JP3144311B2 - Magnetic tape unit - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a magnetic tape device, and more particularly to a magnetic tape device used as a peripheral device of a computer or the like. The magnetic tape device according to the present invention determines failure, deterioration, and life of a tape being used, and prompts replacement.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the operation of a magnetic tape has been managed by a user by writing a use condition on a label attached to the magnetic tape.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 5-3078775 discloses a method of determining the life of a magnetic tape in accordance with operation history data recorded on the magnetic tape.
This is because one error information value obtained each time a save / restore job is executed on a magnetic tape,
The number of times of unloading is compared with a value which is assumed to be the life of the magnetic tape in advance, and is reported to a host device.

[0004]

However, in the management by the user, complicated management of the magnetic tape must be frequently performed by a person, but it is practically impossible for a person to strictly manage the management. For this reason, there is a disadvantage that the life has expired and the reproduction becomes impossible.

[0005] For this reason, in the conventional operation, there is an inconvenience that a magnetic tape which can still be used is determined to have reached the end of its life. This is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 5-3078.
The same applies to the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 775/775.

The reason for this is that, in the conventional technology for determining the life of a magnetic tape, the determination is defined by error information obtained by one save / restore job and the number of passes, so that an accurate usage condition is obtained. This is because the life of the magnetic tape is determined without being able to determine the life of the magnetic tape, and the life of the magnetic tape is determined.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to improve the disadvantages of the prior art and, in particular, to provide a magnetic tape device capable of accurately determining the timing of replacing a magnetic tape.

[0008]

According to the present invention, a value obtained by adding error information of a magnetic tape and an operation time of a capstan motor for each operation of a magnetic tape device is updated, and a date of starting use is updated. Record on tape without updating.
Further, these values are read out from the magnetic tape, and when each value reaches a value which is a preset magnetic tape replacement time, the information is reported to the host device.

Thus, if the tape life defined by the tape path is converted into the operation time of the capstan motor as the tape replacement time and is set in advance in the control unit of the magnetic tape device of the present invention, the life of the magnetic tape can be reduced. Notify the user of the replacement time in the foreground.

Further, if a value smaller than the number of errors in the error information causing a failure in the magnetic tape is set in advance in the control unit of the magnetic tape device of the present invention, a failure occurs in the magnetic tape due to some abnormality by the time the magnetic tape is replaced. Inform the user of the replacement time beforehand.

Furthermore, when using magnetic tape for data storage, data storage warranty period, by setting the magnetic tape apparatus of the previously present invention, informing replacement time to the user.

Specifically, the following configuration is adopted.

According to the present invention, there is provided a use history recording unit for recording a use history of a magnetic tape on a magnetic tape, and determining whether it is time to replace a magnetic tape based on use history information recorded by the use history record unit. And a replacement time determination unit. Further, the usage history recording unit measures the operation time of the capstan motor that drives the magnetic tape, and also measures the operation time recording unit that records the operation time information, and measures the frequency of error information generated during driving of the magnetic tape. And error frequency recording means for recording the error frequency information. In addition, the replacement time determination unit stores the value of the magnetic tape replacement time obtained by converting the predetermined deterioration limit for each magnetic tape into the operation time of the capstan motor and the limit failure information indicating the failure limit. Information storage means, deterioration determination means for determining the deterioration of the magnetic tape based on the operation time information recorded by the operation time recording means, and magnetic information based on the error frequency information recorded by the error frequency storage means. A failure determination unit that outputs a failure of the tape; and a replacement timing of the magnetic tape in advance based on the failure information output by the failure determination unit and the deterioration information determined by the deterioration determination unit.
The operating time information or the error frequency
Information <br/> Bei e and determining deterioration failure information based determination means has either reached, use history recording unit, the use start date of the magnetic tape
A use start date and time recording means for recording on the magnetic tape;
The replacement time determination unit is provided by the
Based on the usage start date and time recorded at
It further has a life determining means for determining the life of the magnetic tape . This aims to achieve the above-mentioned object.

The deterioration of the magnetic tape is related to the possibility of a jam due to elongation of the tape, and the failure of the magnetic tape is related to the possibility that the tape cannot be reproduced due to a scratch on the tape. The life of the tape refers to the life of the magnetic properties of the tape, and further to the life of the magnetic tape including failure and deterioration until the magnetic tape becomes unusable.

