Efficient moves via dual pickers

• US 8,615,322 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2011
• Issued: 12/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spectra Logic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Spectra Logic Corporation
• Inventors: Thompson, Nathan Christopher, Starr, Matthew Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMBESS, YOLANDA RENEE
• Application Number:
  US13/279,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20120076621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/214
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/6835 the cassettes being transferred to a fixed recorder or player using a moving carriage
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/689 Control of the cassette changing arrangement

Abstract

A storage library is described that includes a shelf system adapted to support a number of tape cartridges. The storage library further includes a tape drive adapted to read and write data to and from tape cartridges. The storage library further possesses a single tape picker device that is adapted to hold two tape cartridges at the same time facilitating an exchange of a first tape cartridge intended to be loaded in the tape drive with a second tape cartridge ready to be removed from the tape drive with a single tape picker device.

Claims

1. A data storage library comprising:

a picker device possessing a first picker and a second picker,

said first picker, based on an ejection command, adapted to temporarily hold a first data cartridge after being ejected from a data transfer device and prior to being disposed in an accommodating physical slot while said second picker, based on a load command, is holding a second data cartridge prior to inserting the second data cartridge in said data transfer device;

a queue system that holds both said load command and said ejection command, wherein said ejection command is received by said data storage library before said load command.

2. The data storage library of claim 1 wherein said accommodating slot is a slot in a portable data storage magazine.

3. The data storage library of claim 1 wherein said accommodating slot is in a shelf system comprised by said data storage library.

4. The data storage library of claim 1 wherein said second data cartridge resides in a first magazine slot in said magazine prior to being inserted in said data transfer device and said first data cartridge is disposed in said first magazine slot, said first magazine slot is identifiable by a second address associated with said second data cartridge when said second data cartridge is disposed therein but said first magazine slot is identifiable by a first address when said first data cartridge is disposed therein.

5. The data storage library of claim 4 wherein a map associating said first magazine slot with said second address is maintained by said data storage library.

6. The data storage library of claim 5 wherein a host computer identifies said first slot as said second address based on said map.

7. The data storage library of claim 1 wherein said first picker and said second picker are not identifiable via a host computer.

8. A method comprising:

providing a data storage library that comprises a picker device that is moved within said data storage library via a robotic transporter;

grasping a first portable data cartridge in a first picker while a second portable data cartridge is being held by a second picker, said first picker and said second picker are integrated in said picker device;

disposing said first portable data cartridge in a data cartridge slot;

coupling said second portable data cartridge with a data transfer device;

after said disposing and inserting steps are complete, said first picker is no longer grasping said first portable data cartridge and said second picker is no longer grasping said second portable data cartridge;

(a) receiving a first instruction from a host to unload said first portable data cartridge from said data transfer device and dispose said first portable data cartridge in a first data cartridge slot;

(b) queuing said first instruction;

(c) replying to said host that said first instruction is carried out, even though said first instruction has only been queued;

(d) receiving a second instruction to move said second portable data cartridge from a second data cartridge slot and load said second portable data cartridge in said data transfer device; and

(e) moving said second portable data cartridge in a position near said data transfer device via said second picker, said steps are in order from (a) to (e).

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said first portable data cartridge was located in said data transfer device when grasped by said first picker and while said second picker is holding said second portable data cartridge.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said data cartridge slot is located in a shelf system comprised by said data storage library.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said data cartridge slot is located in a portable data cartridge magazine.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein said second portable data cartridge was located in said data cartridge slot when grasped by said second picker and while said first picker is holding said first portable data cartridge.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein said robotic transporter is held essentially stationary while said pickers grasp and release said first and said second portable data cartridges.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein said data cartridge slot is identified by a host via a first logical address associated with said first portable data cartridge when said first portable data cartridge is disposed therein and wherein said data cartridge slot is identified by said host via a second logical address associated with said second portable data cartridge when said second portable data cartridge is disposed therein.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein said portable data cartridge is a tape cartridge and said data transfer device is a tape drive.

16. The method of claim 8 wherein said robotic transporter is controlled via a controller, the controller receives move instructions from a processor, the move instructions are maintained in a storage device, all of which are comprised by said data storage library.

17. A method comprising:

providing a data storage library that comprises a picker device that is moved within said data storage library via a robotic transporter, said picker device possessing a first picker and a second picker;

receiving a first instruction from a host to unload a first portable data cartridge from a data transfer device and dispose said first portable data cartridge in a first data cartridge slot;

queuing said first instruction;

replying to said host that said first instruction is carried out, even though said first instruction has only been queued;

receiving a second instruction to move a second portable data cartridge from a second data cartridge slot and load said second portable data cartridge in said data transfer device after said replying step;

grasping said second portable data cartridge via said second picker;

moving said second portable data cartridge in a position near said data transfer device;

removing said first portable data cartridge from said data transfer device via said first picker while said second picker is holding said second portable data cartridge;

inserting said second portable data cartridge in said data transfer device via said second picker; and

disposing said first portable data cartridge in said first data cartridge slot.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein a common physical data cartridge slot is logically addressed as said first data cartridge slot when accommodating said first portable data cartridge and said common physical data cartridge slot is logically addressed as said second data cartridge slot when accommodating said second portable data cartridge.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said common physical slot is located in a portable data cartridge magazine that is adapted to hold a plurality of portable data cartridges and said robotic transporter is adapted to move said portable data cartridge magazine from a shelf system in said data storage library to a position near said data transfer device.