Abstract: A nested translated extended copy function provides direct storage-to-storage copying with no data passing through the virtual controller. In one embodiment, a method for performing an extended copy operation on a physical drive reserved to a virtual controller comprises: receiving at least one extended copy command for copying from a device having extended copy capability; parsing the extended copy command; translating the extended copy command into at least one translated command; and sending the translated command to a physical drive having extended copy capability. In another embodiment, a method for performing an extended copy operation comprises translating at least one extended copy command into at least one translated command capable of execution by a physical drive having extended copy capability, wherein the physical drive is reserved to a virtual controller.

Abstract: A converter is utilized with at least one implicit addressing sequential media device to simulate explicit addressing sequential media device performance from the perspective of host applications. Responsive to receiving explicit addressing read/write commands from the host application, the converter converts the explicit addressing read/write commands into implicit addressing read/write commands and passes the implicit addressing read/write commands through to the device. Optionally, responsive to device capability queries from a host application, the converter reports that the device utilizes explicit addressing. As another option, responsive to receiving commands other than explicit addressing read/write commands from the application host, the converter examines the commands to monitor sequential media address, and relays the commands to the device substantially free of any modification.

Abstract: A virtual sequential data storage (VSDS) system includes a VSDS controller coupled to physical data storage and a host machine with at least one host application. The controller is configured to carry out commands from the host application referencing VSDS. A router installed at the host intercepts prescribed types of host application commands directed to the controller. For each intercepted read/write command, the router determines a target physical location in physical data storage to carry out the intercepted host read/write command. Also, if the host application command is a read command, the router transfers data requested by the read command from the target physical location to the host application bypassing the controller. If the host application command is a write command, the router transfers write data associated with the write command from the host application to the target physical location bypassing the controller.

Abstract: An automated data storage library includes a plurality of storage slots, a drive having a stacked connector system, and a library control manager configured to monitor usage data for the stacked connector system representative of the number of times the stacked connector system is mounted by a media connector from any of a plurality of media elements, and wherein the library manager is further configured to coordinate refreshment of the stacked connector system when the usage data reaches a predetermined usage level threshold. The stacked connector system may be refreshed by replacement or addition of a separate connector. Various methods of improving the long term performance of a drive in a media library by replacing or adding a connector to a stacked connector system of a drive are also provided.

Abstract: A data storage drive arranged as a plurality of logical accessors accesses data on a removable random access medium. Upon a write access for a data segment by a logical accessor, a control locks a context comprising at least one data segment of a partition to the logical accessor. The control concurrently allows read access to the data of the removable random access medium, except the locked context, and allows write access, except to the locked partition, by other logical accessors.

Abstract: In a data storage subsystem, drive-level processing treats data storage media as WORM by automatically advancing a write append limiter as data is written, and preventing changes to data occurring before the write append limiter. Despite this media's WORM nature, the drive-level processing permits limited overwriting of data at the end of tape since the write append limiter lags the current write location by the margin of a write allowance index. Thus, despite the drive's treatment of the media as WORM, the drive permits overwriting of trailing metadata in order to facilitate write append operations.

Abstract: An automated data storage library includes a plurality of storage slots, a drive having a stacked connector system, and a library control manager configured to monitor usage data for the stacked connector system representative of the number of times the stacked connector system is mounted by a media connector from any of a plurality of media elements, and wherein the library manager is further configured to coordinate refreshment of the stacked connector system when the usage data reaches a predetermined usage level threshold. The stacked connector system may be refreshed by replacement or addition of a separate connector. Various methods of improving the long term performance of a drive in a media library by replacing or adding a connector to a stacked connector system of a drive are also provided.

Abstract: A servo system and method for calibrating servo index positions of a magnetic tape for track following linear servo edges, each servo edge comprising an interface between dissimilar recorded servo signals, the edges on opposite lateral sides of a middle servo signal. A servo loop laterally positions a servo sensor where the servo signals are at estimated ratios representing the locations of the servo edges. An independent position sensor indicates the mechanical lateral position of the servo sensor at the sensed servo edges. The servo loop repositions the servo sensor to a plurality of lateral positions at predetermined displacements from the independent position sensor sensed servo edges, and track follows at each of the predetermined offsets.

Abstract: A virtual sequential data storage (VSDS) system includes a VSDS controller coupled to physical data storage and a host machine with at least one host application. The controller is configured to carry out commands from the host application referencing VSDS. A router installed at the host intercepts prescribed types of host application commands directed to the controller. For each intercepted read/write command, the router determines a target physical location in physical data storage to carry out the intercepted host read/write command. Also, if the host application command is a read command, the router transfers data requested by the read command from the target physical location to the host application bypassing the controller. If the host application command is a write command, the router transfers write data associated with the write command from the host application to the target physical location bypassing the controller.

Abstract: A nested translated extended copy function provides direct storage-to-storage copying with no data passing through the virtual controller. In one embodiment, a method for performing an extended copy operation on a physical drive reserved to a virtual controller comprises: receiving at least one extended copy command for copying from a device having extended copy capability; parsing the extended copy command; translating the extended copy command into at least one translated command; and sending the translated command to a physical drive having extended copy capability. In another embodiment, a method for performing an extended copy operation comprises translating at least one extended copy command into at least one translated command capable of execution by a physical drive having extended copy capability, wherein the physical drive is reserved to a virtual controller.