When the magnetic tape is loaded into the magnetic tape device, the magnetic tape device checks whether the usage history of the magnetic tape is recorded before detecting the BOT.

Since the current magnetic tape device loads directory information after loading the magnetic tape, the present invention can be easily realized if a usage history is added to the directory information.

Further, the magnetic tape device reads the use history of the magnetic tape if it has been recorded on the magnetic tape, and if the magnetic tape has not been recorded, the initial value of the use history information and the start date of use of the magnetic tape. Is stored.

[0018] Then, the operation time of the capstan motor of the read usage history information, and receiving the error information, it is determined whether the has reached a value that the value has been set as the time to replace the pre-magnetic tape, it had reached In that case, the information is reported to the host device. Thereby, the user can be requested to exchange the magnetic tape.

Further, when the use start date is received from the usage history information, the date and the current use date are calculated, and the date is calculated. Is determined, and if the value has been reached, the control unit capable of reporting the information to the host device requests the user to replace the magnetic tape.

If the set value is not reached by the determination means, a job from a higher-level device such as save / restore is executed, and after execution of the job, the magnetic tape device receives an unload or rewind command from the higher-level device, and To BOT.

Then, the operating time of the capstan motor and the error information such as log sense obtained in the job at that time are added to the value of the error information stored in the storage unit, and the updated value is obtained. advance to determine reaches the set value of the time to replace the magnetic tape, it is possible to request the replacement of the magnetic tape to the user by the control unit for the information if you have be reported to the host device reached. However, the use start date is not updated.

Then, the error information thus updated,
The operation time of the capstan motor and the start date of use without updating are recorded in the use history area of the magnetic tape.

[0023]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the magnetic tape device according to the present embodiment. The magnetic tape device includes a usage history recording unit 12A that records usage history of the magnetic tape on the magnetic tape, and determines whether it is time to replace the magnetic tape based on the usage history information recorded by the usage history recording unit 12A. Replacement time determination unit 12
B.

Further, the usage history recording unit 12A measures the operation time of the capstan motor for driving the magnetic tape and records the operation time information. The operation time recording unit 1A includes error information generated during driving of the magnetic tape. Error frequency recording means 2 for measuring the frequency of the error and recording the error frequency information.

Further, the replacement time determining unit 12B includes a deterioration determining unit 5 for determining deterioration of the magnetic tape 18 based on the operating time information recorded by the operating time recording unit 1,
A failure judging unit 6 for judging a failure of the magnetic tape 18 based on the error frequency information recorded by the error frequency storage unit 2 ; a failure information outputted by the failure judging unit 6 and a degradation outputted by the degradation judging unit 5. A determination unit for determining whether or not the magnetic tape is a replacement time based on the information;

This will be described in detail.

As use history information, in addition to operating time information and error frequency information, use start date and time information is recorded on a magnetic tape. In the present embodiment, the deterioration of the magnetic tape is determined based on the operation time information, and the failure of the magnetic tape is determined based on the error frequency information. Further, the life of the magnetic tape is accurately determined by determining whether or not it is time to replace the magnetic tape using the usage period.

The life of the magnetic tape may be determined by comparing it with limit information predetermined for each magnetic tape. This method employs the following configuration.

First, limit information storage means 9 for storing limit deterioration information indicating a predetermined limit of deterioration for each magnetic tape and limit fault information indicating a limit of fault is provided in the deterioration fault information determining means 5. I do. Further, the deterioration failure information-specific determination means 8 has a limit information-specific determination function for determining a replacement time based on various types of limit information stored in the limit information storage means.

As this limit information, a value predetermined for each type of magnetic tape is used. If not specified or unknown, use general values.

The use start date and time are as follows. As shown in FIG. 1, the use history recording unit 12A includes a use start date and time recording unit 3 for recording the use start date and time of the magnetic tape 18 on the magnetic tape.
B includes a life determining unit 7 that determines the life of the magnetic tape based on the use start date and time recorded by the use start date and time recording unit 3 and the current date and time.

The usage history recording unit 12A stores the usage history information on a magnetic tape.
It has. The first recording unit 4A writes the operating time information and error frequency information of the job after the end of the job transmitted from the higher-level device in the portion immediately before the BOT of the magnetic tape.

