Storage Technology Corporation

Oracle International Corporation

Oracle America, Inc.

James Lee Ries

Timothy Craig Ostwald

Daniel James Plutt

Terry L Lane

Jon H Benson

Robert Creager

Frank T Smith

Jon Mark Holdman

Antonio Borrego

Robert L Billington

Robert S Creager

John R Kostraba, Jr

Donald Wait

Embodiments include systems and methods for detecting logical presence and location of modules, detecting physical presence and location of modules, and mapping the logical and physical locations together for use by the storage library. For example, when an expansion module is installed, it is connected to a network and it reports its logical presence and logical network location to a base controller in the base module. A robotic mechanism is used to trigger one or more presence sensors to detect physical presence and location of the installed expansion module. The base controller or another component generates and stores a mapping between the logical location and the physical location. The storage library can use the mapping to translate between logical and physical functionality.

Module self-discovery in a storage library

Embodiments include systems and methods for controlling power distribution and supply across independently powered modules in a storage library. Embodiments operate in context of a data storage library having a base module and one or more expansion modules. Each expansion module is independently powered, and each is in communication with the base module via a powered data communications network. In some embodiments, when the base module power supply is on, a base controller in the base module provides network power over the powered data communications network. The network power causes expansion controllers in each expansion module to boot up and power on the power supplies of their respective modules. When the base module is powered down, power is no longer available to the expansion controllers, and the respective power supplies can be hard-coded to shut down automatically under that condition.

Power supply control across independently powered modules in a storage library

A library has a physical cartridge access port (PCAP) for receiving cartridges which are to be entered/ejected into/out of the library. The library is partitioned into partitions each having a set of the library cells such that the library appears to a host as multiple libraries with each partition appearing to the host as a respective one of the multiple libraries. Some cells are reserved for use by the partitions as virtual cartridge access ports (VCAPs) which appear to the host as being the PCAP such that cartridges, which are to be ejected out of the partitions, are exported from the cells of the partitions to the VCAPs for subsequent transfer from the VCAPs to the PCAP, and such that cartridges, which are to be entered into the partitions, are imported from the VCAPs to the cells of the partitions after having been moved from the PCAP to the VCAPs.

Storage library having virtual cartridge access port

A system and method for determining relative positions of robots constrained to move along a common axis of motion, where a controller of the system has no prior knowledge of the relative positions. The robots are ordered to move in defined directions and distances and report their ability to move in the desired directions. From this information, a controller of the system can determine their relative positions.

Position determination of multiple mechanisms sharing a common axis of motion in a robotic tape library

Methods and systems for upgrading a storage library of a product line having a hardware component such as a storage array operable to run at low and high operating levels in which the hardware component is set to operate at the low operating level includes associating a software key with the storage library. The software key has permission instructions for the hardware component to operate at the high operating level. The hardware component is enabled to operate at the high operating level in response to the software key being associated with the storage library in order to upgrade the storage library.

Method and system for providing field scalability across a storage product family

A method and apparatus for automatically configuring a robotic storage media library is disclosed. The disclosed invention utilizes software to interpret signals from specially designed hardware to determine the hardware characteristics of the library at startup. The software then uses these characteristics to automatically configure the library without user intervention.

Automated hardware sensing and library configuration

A method and system for upgrading a storage library of a product line having a hardware component such as a storage array operable to run at low and high operating levels in which the hardware component is set to operate at the low operating level includes associating an upgrade module with the storage library. The upgrade module is an EEPROM module having permission instructions for the hardware component to operate at the high operating level. The hardware component is then enabled to operate at the high operating level in response to the upgrade module being associated with the storage library in order to upgrade the storage library.

An automated media library gathers information about each readable cartridge label using a camera. From the label information, the orientation of the cartridge may be determined. For each cartridge with an unreadable label or no label, the media library attempts a get/put operation. If the get/put operation fails, the cartridge is marked as incorrectly oriented. Alternatively, the tape library may attempt a get/put operation on all removable media cartridges. A similar process is performed when a cartridge access port is closed and the cartridge access port is marked inaccessible to the host when an incorrectly oriented cartridge is detected.

Method, apparatus, and program for determining correct cartridge orientation in an automated tape library

A method and system for selecting a robotic mechanism best suited to perform a job from different types of robotic mechanisms in an automated storage library includes gathering variables in a criteria database to form a decision algorithm. The robotic mechanisms are operable for performing the same types of tasks. The variables include attributes of each robotic mechanism type and attributes of each of the robotic mechanisms, media objects, and media object players. In response to attributes of a job request being transferred into the decision algorithm, the decision algorithm selects a robotic mechanism best suited for performing the job request based on the attributes of each robotic mechanism type and the attributes of the robotic mechanisms, media objects, media object players, and the job request.

System for selecting a robotic mechanism best suited to perform a job from multiple robotic mechanisms in a storage library

A method and system for selecting a robotic mechanism best suited to perform a job from multiple robotic mechanisms in an automated storage library includes gathering variables in a criteria database to form a decision algorithm. The variables include attributes of each of the plurality of robotic mechanisms, media objects, and media object players. In response to attributes of a job request transferred into the decision algorithm, the decision algorithm selects a robotic mechanism best suited for performing the job request from the plurality of robotic mechanisms based on the attributes of each of the plurality of robotic mechanisms, media objects, and media object players and the attributes of the job request. The selected robotic mechanism is then controlled to perform the job request.

Method for selecting a robotic mechanism best suited to perform a job from multiple robotic mechanisms in a storage library

A system and method of adaptively engaging cartridges stored in an automated cartridge library are provided. Upon receiving a request to extend a reach mechanism of a robot arm to engage a cartridge stored in a selected cell, a library controller initiates a move profile to extend the reach mechanism from a starting position toward the cartridge. The move profile comprises a set of commanded positions and corresponding commanded velocities. A motor controller in communication with the library controller compares a sensed position of the reach mechanism, provided by a position feedback sensor associated with a reach motor, with the commanded position to determine a position error. The motor controller maintains the move profile until the position error exceeds an error threshold, indicating engagement of the cartridge by the reach mechanism. The move profile is then terminated to obtain a final position of the reach mechanism, where the final position reflects a specific depth of the selected cell from the robot arm.

Growing community of inventors

Boulder, CO, United States of America

James Lee Ries