Abstract: A virtual tape device includes a first drive group of virtual tape drives, a first determination unit, and a first instruction unit. The first drive group is assigned to a first information processing apparatus. The first determination unit determines, upon receiving a first cleaning instruction for cleaning a first virtual tape drive included in the first drive group from the first information processing apparatus, whether the first cleaning instruction is to be output to a physical tape device connected to the virtual tape device. The first instruction unit instructs, when the first determination unit determines that the first cleaning instruction is to be output to the physical tape device, a first physical tape drive corresponding to the first virtual tape drive to perform cleaning. The first physical tape drive is included in the physical tape device.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a write control unit that executes in parallel a first process in which a writing unit writes, to a storage device, data that are requested to be written to the storage device, and a second process in which a compression unit compresses the data and the writing unit writes compressed data obtained by the compression to the storage device. The write control unit specifies the data written by one of the first and second processes that takes less processing time as valid write data in the storage device.

Abstract: A virtual tape device being located between a host and a tape library and storing data as a virtual logical volume in a storage, has a calculator that calculates a time period in which a robot moves, from a cell to a drive device, the physical tape in accordance with an instruction when the instruction is issued to recall the target logical volume redundantly stored on the physical tapes stored in two or more cells included in different tape libraries or in the same tape library and to store the target logical volume, a calculator that calculates a time period for tape positioning, and a unit that calculates a time period on the basis of the time period in which the robot moves from the cell to the drive device and the time period for the tape positioning, and that selects a physical tape corresponding to the shortest time period.

Abstract: A 3,4,3',4'-substituted biphenyl compound represented by the general formula (II): ##STR1## wherein, one of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 is a -CH.sub.3 group and the one other is a --COOR.sup.5 group, --COOH group, or --COCl group, and one of R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 is a -CH.sub.3 group and the other one is a --COOR.sup.5 group, --COOH group, or --COCl group, is produced by the steps of oxidatively coupling an o-toluic acid alkyl ester in the presence of a catalyst containing a mixture of palladium salts with 1,10-phenanthroline or .alpha.,.alpha.'-bipyridine, a chelating product of a palladium salt with 1,10-phenanthroline, or a chelating products of a palladium salt with .alpha.,.alpha.

Abstract: A thermotropic aromatic polyester comprising (a) an aromatic dicarbonyl ingredient comprising recurring aromatic units of the formulae (I) and/or (II): ##STR1## and, optionally, other recurring aromatic dicarbonyl units, (b) an aromatic dioxy ingredient comprising recurring aromatic units of the formula (III) ##STR2## wherein R.dbd.--H, C.sub.

Abstract: Novel orotic acid derivatives useful as agricultural chemicals or intermediates thereof are disclosed. The orotic acid derivatives are represented by the formula ##STR1## where Me is an alkali metal, R.sup.1 is an alkyl group of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an allyl group, a cyclohexyl group, a benzyl group, or a group ##STR2## (where R.sup.2 is an alkyl group of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an alkoxyl group of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a halogen atom and n is 0, 1, 2 or 3), m is an integer of 1 or 2, and X is a chlorine, bromine or iodine atom or a group --COR.sup.0 (where R.sup.0 is an alkyl group of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a phenyl group) when m is 1, and a group --COO.sup.- when m is 2.