Abstract: A method of controlling at least one environmental condition within a data storage library, including providing at least one enclosure configured to surround at least one ventilation opening of the data storage library and to form a chamber around at least the at least one ventilation opening, and providing at least one enclosure environmental conditioning unit fluidly connected to the at least one enclosure to provide conditioned air into the chamber. The method may also include providing air from the at least one enclosure environmental conditioning unit into the chamber such that air provided into the chamber enters the data storage library through the at least one ventilation opening.

Abstract: A data storage library system includes a first data storage library and a second data storage library, and at least one pass-through mechanism coupling the first data storage library to the second data storage library, wherein the at least one pass-through mechanism is configured to enable data storage cartridges to be transported between the first data storage library and the second data storage library. The environmental conditions within the first data storage library are controllable to maintain operational conditions conducive to at least one of reading and writing of data on a plurality of data storage cartridges. The environmental conditions within the second data storage library are controllable so as to gradually transition the environmental conditions between ambient environmental conditions and operational conditions within the first data storage library. Associated methods for transporting components between the first and second data storage libraries are disclosed.

Abstract: A method of servicing a data storage library having at least one access opening and at least one access door to permit access to an interior of the data storage library, the method including providing at least one barrier configured to at least partially surround the at least one library access opening when the at least one access door is opened, wherein the at least one barrier is configured to resist environmental conditions from exterior the barrier and data storage library from intruding into the interior of data storage library when the barrier is deployed. The method also includes deploying the at least one barrier when the at least one access door is opened to form an interior working space, accessing the interior space formed by the at least one barrier, and accessing the interior of the data storage library via the at least one library access opening.

Abstract: An enclosure configured to at least partially surround a data storage library, and a system including a data storage library and enclosure(s). The enclosure includes at least one surface configured to surround the at least one library access opening and form a chamber and to permit movement of the movable panel to permit access to the interior of the data storage library, and at least one enclosure access opening in the at least one of the surface to permit access to the interior of the chamber. The enclosure is configured to resist environmental conditions from intruding into the interior of the enclosure, and is further configured to permit exterior environmental conditions from within the interior of the library to intrude into the chamber of the enclosure.

Abstract: A system for controlling at least one environmental condition within at least one data storage library. The system may include at least one enclosure surrounding at least a portion of at least one data storage library. The system may also include at least one environmental conditioning unit fluidly connected to the at least one enclosure via at least one duct, wherein the at least one environmental conditioning unit is configured to control at least one environmental condition (e.g., temperature and/or humidity) within the at least one enclosure and within the at least one data storage library.

Abstract: An enclosure configured to at least partially surround at least one access opening that permits access to an interior of a data storage library, wherein the enclosure includes at least one side surface configured to surround the at least one access opening to form a chamber and to permit access to the interior of the data storage library. The enclosure also includes at least one access opening in the at least one side surface to permit access to an interior of the chamber, wherein the enclosure is configured to selectively acclimate the chamber between environmental conditions exterior of the enclosure and environmental conditions of the interior of the data storage library.

Abstract: A data storage library includes at least a first library portion and at least a second library portion, with the second library portion including an environmental conditioning unit configured to control environmental conditions within the second library portion. The data storage library also includes at least one acclimation chamber formed within the first library portion, which permits transition of environmental condition(s) within the at least one acclimation chamber toward at least one of the corresponding environmental condition(s) external and internal to the second library portion. At least one deployable environmental barrier is configured to extend at least partially between the first library portion and the second library portion to insulate the at least one environmental condition within the at least one acclimation chamber from the at least one environmental condition within the second library portion.

Abstract: A method of servicing a data storage library includes providing an enclosure configured to surround at least one library access opening to form a chamber. The at least one enclosure has an access opening of sufficient size to permit an adult human access to the interior chamber, and the enclosure is configured to resist environmental conditions from the exterior of the enclosure from intruding into the chamber and to permit environmental conditions from the interior of the library to intrude into the chamber. The method also includes acclimating the chamber so that at least one desired environmental condition in the chamber is within a desired range of the corresponding environmental condition within the interior of the library. Additionally, the method includes accessing the interior of the library via the at least one library access opening.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus to acclimate a data storage component from a first environmental setting to a second environmental setting is disclosed. In one embodiment a system having a data storage library with a plurality of data storage cartridges and at least one media acclimation device having one or more storage locations which are sized to accept one or more data storage cartridges therein is disclosed. The at least one media acclimation device is configured to gradually acclimate the one or more storage locations from an external environmental condition to an internal environmental condition. In another embodiment, a method of acclimating a data storage library component is disclosed. The system, method and apparatus may optionally further include at least one environmental conditioning unit for conditioning the internal environment within the library.

Abstract: A barrier system configured to at least partially surround at least one access opening that permits access to an interior of a data storage library. The barrier system includes at least one side surface configured to be coupled to at least one door along a first side surface location and to the data storage library along a second side surface location. The at least one side surface may be configured to be deployable to surround the at least one access opening and form a working space when the at least one door is in an open position, and is configurable to be collapsible when the at least one door is in a closed position. The at least one side surface may also be configured to resist environmental conditions external to the data storage library from intruding into the working space when the at least one side surface is deployed.

