JPH02187957A - Assembly type magnetic tape device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a fact that a cartridge of an erroneous address is installed in a drive and data on a tape is damaged by imparting a direct communication function of an access and the drive to an assembly type magnetic tape device. CONSTITUTION:A magnetic tape cartridge 1 which contains a magnetic tape is brought to intrinsic addressing and contained in a cartridge storage box 2. Also, plural sets of magnetic tape drives 3 exist, and read out data from the tape in the cartridge and write data. Moreover, by an accessor 4, the cartridge 1 is taken out of the storage box 2 or the drive 3, and installs it in the storage box 2 or the drive 3. Subsequently, an access controller 5 controls the accessor 4 by an instruction from a magnetic tape controller 7 and loads a designated cartridge 1 into the drive 3, and contains a designated address into the cartridge 1, and the controller 7 communicates with the controller 5 and a magnetic formatter 6 and controls the whole device.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a collective magnetic tape device, particularly a plurality of magnetic tape cartridges that read from or write to one of a plurality of magnetic tape cartridges each placed at a unique address. The present invention relates to a collective magnetic tape device that is attached to and detached from one of the magnetic tape drives.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 3, this type of collective magnetic tape device has a plurality of magnetic tape cartridges (hereinafter referred to as cartridges) 1 each individually assigned an address, and a storage 2 for storing the cartridges 1. , a plurality of magnetic tape drives (hereinafter referred to as drives) 3 that write data on the magnetic tape or read data on the magnetic tape, and a cartridge 1 that is removable from the storage 2 and the drive 3. An accessor 4 that moves to a position, holds the cartridge taken out from the storage or drive unit, and then moves further to mount the cartridge held in the storage or drive unit, and an address at which the cartridge 1 is to be installed or removed from the accessor 4. In addition, the accessor controller 5 monitors the operating status of the accessor 4 and reports it to the higher-level device, and the accessor controller 5 transmits data and operation commands to be received from the higher-level device to the drive 3, and A magnetic tape formatter 6 (hereinafter referred to as a formatter) that receives read data and the operating status status of the drive 3 and sends it to a higher-level device, and a higher-level device of the accessor 4 and formatter 6 that supervises the collective magnetic tape subsystem. Magnetic tape controller 7 that interfaces with the upper channel program
When the controller 7 takes out the cartridge 1 from the storage 2 and transfers data onto the magnetic tape in the drive 3, it first instructs the accessor controller 5 to specify the address of the target cartridge 1. The accessor controller 5 controls the accessor 4 based on the information to take out the cartridge 1 from the storage 2. The controller 7 sends the address of the drive 3 to which the cartridge 1 should be installed to the accessor controller 5.
The accessor controller 5 controls the accessor 4 according to the information and inserts the cartridge 1 into the target drive 3.

Conversely, when taking out the cartridge 1 from the drive 3 and storing it in the storage 2, the controller 7 sends the address of the target drive 3 to the accessor controller 5, and the cartridge 1 is held in the accessor 4. Later, the address on the storage 2 where the cartridge 1 is to be stored is transmitted, and the cartridge 1 is stored at the target address on the storage 2.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the conventional collective magnetic tape device described above, the address of the cartridge 1 to be accessed is recognized only on the accessor controller 5 side, and the address information of the loaded cartridge 1 cannot be confirmed in the drive 3. If the accessor 4 inserts the cartridge 1 into the wrong drive 3, there is a possibility that inappropriate data may be read from or written onto the tape, resulting in data corruption. .

An object of the present invention is to provide a collective magnetic tape device that solves the above-mentioned HAM problem.

[Means to solve the problem]

To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a plurality of individually addressed cartridges, a magnetic tape drive for writing data on or reading data from a magnetic tape contained within the cartridges, and a magnetic tape drive for holding the cartridges. and an accessor controller that controls the accessor by sending target addresses and operation commands to the accessor.

A magnetic tape formatter that sends write data to a magnetic tape drive or receives read data from a magnetic tape drive and controls multiple magnetic tape drives, and a host device that sends commands to the accessor controller and magnetic tape formatter. In a collective magnetic tape device comprising a magnetic tape controller that interfaces with It is something that you have.