The second recording means 4B writes the operating time information and the error frequency information as magnetic tape directory information in the magnetic tape header. Normally, the magnetic tape device has a control for updating and reading directory information. Therefore, if the operating time information and the like are handled as a part of the directory information, the realization is easy.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of hardware resources. The magnetic tape device adds the error information and the operation time of the capstan motor to the value obtained for each operation of the magnetic tape device, and when the value reaches the value of the preset magnetic tape replacement time, and when the magnetic tape device starts operating. A data control unit 12 is provided that can report to the host device that the magnetic tape has been replaced when the period from the current date to the date currently used reaches the data storage guarantee period without updating the date. . The data control unit 12 includes the usage history recording unit 1
It operates as 2A and the replacement time determination unit 12B.

Further, the read control unit 14 reads various data from the magnetic tape in accordance with a command from the data control unit.
A storage unit 13 for storing usage history data during operation of the magnetic tape device, and a write control unit 15 for writing usage history data and the like updated by the data control unit 12 on a magnetic tape.
Magnetic head 17 for writing / reading data
And a motor control unit 16 for driving the magnetic tape.

FIG . 3 is a diagram showing an area 22 in which usage history information is recorded on a magnetic tape. This area corresponds to the physical beginning 21 of the magnetic tape and the beginning of the data section 24 (B
OT (Beginning of Tape) 23. The error information obtained from the log sense, the operation time of the capstan motor, and the use start date are recorded.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the configuration shown in FIG.

First, the magnetic tape device loads the magnetic tape and confirms the presence of the magnetic tape.
Requests the read control unit 14 for use history information. Then, the read control unit 14 drives the magnetic head 17, and the magnetic head 17 takes in the information from the usage history area 22 of the magnetic tape (process S1). If there is no use history information, a default value and a use start date are set (process S4), and the values are stored in the storage unit 13 (process S5).

When the use history information is confirmed, the data control unit 12 determines whether the error information and the operation time of the capstan motor have exceeded a preset magnetic tape replacement time value. Confirm (process S3, limit information-based determination function). If the operating time information exceeds the predetermined value, it is determined that the magnetic tape has deteriorated, and the host device is notified that the replacement time has come (process S11). In addition, even when the data assurance period of the magnetic tape has passed since the use start date, the upper device reports that the replacement time has come.

If the set value is not exceeded, the usage history information is stored in the storage unit 13 (process S5). Then, a job from the higher-level device is executed (process S6), and the job is ended (process S7).
Then, the higher-level device always issues a rewind or unload command (process S8). The magnetic tape device receiving this command positions the magnetic tape in the rewind BOT.

Then, the data control unit 12 stores in the storage unit 13
The error information and the operating time of the capstan motor stored in the step S5 are collected, and the information obtained in step S6 is added. However, the use start date is saved without updating (processing S
9).

Then, the data bus control unit 12 determines whether the value obtained in the process 9 exceeds or does not exceed the set value as in the process 3 (process S10). Is notified that the replacement time has come (process S1).
1) If not exceeded, send the added value and the use start date to the light control unit 15, and
7, and is recorded in the usage history area 22 on the magnetic tape (process S12).

After the process S11, if the host device has issued the unload command, the magnetic tape is unloaded. Thereafter, each time the magnetic tape is accessed by the magnetic tape device of the present invention, the sequence shown in FIG. 4 is repeated.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the operation of the magnetic tape of the magnetic tape device for writing data on the magnetic tape and reading the written data reduces the error information and the operating time of the capstan motor. The information is recorded on the magnetic tape being used while adding each time the device is operated, and the information is read by the magnetic tape device before the magnetic tape is used. it can.

Further, the value is compared with a value which is set in advance and becomes a replacement time, and when the value exceeds the set value, the replacement of the magnetic tape is reported to a higher-level device, thereby recording on the magnetic tape. It is possible to prevent the destruction of the data that has been performed.

In operation of a magnetic tape for data storage, a use start date is recorded on the magnetic tape at the start of use of the operating magnetic tape, and the date is read by the magnetic tape device before using the magnetic tape. Calculate the age from the date and the current date, and report the replacement of the magnetic tape to the host device when the preset data storage guarantee period has passed, so that the data recorded on the magnetic tape Can be prevented beforehand.

[0047]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described.

For example, REWRITE, ECC, REREAD, UNDERRUN, OVERRUN
Is measured in advance as to how many errors will cause the magnetic tape to fail, and a value slightly before the limit value at which the life will be reached is stored in the storage unit 13 of the magnetic tape device. In this case, the magnetic tape device of the present invention can obtain the added error information as described above, and can compare the obtained value with the set value. You can know when to change tapes.

