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:
Sep. 03, 2002
Filed:
Sep. 28, 2000
Cuong Minh Le, Tucson, AZ (US);
Jerry Wayne Pence, Tucson, AZ (US);
James Mitchell Ratliff, Benson, AZ (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, CA (US);
Abstract
In a data storage system that employs multiple storage drives to access removable data storage media, idle data storage media are analyzed and than selectively demounted by automated equipment to increase storage drive availability and also minimize unnecessary mount/demount operations. Initially, the system establishes a maximum permitted number of concurrently mounted idle storage media, and also establishes a maximum permitted length of time for leaving idle storage media mounted. Next, storage media mounted to the media drives are analyzed for possible demounting. The system determines how many storage media are presently mounted, and each media's mount time. Then, the system identifies suitable demounting candidates (if any) to comply with the established maximums. Namely, the system identifies the media with the greatest idle times whose demounting is necessary to both (1) reduce the number of concurrent mounts down to the maximum permitted number, and (2) demount any storage media with idle times exceeding the maximum permitted length of time..