〔Example〕

Next, one embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

A magnetic tape cartridge 1 containing a magnetic tape is stored in a cartridge storage 2 with a unique address.

There are multiple magnetic tape drives 3, and the cartridge 1
Read data from and write data on magnetic tape. The accessor 4 takes out the cartridge l from the storage 2 or the drive 3 and attaches it to the storage 2 or the drive 3.

The accessor controller 5 is the magnetic tape controller 7
The accessor 4 is controlled in accordance with instructions from the accessor 4 to load the cartridge 1 at a specified address into the drive 3 or store the cartridge 1 at a specified address.

The magnetic tape formatter 6 sends data and commands to be written on the tape to the drive 3 in accordance with instructions from the controller 7, and sends data read from the tape and the status of the drive 3 to the controller 7.

The magnetic tape controller 7 is the accessor controller 5
It also communicates with the formatter 6 and supervises the entire collective magnetic tape device.

Transmitter 9 and transmitter 10 (consisting of LEDs here)
The statuses from the drive 3 and the accessor 4 are converted into serial codes and are blinking.

The receiver 8 and the receiver 11 are composed of light receiving elements such as phototransistors, and receive issuing signals from the transmitter 10 and the transmitter 9, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the accessor 4 assumes a position where the cartridge 1 can be attached to and removed from the drive 3, the receiver 8 receives a signal from the transmitter 10, and the receiver 11 receives a signal from the transmitter 9. installed in a position where it can be received. Now, when the cartridge 1 is moved from a certain address in the storage 2 using the accessor and installed in the drive 3 to read and write data on the tape, the controller 7 selects the required address of the cartridge 1 and the target address. The address of the drive 3 and a cartridge insertion command (mount command) are sent to the accessor 4 via the accessor controller 5. At this time, the controller 7 transmits the addresses of the drive cars 1 to 1 to be installed in the target drive 3 via the formatter 6.

Accessor 4 accesses cartridge 1 for target drive 3.
When the camera is moved to a position where it can be attached and detached.

A transmitter 9 attached to the drive 3 is transmitting its own drive address.

The accessor 4 receives this with the receiver 11 and sends it to the accessor controller 5 where it is compared with the address of the target drive. If different, the accessor controller 5 reports an abnormality to the controller 7.

If normal, the transmitter 10 attached to the accessor 4
sends the address of cartridge 1.

The drive 3 receives this via the receiver 8.

It is compared with the address of the cartridge 1 that was previously transmitted through the formatter 6. If they are different, the drive 3 reports the abnormality to the controller 7 through the formatter 6 and waits for the next command.

In this way, the wrong cartridge 1 is prevented from being installed in the wrong drive 3.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention provides a collective magnetic tape device with a direct communication function between an accessor and a drive, thereby preventing a cartridge with an incorrect address from being installed in a drive, or a cartridge from an incorrect address being installed in a drive. This has the effect of preventing the data on the tape from being damaged due to

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the arrangement relationship between a receiver and a transmitter, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a conventional example. 1...Magnetic tape cartridge 2...Cartridge storage 3...Magnetic tape drive 4...Accessor 5...Accessor controller 6...Magnetic tape formatter 7...Magnetic tape controller 8,11. ...Receiver 9, lO...Transmitter

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A plurality of individually addressed cartridges, a magnetic tape drive that writes data on or reads data from the magnetic tape housed in the cartridge, and a magnetic drive that holds and transports the cartridges. an accessor controller that controls the accessor by sending target addresses and operation commands to the accessor, and an accessor controller that sends write data to the magnetic tape drive or receives read data from the magnetic tape drive to connect multiple magnetic tapes. In a collective magnetic tape device consisting of a magnetic tape formatter that controls the drive, and a magnetic tape controller that sends commands to the accessor controller and magnetic tape formatter and interfaces with the host device, it is possible to directly check the status of the magnetic tape drive. a means for transmitting to the accessor;
1. A collective magnetic tape device comprising: means for directly transmitting the state of an accessor to a magnetic tape drive.