JP2001283508A - Write protecting method for information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a write protecting method by which write-protect control can be performed over a data recording medium having no write-protect switch. SOLUTION: Medium management records having write-protect flags are recorded and held by data recording media stored in a collective type automatic loading device. When a data recording medium is allocated as an object of recording and reproduction to a file system, the contents of the medium management record are transferred to the file system. When receiving a request to write data to the allocated data recording medium, the file system refers to the write-protect flag and recognizes that the data recorded on the allocated data recording medium are only read out when the write-protect flag is set, giving notice of a write error.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to control of write-protection of data on a data recording medium in an information processing apparatus having a collective automatic loading apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a collective type automatic loading apparatus called an autochanger or the like is configured as follows. The collective type automatic loading device includes at least one data recording / reproducing device, a plurality of slots for storing data recording media, and taking out the data recording medium from each slot and loading the data recording / reproducing device into the data recording / reproducing device. In such a collective type automatic loading apparatus including a handling device called an accessor for storing a data recording medium taken out from a slot into a slot, writing of data to the data recording medium is prohibited (write protection).
The control was performed as follows.

In general, for a data recording medium housed in a cartridge such as an MO, by switching a write protection switch provided on the cartridge, control of data write permission and write inhibition to the data recording medium can be performed.

[0004] However, for example, a DVD-R that is stored in a tray in a naked state that is not stored in a cartridge and handled.
Since a data recording medium such as an AM medium does not have a write protect switch, the write protect cannot be controlled.

Further, in order to switch the write protect switch for a data recording medium stored in a cartridge stored in a slot of the collective automatic loading apparatus, the data recording medium must be temporarily removed from the collective automatic loading apparatus. And after switching the write protect switch, it is necessary to insert the same again into the collective automatic loading apparatus, which is very complicated.

A technique for solving this complication is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-21.
No. 739. In this publication, a data write inhibit flag is provided in a medium management record provided for each data recording medium stored in the collective type automatic loading apparatus, and the registration and cancellation of the write inhibit flag are write protected. It is disclosed that the setting is made by the registration means. According to this, it is possible to set or cancel the write protection while the data recording medium is stored in the collective automatic loading apparatus.

However, in order to realize the write protection control disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-21739, it is necessary to set the state of writing data to a data recording medium to a prohibited state or a permitted state by an input / output command. A special input / output device (data recording / reproducing device) is required.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a special input / output device (data recording / reproducing device) which can set a data writing state to a data recording medium to a prohibited state or a permitted state by an input / output command. Write protection in an information processing apparatus capable of performing write protection control on a data recording medium without requiring a write protection switch, and also capable of performing write protection control on a data recording medium that is not housed in a cartridge and has no write protection switch for handling in a naked state. The purpose is to provide a protection method.

[0009]

According to the present invention, at least one data recording / reproducing apparatus for recording / reproducing data on / from a data recording medium, and a plurality of slots for storing the data recording medium are provided. A collective type automatic loading device having an accessor for moving a data recording medium between a data recording / reproducing device and a slot, and a data recording medium stored in the collective type automatic loading device based on a request of an application program. A write protection method in an information processing apparatus having data recording / reproduction means for controlling recording / reproduction of data, the medium having a write protection flag for the data recording medium stored in the collective type automatic loading apparatus. Records and holds a management record, arbitrarily sets or releases the write protect flag, The data recording / reproducing means allocates the data recording medium stored in the collective type automatic loading apparatus designated by the application program as a target for data recording / reproduction, and manages the medium for the allocated data recording medium. If the write protection is set with reference to the write protection flag of the record, the data recorded on the allocated data recording medium is recognized as read-only, and the When a data write request is received from the application program, a write error occurs.

With such a configuration, it is possible to perform write protection control on a data recording medium which is not housed in a cartridge and has no write protection switch and is handled in a naked state.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
This will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The system bus 7 is connected to a CPU 6, a main memory 5, a magnetic disk device (HDD) 8 as an external storage device, and a collective automatic loading device 9, respectively. In the main memory 5,
Data recording medium 13 stored in collective type automatic loading device 9
An application program 1 having a function of recording / reproducing data to / from a computer, a write protection setting program 2 provided as a utility program for setting prohibition or permission of writing data on a data recording medium, and an operating system including a file system A program 3 and a device driver 4 for driving the collective automatic loading apparatus 9 based on the control of the file system of the operating program are stored. The operating program 3 (file system) and the device driver 4 constitute the data recording / reproducing means of the present invention. The application program 1, the write protection setting program 2, the operating program 3, and the device driver 4 are processed by being executed by the CPU 6.

