JPH0283812A - Method for cleaning magnetic tape device in library device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve a system efficiency without depending on the labor for loading a cleaning tape by housing a cleaning tape to a housing to house a magnetic tape and automatically loading the cleaning tape to the magnetic tape device with a robot in a library device. CONSTITUTION:When the processing in a tape deck is necessary, a robot 3 takes out a prescribed cartridge tape from a housing 5, loads to a prescribed tape deck and the reading and writing processing is executed. When the processing is finished, the robot 3 reloads a cartridge tape from a tape deck and returns it to a cartridge tape housing 5. Thereafter, when the number of the times of using tapes in the tape deck is checked and exceeds the prescribed number of the times, the tape deck instructs the robot 3 to load the cleaning tape. The robot 3 takes out the cleaning tape from a cleaning tape housing 4 and loads it to the instructed tape deck and after the cleaning is completed, returns it to the original housing 4.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method for cleaning a magnetic tape device attached to a cartridge-type magnetic tape library device.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, cartridge-type magnetic tape devices have been independent devices, allowing users to directly load cartridge tapes. Therefore, cleaning to remove dirt from the head and tape bus of a magnetic tape device has been performed by the user directly inserting a cleaning tape into the tape input slot of the magnetic tape device.

In addition, regarding when to insert the cleaning tape, the operator can tell the operator that cleaning is required when a predetermined standard is reached, such as by adding up the tape drive time in the magnetic tape device or counting the number of times the tape is loaded. A message was displayed to that effect. As a result, the operator inserts the cleaning tape into the inlet of the cartridge to perform cleaning.

On the other hand, in order to reduce the operator's workload and eliminate the need for manual loading of cartridge tapes, a large number of tapes are stored on a shelf, accessed automatically from there, and automatically loaded into a magnetic tape device. A library device is used for this purpose.

In this device, cartridge tapes are loaded by a robot within the library device.

Incidentally, as an invention related to the above-mentioned prior art, for example, there is an invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 17258/1983.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In such a library device, loading a cleaning tape manually is extremely dangerous considering that robots come and go within the library device.

Further, the library device itself takes out a cartridge tape from a predetermined location on a cartridge shelf and loads it into a magnetic tape device in response to a command from a host CPU. Therefore, if a cleaning tape loading instruction is issued from the host CPU, there is no need to manually load the cartridge tape as in the prior art.

However, for the host CPU to manage when to set the cleaning tape, taking into consideration the fact that there are multiple tape decks, management is extremely complex, creating overhead for the CPU and reducing system efficiency. Ta.

An object of the present invention is to load a cleaning tape into a magnetic tape device without relying on manual labor for loading the cleaning tape and without requiring management of the host 1-CPU.

[Means to solve the problem]

A cleaning method for a magnetic tape device in a library device according to the present invention includes: a plurality of magnetic tape devices for writing/reading data on/from magnetic tape; a storage for storing a plurality of magnetic tapes; and a method for cleaning a magnetic tape device in a library device. This is applied to a library device consisting of a robot that transports magnetic tapes, and in particular, when cleaning tapes are stored in the storage compartment and each of the magnetic tape devices has reached a standard that requires tape cleaning. If it is determined that the tape cleaning has reached the required standard, the robot takes out the cleaning tape stored in the storage, transports it to the magnetic tape device, loads it, and performs cleaning. It is characterized by doing.

[Effect]

A magnetic tape device performs writing and reading operations after loading a cartridge-type tape. As a result, the magnetic head and tape running path become contaminated with dust and the like. This dirt is cleaned and removed by installing a cleaning tape and running it. Various factors can be used to set the cleaning tape, such as the number of times the cartridge type tape is loaded, the tape running time, the tape running distance, the frequency of errors, the power-on time, and the initially set timer. When these criteria are met, the magnetic tape device issues a cleaning tape loading instruction to the library device. Upon receiving this instruction, the library device takes out the cleaning tape from a predetermined position in the storage and loads it onto the deck. When the cleaning is completed, a completion report is sent to the library device again, so that the library device takes out the cleaning tape from the deck and returns it to its original predetermined position in the storage. This allows the cleaning operation of the magnetic tape device to be performed.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a library device. As shown in FIG. 1, the library device 1 includes a plurality of tape decks 2a to 2h, a robot 3 for storing cartridge tapes that can move on rails, etc., a cleaning tape storage 4, and a cartridge tape storage. It consists of a storage 5.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing processing in the library apparatus shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, if it is determined that processing in the tape deck is necessary (step 10), the robot 3 takes out a predetermined cartridge tape from the cartridge tape storage 5 and loads it into a predetermined tape deck (step 11). . Next, read/write processing is performed on the tape deck (step 12). After the read/write process is completed, the robot 3 removes the cartridge tape from the tape deck and returns it to the cartridge tape storage 5 (step 13). Thereafter, it is checked whether the number of times the tape has been used in the tape deck exceeds a specified value (step 14). This criterion is not limited to the number of times the tape has been used (as in this example), but may also be, for example, the running time of the tape, etc. These are determined by each magnetic tape device 2a to 2h. If it is determined that the tape deck exceeds this standard, the tape deck will be
Instruct robot 3 to load the cleaning tape.

The robot 3 takes out the cleaning tape from the cleaning tape storage 4 and loads it into the designated tape deck (step 15). When the cleaning is completed (Step 6), the robot 3 removes the cleaning tape from the tape deck and returns it to the original cleaning storage (Step 17). When cleaning is finished,
Normal processing from the host CPU (write/read processing, etc.) continues (step 18).

According to this embodiment, it is possible to automatically clean the tape deck in the library apparatus.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, the robot within the library device automatically loads approximately six cleaning tapes, which has the effect of reducing manual operations by the operator. Furthermore, safety can be ensured since there is no need for the operator to put his hands inside the robot. Furthermore, since the host CPU does not need to manage the loading timing, the overhead of the host C and PU can be reduced and the performance of the system can be improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a library device to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the library device shown in FIG. 1...Library device, 2...Tape deck, 3.
...Robot, 4...Cleaning tape storage, 5
...Cartridge tape storage.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of magnetic tape devices for writing/reading data on magnetic tapes, a storage for storing a plurality of magnetic tapes, and a storage for transporting the magnetic tapes to the plurality of magnetic tape devices. In a library device consisting of a robot, a cleaning tape is stored in the storage, and each of the magnetic tape devices determines whether or not it has reached a standard that requires tape cleaning. cleaning of a magnetic tape device in a library device, wherein the robot takes out the cleaning tape stored in the storage, transports it to the magnetic tape device, loads it, and performs cleaning. Method.