Abstract: Upgrades are made to the available capacity of cache disk storage without adding drawer(s) or blade(s) when the upgrade is requested. A cache control is configured to respond to a requested capacity upgrade, establishing a capacity restriction applicable to a filesystem providing active perceived available capacity spanning the disk drive subunits, such as drawers, blades or disk drives. The active perceived available data storage capacity and unused capacity of the filesystem are spread across the disk drive subunits. The capacity restriction is related to the requested upgrade adjustment, and the capacity restriction controls rates of data transfer with respect to the filesystem. The capacity restriction may comprise a freespace threshold for throttling of a fill rate of resident data pending premigration from the cache disk storage filesystem, and a premigration threshold for increasing drain rate of premigration data from the cache disk storage filesystem.

Abstract: A vital product data system memory stores warranty information in vital product data relating to replaceable unit(s) of a data handling system. The data comprises a date of first use, and a device state field comprising an identifier representing one of the states: “new”, “recertified”, and, “in-use”. Management control, in response to newly sensing a replaceable unit, detects its device state field, and if the detected field is set to the “new” state, resets it to the “in-use” state, sets the date of first use to a current date, and stores the state field and date of first use for the replaceable unit in the memory; and if the detected field is set to the “recertified” state, resets the field to the “in-use” state, and sets the replaceable unit date of first use to the date of first use stored in the memory for the previous replaceable unit at the same location.

Abstract: Data reliability testing for a magnetic tape drive is conducted separately for the channels of a magnetic tape drive which write and read tracks of a multiple track magnetic tape. Memory stores testing data representing data separately written to tracks of a multiple track magnetic tape; each of a plurality of read channels reads data sensed by a tape head from a separate track of a magnetic tape; and error processing logic detects differences between data from each of a plurality of the read channels, and stored testing data of the memory representing data written to the same separate tracks.

Abstract: Magnetic tape read channel signal values are developed employing intermediate bits of the path memory of a PRML Viterbi detector. Identification logic identifies a most likely path memory state of the PRML Viterbi detector from the path metrics of the PRML Viterbi detector. An intermediate bit sequence of the identified most likely path memory state is obtained, the intermediate bit sequence extending from an initiation point of the path memory which is intermediate the output and the input of the PRML Viterbi detector. A sample value is determined which corresponds to the obtained intermediate bit sequence.

Abstract: In a shell utility computer program code configured to cause at least one computer processor comprising one host computer system to connect to a second host computer system, and to cause the second host computer system to execute at least one command provided to one host computer system, the computer program code is configured to cause the one host computer system to selectively alter a pre-existing return code for use on shell utility error; and to cause the one host computer system to, in the absence of an alteration to the pre-existing return code, select a pre-existing return code of the shell utility as a default.

Abstract: An electrical bifurcated splice and splice terminal. An electrical bifurcated splice terminal has two wireways configured such that a continuous wire may be placed in both wireways; a post separating the two wireways and configured such that the continuous wire may be positioned around the post; and two crimps, each at one of the two wireways, and configured to crimp a wire in the wireway. A continuous wire is located in the two wireways and around the post, and crimped by the two crimps.

Abstract: An electronic device employs an electronic persistent visual display. One embodiment comprises a nonvolatile memory for storing information regarding the electronic device; an electronic persistent visual display having an input, the electronic persistent visual display providing a visual label display which persists indefinitely, until updated by an input signal at the input; an operational element, and a processor for operating the operational element. One type of electronic persistent visual display has a stable image “memory effect” for an extended period of time in the absence of power, and another type is powered by a power source. The processor, in response to a predetermined state, such as a power-on, provides an update input signal at the electronic persistent visual display input. The update input signal comprises information selected from the stored information regarding the electronic device, for updating the visual label display of the electronic persistent visual display.

Abstract: An automated data storage library with storage shelves, data storage drive(s), a bus bar; and a robot accessor with a drive system for moving the robot accessor, an accessor communication interface, a bus bar relay configured to engage and disengage the bus bar; a robot control configured to operate the drive system to move the robot accessor, to operate the picker, to operate the bus bar relay to engage the bus bar when the robot accessor is stationary; and a power storage system configured to receive power via the bus bar relay when the bus bar relay engages the bus bar, to store the received power, and to deliver the stored power to the robot accessor at least when the bus bar relay is disengaged.

Abstract: To log errors of a plurality of subsystems, a master reporting tool provides a table identifying the subsystems and their interface protocol addresses with respect to a network. A subsystem reports errors, via the network, to the master reporting tool, and the reporting subsystem identifies and reports other subsystems associated with the errors, if any, to the master reporting tool. The master reporting tool employs the interface addresses of the table to request reportable data from the other subsystems identified by the originally reporting subsystem as associated with the reported error. The network may be separate from a data handling network of the data handling system.

Abstract: An automated data storage library with storage shelves, data storage drive(s), a bus bar; and a robot accessor with a drive system for moving the robot accessor, an accessor communication interface, a bus bar relay configured to engage and disengage the bus bar; and a robot control configured to operate the drive system to move the robot accessor, to operate a picker, and to operate the bus bar relay to engage the bus bar when the robot accessor is stationary, to provide communication capability with a library communication interface via the bus bar relay and the bus bar when the bus bar relay engages the bus bar. Additionally, a second communication system may be provided between the robot accessor and the automated data storage library, which is operable at least when the robot accessor is moving.