The collective automatic loading device 9 includes, for example, two DVD-RAM devices 10 as data recording / reproducing devices (drive devices) for recording / reproducing data on / from a DVD-RAM medium 13 as a data recording medium. Built-in. The collective automatic loading device 9 is provided with a plurality of slots 12 for storing a DVD-RAM medium 13 as a data recording medium. The DVD-RAM media 13 are stored in the slots 12 in a state of being stored in a tray one by one without being stored in a cartridge. The DVD-RAM medium 13 is taken out of the slot 12 with the DVD-RAM medium 13 stored in the tray by the handling mechanism 11 for the data recording medium called a handler or an accessor, and the DVD-R
Loaded in the AM device 10 or the DVD-RAM device 1
An operation of taking out from 0 and storing it in the slot 12 is performed.

The device driver 4 controls the operation of the accessor 11 based on the control of the operating program 3 (file system) to control the DVD-RAM medium 13.
Between the slot 12 of the DVD-RAM device 10 and the DVD-RAM device 1 in the DVD-RAM device 10
3 is a program for controlling the recording and reproduction of data with respect to the C.3. Although the operation of the device driver 4 will be described in detail later, the DVD-RA
When the M medium 13 is inserted, the management information recorded in a predetermined area of the DVD-RAM medium 13 is read out, and the DVD-RAM medium 13 is read.
Based on the function of creating a management record for each RAM medium 13 and the control of the operating system 3 based on the instructions of the application program 1, the DVD-RAM
It has a function of mounting the medium 13.

Next, the operation of data write processing and write protect processing on the DVD-RAM medium 13 in the system configured as described above will be described. In such a system, a DVD-RAM
In order to be able to record and reproduce data on the medium 13, it is necessary to first insert the DVD-RAM medium 13 into the collective automatic loading device 9 and then mount the DVD-RAM medium 13. There is.

When the DVD-RAM medium 13 is inserted into the collective automatic loading apparatus 9, the device driver 4 drives and controls the accessor 11 to load the DVD-RAM medium 13 into the DVD-RAM apparatus 10, and the DVD-RAM ID information recorded in a predetermined area of the DVD-RAM medium 13 by controlling the drive of the apparatus 10, a recording medium is a RAM medium capable of recording and reproducing data or a ROM for reading data only
After reading device (medium) type information indicating a medium, file system information indicating a format in which formatting is performed, and the like, the vacant slot 12 is read.
Is stored in the DVD-RAM medium 13. The device driver 4 records and saves the information read from the DVD-RAM medium 13, the slot number of the slot 12 storing the DVD-RAM medium 13, and a write protect flag as a medium management record of the DVD-RAM medium. FIG. 2 shows the structure of the medium management record.
The medium management record 20 includes a slot number 21, ID information 22, device type information 23, and file system information 2.
4, and a write protect flag 25. The write protect flag 25 is set with 1-bit information indicating whether or not write protection is set for the DVD-RAM medium 13.

The write protect flag 25 is set to write permission (bit "0") by default. The execution of the write protection setting program 2 enables the user to arbitrarily set the write protection flag 25 (write-protected state, bit “1”) and reset (write-enabled state, bit “0”). ing. In this way, the medium management records 20 for all the DVD-RAM media 13 inserted into the collective automatic loading apparatus 9 are created, and the set of management records is recorded and held as medium management data. The device driver 4 records and holds the management data in the device driver 4. This management data may be recorded and held in a magnetic disk device (HDD) 8 other than in the device driver 4.

In the information processing apparatus, alphabetical characters are assigned to the external storage device managed by the file system of the operating system 3 as drive names of the external storage device, and the screen is managed by a file management program such as a file manager or an explorer. Is displayed. Generally, the letters "A" and "B"
Is assigned a floppy (registered trademark) disk device, and similarly, the letter "C" is assigned a magnetic disk device. On the other hand, in the information processing apparatus to which the collective type automatic loading device 9 is connected, the DVD-RAM medium 13 stored in the collective type automatic loading device 9 is used in order to allow the file system to use and manage the DVD-RAM medium 13. It is necessary to assign alphabetic characters to the RAM medium 13 as the name of the external storage device. In this manner, assigning alphabetical characters as drive names of the external storage device so that the file system can use each DVD-RAM medium (data recording medium) stored in the collective type automatic loading apparatus 9 is a mounting process or opening of a volume. Called processing.