Similarly, the life of the magnetic tape is defined by the number of passes. If this value is converted into an operation time and the value is stored in the storage unit 13 of the magnetic tape device, the user can use the magnetic tape. It is possible to know when to replace the magnetic tape before the end of its life.

When a magnetic tape is used for storing data, a magnetic tape manufacturer defines a life of about 5 to 10 years because of a change with time of the magnetic tape.

By storing the life span in the storage unit 13 of the magnetic tape device, the magnetic tape device of the present invention can know the start date of use of the magnetic tape as described above. From the date sent from the host device or the like, the storage period of the data recorded on the magnetic tape is calculated, so that the user can know the replacement time of the magnetic tape before the life of the magnetic tape.

Many of the current magnetic tape devices manage a device directory. It has a structure in which directory information is updated and recorded in a header section of a magnetic tape, and information of the header section is stored in a storage section (RAM) at the time of loading. Therefore, the magnetic tape device of the present invention can be easily realized if the format in which the usage history data is added to the directory information can be similarly controlled.

[0053]

Since the present invention is constructed and functions as described above, according to the present invention, the replacement time judging section can determine the failure, deterioration and life of the magnetic tape by using the error frequency information and the operating time information of the capstan motor, respectively. In order to manage the magnetic tape based on the period from the use start date to the current use date, in particular, to determine the deterioration of the magnetic tape by comparing the operating time information of the capstan motor and the value of the magnetic tape replacement time, The overall life of the tape can be accurately determined,
For this reason, the user can know exactly when the tape needs to be replaced, so that the data stored on the magnetic tape used by the user may be destroyed due to a tape jam, etc. It is possible to provide an unprecedented excellent magnetic tape device which can effectively prevent the tape from being replaced before the end of its life.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of hardware resources of the magnetic tape device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a magnetic tape on which a use history is recorded by a magnetic tape device.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 operating time recording means 2 error frequency recording means 3 use start date and time recording means 4 first or second recording means 5 deterioration determination means 6 failure determination means 7 life determination means 8 determination means for deterioration failure information 9 limit information storage means 11 Host device 12 Data control unit 12A Usage history recording unit 12B Replacement time determination unit 13 Storage unit 14 Read control unit 15 Write control unit 16 Motor control unit 17 Magnetic head 21 Magnetic tape start end 22 Usage history and directory information

Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G11B 20/18 G11B 33/10

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] Claims: 1. A use history of a magnetic tape
And a usage history recording unit for recording the
The magnetic tape based on the usage history information
Magnetic having a replacement time determination unit for determining whether or not it is time to replace
In the tape device, the usage history recording unit may be configured to drive the magnetic tape.
Measure the operating time of the pushtan motor and at the same time
Operating time recording means for recording inter-information, and the magnetic tape
Measure the frequency of error information generated during driving and
Error frequency recording means for recording error frequency information
The replacement time determination unit is predetermined for each magnetic tape.
Convert the limit of deterioration to the operating time of the capstan motor
Failure indicating the time of replacement of the magnetic tape and the limit of failure
Limit information storage means for storing harm information, and the operation time
Based on the operating time information recorded by the recording means,
A deterioration determining means for determining deterioration of the magnetic tape;
Error frequency information recorded by the error frequency storage means
Failure determination means for outputting a failure of the magnetic tape based on the failure
And the fault information output by the fault determination means and
Based on the deterioration information determined by the deterioration determining means.
handTo the value set in advance and the replacement time of the magnetic tape.
Whether the operating time information or the error frequency information has reachedSize
And determination means for each type of degradation fault informatione, The use history recording unit stores the use start date and time of the magnetic tape.
Update the date and time of start-of-use recording
In preparation for The replacement time determination unit is provided by the use start date and time recording unit.
Based on the start date and time recorded and the current date and time
A life judging means for judging the life of the magnetic tape. Equipment
A magnetic tape device characterized by the following. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the usage history recording unit includes a first recording unit that writes, after a job transmitted from a higher-level device, operating time information and error frequency information of the job to a portion of the magnetic tape immediately before the BOT. The magnetic tape device according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the usage history recording unit includes a second recording unit that writes the operating time information and the error frequency information as directory information of the magnetic tape in a magnetic tape header unit. The magnetic tape device according to claim 1.