Abstract: Data storage drives of an automated data storage library are allocated to received requests. A drive resource provider, upon receiving a request for a drive when all of the drives of the pool are allocated, holds any mount of a portable data storage cartridge relative to the request, releasing the hold when a drive is allocated. Spare drives are provided, outside of the pool. A spare drive may be allocated in response to the request, and a message is posted indicating use of the spare data storage drive. The posted message may comprise a notification that action may be taken to permanently transfer a spare data storage drive to the pool.

Abstract: A converter is utilized with at least one implicit addressing sequential media device to simulate explicit addressing sequential media device performance from the perspective of host applications. Responsive to receiving explicit addressing read/write commands from the host application, the converter converts the explicit addressing read/write commands into implicit addressing read/write commands and passes the implicit addressing read/write commands through to the device. Optionally, responsive to device capability queries from a host application, the converter reports that the device utilizes explicit addressing. As another option, responsive to receiving commands other than explicit addressing read/write commands from the application host, the converter examines the commands to monitor sequential media address, and relays the commands to the device substantially free of any modification.

Abstract: A data storage drive arranged as a plurality of logical accessors accesses data on a removable random access medium. Upon a write access for a data segment by a logical accessor, a control locks a context comprising at least one data segment of a partition to the logical accessor. The control concurrently allows read access to the data of the removable random access medium, except the locked context, and allows write access, except to the locked partition, by other logical accessors.

Abstract: A magnetic tape cartridge includes a non-volatile semiconductor memory storing either a portion of the same data as that to be written to the tape or at least control data sufficient to recover from a delaying tape drive operation or from a mechanical failure in the tape drive thereby permitting signaling to a central processing unit an assurance that the data transferring by the CPU will be correctly written onto the tape. The host data can be directly transferred to the cartridge memory if the cartridge memory is fast enough and large enough to handle the transfer. An intermediate high speed non-volatile memory in the drive is necessary if the cartridge memory is too slow to handle the direct transfer or too small to handle the data transferred by the CPU. The cartridge memory then will contain command data sufficient to control the transfer of the data from the non-volatile drive memory to the tape.

Abstract: Data storage drives of an automated data storage library are allocated to received requests. A drive resource provider, upon receiving a request for a drive when all of the drives of the pool are allocated, holds any mount of a portable data storage cartridge relative to the request, releasing the hold when a drive is allocated. Spare drives are provided, outside of the pool. A spare drive may be allocated in response to the request, and a message is posted indicating use of the spare data storage drive. The posted message may comprise a notification that action may be taken to permanently transfer a spare data storage drive to the pool.

Abstract: Drive image providers of a virtualization system for an automated data storage library provide an image of a fixed plurality of virtual data storage drives with fixed identifications to a host application. A drive resource provider, at any one time, assigns any number “m” of a pool of “n” drives to the drive image providers, and “n”−“m” of the pool are freed and available for assignment. The drive resource provider responds to a triggering event requesting a drive, and dedicates one of the “n”−“m” drives of the pool to the virtual drive. The drive image provider characterizes and directs communication between the host and the dedicated drive as a fixed virtual drive; and prior to the dedication of a drive, characterizes the virtual drive to the requesting host application as “not ready”.

Abstract: A servo system and method for calibrating servo index positions of a magnetic tape for track following linear servo edges, each servo edge comprising an interface between dissimilar recorded servo signals, the edges on opposite lateral sides of a middle servo signal. A servo loop laterally positions a servo sensor where the servo signals are at estimated ratios representing the locations of the servo edges. An independent position sensor indicates the mechanical lateral position of the servo sensor at the sensed servo edges. The servo loop repositions the servo sensor to a plurality of lateral positions at predetermined displacements from the independent position sensor sensed servo edges, and track follows at each of the predetermined offsets.

Abstract: A data storage library features a dual purpose data/control path between a host computer and one or more media drives. The dual purpose path conveys data exchange control signals and related data between the host and drive, and also conveys robotic device management signals from the host to the drive, for ultimate conveyance to a robotic device coupled to the drive. In one embodiment, the drives may comprise relay drives, each directly coupled to the robotic device by a communications path such as a bus or loop. Alternatively, the drives may include a master drive and a number of relay drives, each relay drive coupled to the master drive to relay robotic device management signals from its host to the robotic device through the master drive. The master media drive's connection to other drives, for example, may be direct or through a communications loop interconnecting all drives.

Abstract: An improved and more efficient mapping scheme between a fiber channel (FC) interface and small computer system interface (SCSI) for multiple initiator support. In accordance with the method of the present invention an alternate mapping path is provided for processing commands from a FC host to a SCSI target while a single command is being processed therebetween through the normal mapping path. The alternate mapping path may be provided by designating another command pin(s) on the SCSI chip in the gateway or bridge box as an additional mapping address(es) or may be provided by using and coupling additional port(s) on each of the targets having multiple ports wherein the additional port(s) is/are associated with an additional mapping address(es).

Abstract: A data storage library utilizes library-local features to regulate access to shared read/write drives among multiple hosts, and thereby avoid the need for arbitrating host software. The library includes multiple data storage media, multiple data storage media slots, multiple read/write drives, and a library controller. The slots are originally partitioned into multiple logical libraries. Normally, the library shares the read/write drives among all hosts. However, when a host submits a request to unload a cartridge from a read/write drive, the library only honors that request if the host has access rights to the logical library from where the cartridge was originally loaded. Similarly, for each slot, the controller prevents a requesting host from loading a cartridge from that storage slot unless the requesting host has access rights to the logical library that includes that storage slot.