JPH0635615A - Library device controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the burden of a host computer. CONSTITUTION:A driving control table 32a controls the occupancy state of all driving devices of all library devices. A recording medium control table 32b controls the storing position of all recording mediums of all the library devices 10. A control means 30 recognizes the library device 10 in which a designated recording medium is stored by referring to the recording medium management table 32b in accordance with a mount request from host computers 20-23, mounts the designated recording medium to the drive device of the free state of the recognized library device 10 by referring to the drive control table 32a, and allows the host computers 20-23 to use it.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a library device controller, and more particularly to a library device controller for a system using one or a plurality of library devices in a plurality of host computers.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A library device includes a channel device for transmitting and receiving information to and from a host computer, a plurality of drive devices for recording and reproducing a recording medium such as a magnetic tape, and mounting (mounting) the recording medium on each drive device. An accessor that is a robot that performs dismounting,
It is composed of cells that accommodate a large number of recording media.

Conventionally, in a system in which a plurality of library devices are used in a plurality of host computers, the following method is generally used when mounting a specific recording medium.

The library device in which the recording medium to be specified by the host computer is stored is identified, and the operating state information of each drive device in the library device is acquired and discriminated. Issuing a command requesting occupancy.

Next, the host computer issues a command for requesting mounting of the designated recording medium to the occupied drive device.

When performing demounting, the host computer issues a command requesting movement of the recording medium from the drive device to the original storage position (home cell) in the cell.

Next, a command for releasing the occupied drive device is issued to make this drive device empty.

[0008]

Since the conventional library apparatus mounts and demounts each, the host computer must issue a command twice each.
Further, each host computer has to identify and discriminate in which library device a particular recording medium is stored, which poses a problem that the load on the host computer is heavy.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points,
An object of the present invention is to provide a library device control device that can be reduced by the load of a host computer.

[0010]

According to the library device control device of the present invention, any one of a plurality of recording media accommodated in a cell is selected, mounted by an actuator on any one of a plurality of drive devices, and mounted on the recording device. In a library device control device of a system in which one or a plurality of library devices for recording / reproducing a medium are used by a plurality of host computers, a drive management table for managing the occupied states of all the drive devices of all the library devices, and A recording medium management table that manages the storage positions of all the recording media of the library device and a library device that stores the specified recording medium by referring to the recording medium management table in response to a mount request from the host computer is recognized. , The library device recognized by referring to the drive management table And a control means for use by said host computer to mount recording media specified in the drive device free.

[0011]

In the present invention, the control means manages all the library devices by the drive management table and the recording medium management table, each host computer only issues a mount request command, and the control means controls the recording medium designated by the host computer. After mounting, the host computer can record and reproduce this recording medium.

[0012]

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

In FIG. 1, a library device 10 includes channel devices 11a and 11b for transmitting and receiving information to and from a plurality of host computers 20 to 23 in the system, and a plurality of drive devices 12a to 12a for recording and reproducing a recording medium such as a magnetic tape.
12d, an accessor 13 that is a robot that mounts (mounts) and demounts (demounts) the recording medium in each drive device, and a cell 14 that stores a large number of recording media. The accessor 13 is each drive device 12a-1.
It has a path for recognizing the operation state of 2d and is controlled by the library control device 30.

The library controller 30 is connected to the host computers 20 to 23 by a bus 31. The library control device 30 also stores a drive management table 32a that manages the operating states of the drive devices 12a to 12d in the library device 10 and a recording medium management table 32b that manages the recording media stored in the cells 14. The storage device 32 is connected. The library control device 30 centrally manages and controls a plurality of library devices, and manages all the library devices by a drive management table and a recording medium management table of the storage device 31.

In the present invention, the host computer 2
Each of 0 to 23 issues only a mount request command or a demount request command to the library control device 30 when using the library device 10, and the library control device 30 controls the operation of the library device 10 according to the command. . Further, the mount request command is provided with a demount flag DF for instructing whether or not to perform the demount process and a release flag RF for instructing whether or not to perform the drive release process, and the demount request command is released. A flag RF is provided.

FIG. 2 shows a flow chart of control processing executed by the library control device 30. This process is started when a mount request command or a demount request command is issued from the host computer.

In the figure, in step 40, it is judged whether or not the command issued by the host computer is a mount request command, and if it is a mount request command, step 41
The recording medium management table 3 of the storage device 32
By referring to 2b, it is recognized in which library device the recording medium designated by the mount request command is stored. Next, in step 42, the drive management table 32a
The selected drive device is selected in the library device 10 recognized by referring to, the selected drive device is occupied, and the drive management table is updated. Next, the access device 13 stores the recording medium specified by the command in the cell 14
Mount it on the dedicated drive device. Thereafter, in step 44, it is determined whether or not the recording / reproducing process of the occupied drive device by the host computer which issued the mount request command is completed, and when it is completed, step 45 is executed.
Proceed to.

In step 45, the demount flag DF of the mount request command is checked to determine whether or not the demount process should be performed. If not, the process is terminated. To the home cell in the cell 14 by demounting.

Next, at step 47, the release flag RF is checked to determine whether or not the dedicated drive device is to be released. If not, the process is terminated, and if it is to be done, step 48 is performed.
Then, the occupied drive device is released, the drive device is made free, the drive management table is updated, and the process ends.

On the other hand, if the command issued by the host computer in step 40 is a demount request command, the recording medium is demounted from the drive device designated by the command and returned to the cell 14 by the designation of the command in step 49. From the exit 15 to the library device 10
When the recording medium is discharged to the outside of the cell 14 and returned to a position other than the home cell in the cell 14, or discharged to the outside, the recording medium management table is updated and the process proceeds to step 47.

As described above, the library control device 30 manages all the library devices 10 by the drive management table 32a and the recording medium management table 32b, and each host computer 20-23 simply issues a mount request command. Mounts a recording medium designated by the host computer, and the host computer can record and reproduce the recording medium. Further, when the recording / reproducing ends, the control device 30 can automatically return the recording medium to the home cell. The library control device 30 controls from mounting to demounting only by issuing a mount request command from the host computer, and the host computer does not need to recognize which library device has the recording medium to be designated. Can be reduced.

Further, the demounting of the recording medium after use is stopped by setting the demount flag DF, and then the host computer issues a demount request command to return the recording medium to a cell other than the home cell of the cell 14 and the storage position. Can be changed or discharged to the outside of the library device 10.

Further, by setting the release flag RF, it becomes possible for the host computer to continue to occupy the drive device and continuously record and reproduce a plurality of recording media.

[0024]

As described above, according to the library device controller of the present invention, the load on the host computer can be reduced, and it is extremely useful in practice.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a control process of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Library Device 11a, 11b Channel Device 12a-12d Drive Device 13 Accessor 14 Cell 20-23 Host Computer 30 Library Control Device 32 Storage Device 32a Drive Management Table 32b Recording Medium Management Table

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. One or a plurality of library devices for selecting one of a plurality of recording media housed in a cell and mounting it on one of a plurality of drive devices by an actuator to record and reproduce the mounted recording media. In a library device control device of a system used by a plurality of host computers, a drive management table (32a) for managing the occupied states of all drive devices of all library devices, and storage positions of all recording media of all library devices The recording medium management table (32b) for managing the storage medium and the library device accommodating the designated recording medium by referring to the recording medium management table in response to a mount request from the host computer, and referring to the drive management table. And then point the empty drive unit of the library unit recognized above. Control means for mounting the specified recording medium and using it by the host computer (3
0) and a library device controller.