The mounting process is performed as follows. First, based on the user's designation, the application program 1 mounts the operating system 3 (file system) on a drive name of an alphabetic character designating a predetermined DVD-RAM medium 13 stored in the collective automatic loading apparatus 9 in the operating system 3 (file system). Make a request. The operating system 3 (file system) that has received the mount request controls the device driver 4 so that the DVD-RA
The information of the medium management record corresponding to the M medium 13 is read. The device driver 4 transfers the information of the read medium management record to the operating system 3 (file system). The operating system 3 (file system) registers the information of the medium management record corresponding to the mount target DVD-RAM 13 transferred from the device driver 4 and designates the DVD-RAM medium 13 from the application program. The received letter is assigned as the drive name.

At the time of this mounting process, the device driver 4 transfers the contents read from the medium management record to the operating system 3 (file system).

Next, the DVD-RAM medium 13 in which the application program 1 is stored in the collective type automatic loading device 9
The case where the operating system 3 (file system) requests the operating system 3 (file system) to perform the data writing operation will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, when the application program 1 writes data to the DVD-RAM medium 13 assigned to a predetermined drive name, it issues a write request to the operating system 3 (file system) (step S1). The operating system 3 (file system) that has received the write request refers to the information of the medium management record of the DVD-RAM medium 13 to be written (step S2). As a result of this reference, it is determined whether or not the write protection is set (bit “1”) (step S3). If the result of this determination is that the write protect flag has been reset (bit (0)), the operating system 3 (file system)
It recognizes that the data recorded on the D-RAM medium 13 can be read and written, and executes data writing to the designated DVD-RAM (step S4). If the write protection flag is set (bit (1)) as a result of the determination, the operating system 3 (file system) determines that the data recorded on the DVD-RAM medium 13 to be written is read-only. And notifies the application program 1 of a write error (step S5).

As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, a write protect flag is provided in the medium management record created for each DVD-RAM medium stored in the collective type automatic loading apparatus, and the write protect setting program is executed. The user can arbitrarily set this flag (write-protected state) and reset this flag (write-enabled state). When mounting the DVD-RAM medium, the device driver transfers the contents of the medium management record to the operating system 3 (file system).

By doing so, when the operating system (file system) receives from the application program a request to write data to the mounted DVD-RAM medium, the write protect flag is set with reference to the write protect flag. The DVD-RAM
Write protection for the medium can be realized.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the second embodiment, among the functions of the device driver 4 in the first embodiment, there is provided a control device 14 for controlling the drive of the accessor 11 and the function of controlling the recording and reproduction of data in the DVD-RAM device 10. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in other respects, and the other points are the same as those in the first embodiment. The same components are denoted by the same reference numerals in FIG. In this second embodiment,
The medium management data is stored in the control device 14.

[0025]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a special data recording / reproducing apparatus which can set a data writing state to a data recording medium to a prohibited state or a permitted state by an input / output command is required. Without the above, the write protection control can be realized. Further, write protection control can be realized for a data recording medium having no write protection switch.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a medium management record.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a data writing operation.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1. Application program 2. Write protection setting program 3. Operating system 4. Device driver 5. Main memory 6. CPU 7. System bus 8. Magnetic disk unit (HDD) 9. Collective type Automatic loading device 10 DVD-RAM device 11 Accessor 12 Slot 13 DVD-RAM medium 14 Control device

Claims (1)

[Claims] At least one data recording / reproducing device for recording / reproducing data on / from a data recording medium, a plurality of slots for storing the data recording medium, and a data recording medium between the data recording / reproducing device and the slot. A data recording / reproducing means having a collective type automatic loading device having an accessor for moving the data, and controlling recording and reproduction of data on a data recording medium stored in the collective type automatic loading device based on a request of an application program; A write protection method in an information processing device having a media management record having a write protection flag for the data recording medium stored in the collective type automatic loading device, and arbitrarily setting the write protection flag. Setting or canceling, and the data recording / reproducing means The data recording medium stored in the collective type automatic loading device designated by the program is allocated as a target of data recording and reproduction, and the write protect flag of the medium management record for the allocated data recording medium is referred to. If write protection is set, the data recorded on the allocated data recording medium is recognized as read-only, and a data write request from the application program to the allocated data recording medium is issued. A write protection method in an information processing apparatus, wherein a write error occurs when received.