JPH10162330A - Magnetic recording and reproducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a magnetic recording and reproducing device that prolongs the life of a head and reduces the processing load of a host computer. SOLUTION: In this magnetic recording and reproducing device, with generation of an error detected by a drive unit 4, the information is given to a controller 2, which instructs cleaning of the head of the drive unit 4 using a cleaning tape or the like. Since the controller 2 cleans the head only if an error is generated, no cleaning is performed that accompanies the wear of the head unless it is soiled and the error is generated, even if the use is beyond the conventional head cleaning period. In addition, at the time of generation of an error, the controller 2 autonomously cleans the head and tries to access again, thereby reducing the error processing load of a host computer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, and more particularly to a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus which autonomously cleans a head when an error occurs.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus provided with a storage shelf accommodating a large number of magnetic tapes, a magnetic tape drive, a magnetic tape transfer device, and the like, repeated access to the magnetic tape causes contamination of the head. And a write / read error has occurred. Therefore, the head has been cleaned by measuring the usage time of the drive device using a timer, for example, and applying a cleaning tape every predetermined time. Further, when an error occurs at the time of access, the occurrence of the error is notified to the host computer, and error processing is performed in the host computer.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a data reading process in a conventional magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus.
If data is read in S20 and an error is detected in S21, it is determined in S22 whether or not this is the second time. In the case of the first time, data reading is retried again. However, if it is the second time, the process proceeds to S23,
The magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus notifies the host computer of the occurrence of the error.

In S24, the host computer notifies the user (operator or OS) of the occurrence of the error, and in S25, it is determined whether or not the notification destination has instructed to execute the repair work. Then, for example, when an error repair instruction is given from the operator, S
The process proceeds to step 26, where the currently inserted magnetic tape cassette is ejected and stored in the storage shelf.

In step S27, the cleaning tape is inserted into the drive device, and in step S28, the cleaning tape is applied for a predetermined time to clean the head, and the cleaning tape is discharged. In S29, the cleaning tape is stored in the original storage position, and in S30, the original tape from which data is to be read is inserted into the drive device. Then, the process returns to S20 to retry the reading process.

[0006]

In the above-described conventional magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, cleaning is performed by estimating the degree of contamination of the head based on the usage time.
Even if the head is not dirty, cleaning is performed periodically, and there is a problem that the life is shortened due to wear of the head. Further, when a write / read error occurs, the host computer is notified as described above, and the host computer performs the error processing, so that there is a problem that the error processing load on the host computer is large. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus which solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, prolongs the life of the head, and reduces the processing load on the host computer.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, comprising: an error detecting means for detecting occurrence of an error when writing or reading data; a cleaning means for cleaning a head; and an error detecting means. And control means for operating the cleaning means to clean the head when an error is detected.

In the present invention, the control means cleans the head only when an error occurs. Therefore, as long as the head is not dirty and no error occurs, even if the usage time exceeds the conventional head cleaning cycle, cleaning with wear of the head is not performed.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus to which the present invention is applied. The host computer 1 has a tape library controller 2
And is connected to the tape library device 3 by well-known SCSI cables 10 to 12, and controls the tape library controller 2 and the tape library device 3,
Write / read data to / from the magnetic tape.

The tape library controller 2 is, for example, a control device having a built-in CPU, a memory, and the like, and controlling and monitoring the tape library device 3 via RS232C cables 13 and 14 based on an instruction from the host computer 1. The tape library device 3 includes a plurality of tape drive devices 4 and 5, a tape storage shelf (bin) 6, and a tape transfer device 7. The tape storage shelf 6 stores a plurality of magnetic tape cassettes and cleaning tape cassettes. The tape transfer device 7 is controlled by the tape library controller 2 via a control line (not shown), and transfers a tape between the tape storage shelf 6 and the tape drive devices 4 and 5.

A plurality of tape drive devices 4 and 5 for writing / reading data to / from a magnetic tape are connected to the host computer 1 by SCSI cables 11 and 12, and are connected to the tape library controller 2 by an RS23.
They are connected by 2C cables 13 and 14. Each of the tape drive devices 4 and 5 has a function of adding an error check code to data to be written and performing an error check on the read data to detect an error. If an error is detected, the RS232C cables 13 and 14
And notifies the tape library controller 2 of the error detection via the.