Abstract: A diagnostic for magnetic tape data storage drives and magnetic tape data storage cartridges comprises a magnetic tape data storage drive having more stringent servo error detection in write mode than in read mode. The magnetic tape data storage drive is set to a write mode, the write mode nominally for operating the write channel to write data while the track following servo apparatus detects and track follows the servo tracks of a magnetic tape; and scans the servo tracks of a magnetic tape in the write mode, but without writing data; detecting servo errors using criteria of the write mode; and logs information of the detected servo errors.

Abstract: A tape guide roller comprises a cylindrical barrel with a cylindrical peripheral surface parallel to a central axis; the cylindrical peripheral surface comprising smooth cylindrical surface zones alternating in the circumferential direction about the cylindrical peripheral surface with non-smooth cylindrical surface zones. The non-smooth cylindrical surface zones may comprise a textured surface, and/or may comprise a grooved surface.

Abstract: A transceiver test module and method for testing an optical transceiver. An optical wrap interconnects the optical transmitter and optical receiver of an optical transceiver. A processor system reads information from an optical transceiver; provides a signal to the optical transceiver to operate the optical transceiver to transmit a signal at the optical transmitter, which is received via the optical wrap; detects diagnostic information from the optical transceiver for errors of the optical transceiver; and determines the rated speed of the optical transceiver from the read information. Operation of the optical transceiver at the rated speed is verified by the diagnostic information.

Abstract: Logic circuits and operations respond to received various control signals, including (1) data exchange commands directing the drive to read and/or write data to a media item mounted by the drive, and (2) robotic device management commands. The logic responds to incoming data exchange commands by reading and/or writing to the loaded media item. The processor responds to at least some robotic device management signals by forwarding them to a robotic media transport device. The processor withholds the data exchange commands from the robotic device, since they are only pertinent to operations of the drive itself. The robotic device may be configured to restrict host access to library components according to predefined logical partitions.

Abstract: A magnetic tape cartridge, a recording system, and a magnetic tape drive are configured to, for example, guard against tampering with a write once overwrite protection pointer which allows a rewritable magnetic tape to be treated as write once. In one embodiment, the magnetic tape cartridge comprises a magnetic tape and a cartridge memory. The magnetic tape is configured to provide at least one overwrite protection pointer, the overwrite protection pointer identifying data to be protected from being overwritten; and the cartridge memory is configured to provide the at least one overwrite protection pointer, the overwrite protection pointer identifying magnetic tape data to be protected from being overwritten.

Abstract: A controller of an automated data storage library is configured to store information regarding operation of the library in a memory; to reserve at least one data storage cartridge; and to operate a data storage drive and the memory to transfer at least a portion of the information stored in the memory to the reserved data storage cartridge. The library controller is configured to maintain an externally available inventory of data storage cartridges of the library, e.g. for a host system, and excludes the reserved data storage cartridge from the inventory.

Abstract: Selection of servo signals for peak detection of timing based servo tracks of magnetic tape for lateral positioning of heads relative to the magnetic tape. Servo signals from magneto-resistive servo read head(s) reading a magnetic tape are digitized by analog to digital converter(s); digital peak measurement apparatus is configured to sense the digital converter(s), and provide positive peak values and negative peak values of the digitized servo signals; and control apparatus is configured to determine the greater of the provided positive peak values or negative peak values, and select servo signals having the greater values for a servo channel. Servo apparatus is configured to respond to the selected servo signals to control the lateral positioning of the servo read head(s).

Abstract: Magnetic tape read channel signal values are developed employing intermediate bits of the path memory of a PRML Viterbi detector. Identification logic identifies a most likely path memory state of the PRML Viterbi detector from the path metrics of the PRML Viterbi detector. An intermediate bit sequence of the identified most likely path memory state is obtained, the intermediate bit sequence extending from an initiation point of the path memory which is intermediate the output and the input of the PRML Viterbi detector. A sample value is determined which corresponds to the obtained intermediate bit sequence.

Abstract: An electrical bifurcated splice and splice terminal. An electrical bifurcated splice terminal has two wireways configured such that a continuous wire may be placed in both wireways; a post separating the two wireways and configured such that the continuous wire may be positioned around the post; and two crimps, each at one of the two wireways, and configured to crimp a wire in the wireway. A continuous wire is located in the two wireways and around the post, and crimped by the two crimps.

Abstract: Multiple servo sensors are laterally displaced over a distance less than the transverse width of timing based servo track laterally extending transitions. The servo sensors are configured to sense the transitions, and servo detection logic detects the relative timings of the laterally extending transitions sensed by the laterally displaced servo sensors as the magnetic tape is moved in the longitudinal direction. Logic is configured to determine from the relative timings of the sensed transitions for at least one known set of laterally extending transitions having differing slants, the lateral position of a servo sensor by employing the relative timing detected from one servo sensor and the relative timing detected from another servo sensor, or determine the longitudinal velocity of the magnetic tape by determining the difference between the relative timing detected from one servo sensor and the relative timing detected from another servo sensor.