Abstract: A barrier system configured to at least partially surround at least one access opening that permits access to an interior of a data storage library. The barrier system includes at least one side surface configured to be coupled to at least one door along a first side surface location and to the data storage library along a second side surface location. The at least one side surface may be configured to be deployable to surround the at least one access opening and form a working space when the at least one door is in an open position, and is configurable to be collapsible when the at least one door is in a closed position. The at least one side surface may also be configured to resist environmental conditions external to the data storage library from intruding into the working space when the at least one side surface is deployed.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling at least one environmental condition within at least one data storage library. The system may include at least one data storage library, the at least one data storage library having at least one component bay therein. The system may also include at least one adapter configured to fit within the at least one component bay, and/or at least one environmental conditioning device connected to the at least one adapter, wherein the at least one environmental conditioning device is configured to control at least one environmental condition within the at least one data storage library.

Abstract: A data storage library includes at least a first library portion and at least a second library portion, wherein the second library portion is configured to store and receive media associated with data storage cartridges and comprises an environmental conditioning unit configured to control environmental conditions within the second library portion to be different than environmental conditions external to the second library portion. The data storage library also includes at least one acclimation chamber formed by the first library portion, wherein the at least one acclimation chamber permits gradual transition of environmental condition(s) within the at least one acclimation chamber toward at least one of the corresponding environmental condition(s) external and internal to the second library portion.

Abstract: A method of servicing a data storage library having at least one access opening and at least one access door to permit access to an interior of the data storage library, the method including providing at least one barrier configured to at least partially surround the at least one library access opening when the at least one access door is opened, wherein the at least one barrier is configured to resist environmental conditions from exterior the barrier and data storage library from intruding into the interior of data storage library when the barrier is deployed. The method also includes deploying the at least one barrier when the at least one access door is opened to form an interior working space, accessing the interior space formed by the at least one barrier, and accessing the interior of the data storage library via the at least one library access opening.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for providing reliable redundant data communications. The mechanism issues a request for data to a set of powered elements using a set of secondary communication channels in response to a reduction in a level of communications being detected. The set of secondary communication channels comprises one or more alternating current power lines and the request is sent as data injected onto the alternating current power lines to the set of powered elements. The mechanism receives the data using the set of secondary communication channels from the set of powered elements, analyzes the data to determine a set of recovery actions to restore the level of communications, and issues the set of recovery actions to the set of powered elements using the set of secondary communication channels.

Abstract: In one embodiment of a computer-implemented system, comprising a plurality of computer entities and multiple resources, one of the computer entities may request a multi-resource lock to one of the multiple resources; the one resource determines whether a resource lock is available at the one resource and, if so, the one resource communicates with all peer resources to determine whether a resource lock is available; if the peer resources indicate a resource lock is available, lock all of the resources to the requesting computer entity, and the one resource communicates the lock of the resources to the requesting computer entity; and if any the resource indicates contention for the multi-resource lock, the one resource communicates the contention to the requesting computer entity, and the requesting computer entity backs off the multi-resource lock request and, after a random time interval, repeats the request.

Abstract: In one embodiment of a computer-implemented system, comprising a plurality of computer entities and multiple resources, one of the computer entities may request a multi-resource lock to one of the multiple resources; the one resource determines whether a resource lock is available at the one resource and, if so, the one resource communicates with all peer resources to determine whether a resource lock is available; if the peer resources indicate a resource lock is available, lock all of the resources to the requesting computer entity, and the one resource communicates the lock of the resources to the requesting computer entity; and if any the resource indicates contention for the multi-resource lock, the one resource communicates the contention to the requesting computer entity, and the requesting computer entity backs off the multi-resource lock request and, after a random time interval, repeats the request.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product are provided for communicating to a powered element in a rack system. A controller injects communication data onto power lines that provides power to a plurality of powered elements. The powered elements determine if the communication data transmitted via the power lines should be used for configuration using an address embedded within the communication data. The powered elements compare an embedded target address within the communication data to the address of the particular element. If there is a match between the addresses, the corresponding powered element processes the communication data to configure the powered element. As a result, data may be communicated over the power lines thereby eliminating the need for separate communication lines. Thus, the amount of cables required to interconnect the powered elements of the distributed data processing system may be reduced by eliminating the communication lines from the system configuration.

Abstract: A method to communicate information within a data storage system comprising a plurality of enclosures, wherein the method defines and stores a first waveform comprising a frequency FB, a second waveform comprising a frequency F0 wherein that second waveform is decoded to mean a bit comprising a first value, and a third waveform comprising a frequency F1, wherein that third waveform is decoded to mean a bit comprising a second value. The method transmits by an initiating enclosure a byte of data encoded as eight data waveforms, wherein each of those data waveforms comprises the frequency FB in combination with either the frequency F1 or the frequency F0.

Abstract: A method to detect component removal while operating in a battery backup mode, comprising providing power from a battery backup unit (BBU) to a control card memory device, and measuring the current drawn by the control card memory device. If the current drawn by the control card memory device is less than or equals a pre-determined disconnect current, the method determines if a BBU release pin has been asserted. If the BBU release pin has been asserted, the method encodes in an event log a battery backup removal event. If the BBU release pin has not been asserted, the method encodes in the event log a control card removal event.