The SCSI cable 10 connecting the host computer 1 and the tape library controller 2 is
For example, it is used to transmit operation instruction information from the host computer 1 to the tape library controller 2 such as "what number of the tape cassette stored in the storage shelf should be put in the number of the tape drive device". . SCSI cables 11 and 12 connecting the host computer 1 and the tape drive devices 4 and 5 are used for transmitting write / read data.

Next, the operation will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a data read process according to the present invention.
An example in which the drive device 4 is used will be described.
In S1, data is read from the inserted desired magnetic tape cassette, and in S2, it is determined whether a read error has been detected by an error check code or the like. Then, when an error is detected, the process proceeds to S3, and it is determined whether or not it is the second time.

If the result of the determination in S3 is not the second time, that is, in the case of the first time, the process returns to S1 in order to try data reading again, but in the case of the second time, the process proceeds to S4,
The tape is ejected from the drive device 4. In step S5, the number of retries (the number of executions) of the head cleaning process
It is determined whether or not the retry counter value indicating the predetermined value has exceeded a predetermined value, for example, twice. If the retry counter value has exceeded the predetermined value, the process proceeds to error processing. Then, the occurrence of an error is notified to the host computer 1 and an instruction from an operator or the like is obtained.

If the result of the determination in S5 is equal to or less than the predetermined number of retries, the flow shifts to S6, in which the tape transfer device 7 is driven to store the discharged tape in the empty storage shelf 6. In S7, the cleaning tape stored in the storage shelf is inserted into the drive device.

In S8, the head is cleaned by applying a cleaning tape for a predetermined time, for example, 5 seconds, and the drive device 4 discharges the cleaning tape. In S9, the tape transfer device is driven to store the cleaning tape in the original storage shelf, and in S10, the original tape from which data is to be read is inserted into the drive device 4. In S11, 1 is added to the value of the head cleaning retry counter, and the process returns to S1 to retry the reading process.

Note that the write process performs almost the same process. However, in the case of the write process, the written data is read. If the data is not correctly written, the data is written again to the next sector, and the check is performed. Do.

When an error is detected by the above processing, the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus autonomously cleans the head and attempts access again. The access is normally completed without imposing any error processing burden on the computer 1.

While the embodiments have been disclosed above, the following modified examples are also possible. In the embodiment, the example in which the cleaning process is executed after an error is detected is disclosed. However, the cleaning process may be performed in combination with a conventional method of cleaning at a predetermined use time. By doing so, it is more likely that an error can be prevented in advance, and access delay due to the error can be prevented. Further, the cleaning cycle can be made longer than before, and the life of the head can be extended.

As an embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a magnetic tape library apparatus has been disclosed. However, the present invention provides an information recording apparatus, an reproducing apparatus, and a recording and reproducing apparatus using an arbitrary recording medium which requires head cleaning. Applicable to the device.

[0021]

As described above, in the present invention,
The control means cleans the head only when an error occurs. Therefore, if the head is not dirty and no error occurs, even if the usage time exceeds the conventional head cleaning cycle,
Do not perform cleaning with head wear. Therefore, there is an effect that the life of the head is longer than before. When an error occurs, the control means autonomously cleans the head,
Since the access is attempted again, if the access is successful by the attempt, the access is completed normally without imposing any error processing load on the host computer, and the error processing load on the host computer is reduced. This has the effect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus to which the present invention has been applied.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a process at the time of reading data according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a conventional data reading process.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Host computer, 2 ... Tape library controller, 3 ... Tape library apparatus, 4 ... 5 Tape drive apparatus, 6 ... Tape storage shelf, 7 ... Tape transfer apparatus,
10, 11, 12 ... SCSI cable, 13, 14, ... R
S232C cable

Claims (3)

[Claims] An error detecting means for detecting occurrence of an error in writing or reading data, a cleaning means for cleaning a head for writing or reading data to or from a recording medium; A magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus, comprising: a control unit for operating the cleaning unit to clean the head when the detection is detected. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the detection unit detects an error, the control unit operates the cleaning unit to clean the head without notifying an external device. Magnetic recording and reproducing device. 3. The cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus takes out a desired magnetic tape from a shelf storing a large number of magnetic tapes, and mounts the magnetic tape on a magnetic tape drive to write or read data. 2. The magnetic recording / reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the head performs cleaning of the head using a cleaning tape stored in the shelf.