the interface means, the data directory archive and the mass storage library for receiving data access requests and a directory address for the requested data and, in response thereto, generating a first signal causing a data storage device containing the requested data to be loaded into a selected data record/playback module and a second signal for configuring the interface means to couple the requested data to a requesting host computer.

15. A system for providing access by means of a user interface to a mass data storage and retrieval system, comprising:

means for storing data in selected locations in a storage medium;

means for maintaining a file directory archive identifying the location of all stored data in said storage medium;

means for coupling a computer to the user interface for receiving requests to access data on said storage medium; and

means for coupling the computer to the file directory archive and said storage medium and for utilizing the data location identified by said file directory archive to retrieve requested data.

16. A system for mass storage of data, comprising:

means for storing recording media in slots on at least two sides of a storage module;

means for coupling an access module to said storage module to retrieve and return recording media from and to said slots; and

means for enabling said access module to retrieve and return recording media to slots on either of said at least two sides of said storage module.

17. The system as in claim 16 wherein the means for enabling comprises means for rotating the storage module to expose each side of the storage module to the access module.

18. A mass data storage system including:

a plurality of data storage modules;

a data directory archive for maintaining a directory of the data contained on each data storage module;

data record/playback modules for receiving a selected data storage module;

a plurality of interface computers coupled to a plurality of host computers;

a file directory coupled to the interface computers and the data directory archive for receiving a data request to locate the data storage module containing the requested data in the data directory archive, and for generating a data address location output signal;

a control computer for receiving the data address location output signal and, in response thereto, generating a signal for loading the data storage module containing the requested data into a selected data record/playback module; and

an input/output data channel for coupling the interface computer to the selected data record/playback module to access the stored data on the data storage module.

19. The system in claim 18 wherein the input/output data channel further includes means responsive to an access request signal for selectively coupling any of the plurality of interface computers to any of the data record/playback modules.

20. The system is in claim 18 wherein the input/output data channel includes means for simultaneously carrying data to and from the selected data record/playback module.

21. A system for interconnecting a plurality of data processing means, comprising:

a switch module having a plurality of input/output ports, each port connected to one of the plurality of data processing means; and

a switch control module responsive to a command signal for generating a control signal output to the switch module for coupling any two selected input/output ports together to form a signal path facilitating data communications between any two of the plurality of data processing means.

22. The system as in claim 21 further including a diagnostic module coupled to the switch control module for generating a diagnostic signal output to the switch module to execute a diagnostic routine for testing the switch module.

23. A mass data storage and retrieval system comprising:

a plurality of means for information storage forming a mass storage library;

a data directory for maintaining a directory of the information stored in the mass storage library and for generating, in response to a request, a data location output signal identifying the location within the mass storage library of information responsive to the request;

a plurality of data recorder modules for receiving and reading information from and writing information to a selected means for information storage;

interface means bi-directionally coupled to the data recorder modules for reading and writing of information from and to the selected means for information storage received by the data recorder module;

buffer means for storing information transmitted to the data recorder module as written to the means for information storage and storing information received from the data recorder module as read from the means for information storage; and

a control computer coupled to the data directory for receiving the data location output signal and, in response thereto, generating a first command signal output to the mass storage library for selecting and loading the selected means for information storage in a data recorder module and for generating a second command signal for coupling the interface means to the recorder module loaded with the selected means for information storage.

24. The system as in claim 23 wherein the buffer means further includes read-after-write comparison means for comparing the stored read information with the stored written information to verify the accuracy of the recording.

25. A system for interconnecting a plurality of data processing means, comprising:

a switch module having a plurality of input/output ports, each port connected to one of the plurality of data processing means;

means, responsive to a request for interconnecting two data processing means, for generating a command signal identifying the data processing means to be interconnected; and

a switch control module responsive to the command signal for generating a control signal output to the switch module for coupling two selected input/output ports together to form a signal path for data communications between the identified data processing means.

26. The system as in claim 25 wherein the switch module comprises a plurality of switch means in a matrix configuration serially connected in response to the control signal to form the signal path coupling the two selected input/output ports.

27. The system as in claim 26 wherein the plurality of switch means comprise a plurality of crossbar switches.

28. The system as in claim 25 wherein the data processing means include a computer and data record/playback devices, the switch module interconnecting the computer and data record/playback devices to provide for computer access to the data record/playback devices.