The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 24, 1993
Filed:
May. 21, 1990
Joseph C Hartung, Tucson, AZ (US);
Christopher J Monahan, Tucson, AZ (US);
Jesse L Thrall, Tucson, AZ (US);
Dennis L Willson, Tucson, AZ (US);
Daniel J Winarski, Tucson, AZ (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A method for selecting data storage media for demount in an automated storage library, and an automated storage library and program product therefor are disclosed. Preemptive demount of storage media is permitted when all peripheral storage devices in the library are occupied and one or more of such devices remains inactive for a predetermined time. Storage media may be demounted to service existing mount requests, provide the peripheral storage devices in which the media are mounted are inactive. There is also a need, however, to ensure the availability of an empty device to service future mount requests, particularly in libraries having only a single gripper mechanism. Thus, even when no mount requests are pending, the status of the peripheral storage devices is continually monitored. If the peripheral storage devices are all occupied, and one or more of such devices remains inactive for the predetermined time, the least recently used storage medium is demounted and transferred to a storage cell in the library.