JPH0495120A - Data storage device assigning system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the burden of an operator by preferentially assigning a data storage device for which a storage medium is not loaded, to an assignment requiring source in the case of the presense of this data storage device. CONSTITUTION:When an assignment requirement including medium names of storage mediums 1a to 1f issued, a device reserving means 7 refers to a device management table 5 to discriminate whether the storage devices (2-1) - (2-N) where storage media 1a to 1f are not loaded are present thereon or not. If the data storage device 2-1, etc., where the storage medium is not loaded is present thereon, a message is outputted which indicates not only assignment of this data storage device 2-1 to the requiring source but also loading of the storage medium of the medium name, which is included in the assignment request, to the data storage device 2-1 assigned to the requiring source. Thus, the burden of the operator is reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a computer system having a plurality of data storage devices, and more particularly to a data storage device allocation method for allocating a data storage device to a requester of an allocation request.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, in a computer system having multiple data storage devices, when there is a request to allocate a data storage device including the name of the storage medium, information indicating whether each data storage device has been allocated or not is managed. The device management table that is currently assigned is searched in a predetermined order, the first unallocated data storage device found is allocated to the requester, and the device name of the data storage device allocated to the requester and the allocation request being requested. The message containing the media name is output.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

As mentioned above, conventionally, the first unallocated data storage device found is allocated to the requester, so even if there are other unallocated data storage devices loaded with storage media, the allocation is not completed. Although it has not been done,
A data storage device may be allocated for which the operator has not yet removed the storage medium, in which case the operator must remove the already loaded storage medium before allocating the storage medium requested by the request. There is a problem in that the operator has to load the data storage device, which increases the burden on the operator.Also, the device management table is searched in a predetermined order, and the first unallocated data storage device found is sent to the request source. Since data storage devices are allocated first, there is also the problem that data storage devices that are located earlier in the search order are used more times.

The purpose of the present invention is to reduce the burden on the operator, and
The purpose is to equalize the number of times each data storage device is used.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to reduce the burden on the operator, the present invention provides a computer system equipped with a plurality of data storage devices each loaded with a storage medium. a device management table that manages information indicating whether each data storage device has been allocated; and a device management table that manages information indicating whether or not each data storage device has been allocated; If there are data storage devices that have not been assigned, allocate one of them to the request source and instruct the request source to load the storage medium with the media name included in the allocation request into the assigned data storage device. If a message is output and there is no data storage device with no storage medium loaded, one of the unallocated data storage devices is assigned to the requester, and the said assignment is made to the data storage device assigned to the requester. The device securing means outputs a message instructing loading of the storage medium having the medium name included in the request.

In addition, the present invention reduces the burden on the operator, and
In order to equalize the number of times each data storage device is used, in a computer system equipped with a plurality of data storage devices loaded with storage media, an indication of whether or not each data storage device is loaded with a storage medium. information, a device management table for managing information indicating whether each of the data storage devices has been allocated or not, and information indicating the order in which each of the data storage devices has been released; In response, the device management table is referred to, and if there is a data storage device in which no storage medium is loaded, one of them is assigned to the request source, and the data storage device assigned to the request source is assigned to the allocation request. Outputs a message instructing to load the storage medium with the included media name, and if there is no data storage device with no storage medium loaded, releases the first unallocated data storage device. device securing means for allocating the data storage device assigned to the request source to the request source and outputting a message instructing to load a storage medium having a media name included in the allocation request into the data storage device allocated to the request source; It was established.

[For production]

When an allocation request including the media name of a storage medium is received, the device securing means refers to the device management table and determines whether there is a data storage device in which no storage medium is loaded. If there are data storage devices with no storage media loaded, one of them is assigned to the requester, and the storage device with the media name included in the request is assigned to the data storage device assigned to the requester. Outputs a message instructing to load. In addition, if there is no data storage device in which a storage medium is loaded, one of the unallocated data storage devices is allocated to the request source, and the data storage device allocated to the request source is included in the allocation request. Outputs a message instructing to load the storage medium with the specified media name.

When an allocation request including the media name of a storage medium is received, the device securing means refers to the device management table and determines whether there is a data storage device in which no storage medium is loaded. If there is a data storage device that is not loaded with a storage device, one of them is assigned to the requester, and the media name included in the allocation request is stored in the data storage device assigned to the requester. Outputs a message instructing you to load the media. In addition, if there is no data storage device with no storage media loaded, the first free data storage device among the unallocated data storage devices is allocated to the requester, and the data allocated to the requester is A message is output instructing the storage device to load the storage medium with the medium name included in the allocation request.

〔Example〕

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, which includes a storage medium group 1, a data storage device group 2, and a message output device 3.
and a processing device 4.

The storage medium group 1 includes storage media 1-a, 1- such as movable magnetic disks and magnetic tapes that can be loaded into a data storage device by an operator to input and output data.
b,..., and each storage medium L-a,
1-b, . . . are given specific media names.

The data storage device group 2 is a collection of data storage devices 2-1 to 2-N that input and output data to and from loaded storage media. The message output device 3 is a device that displays a loading instruction message including the name of the storage medium to be loaded and the device name of the data storage device into which the storage medium is loaded.

The processing device 4 includes a device management table 5, a job 6, device securing means 7, device releasing means 8, and loading confirmation means 9.

As shown in FIG. 2, the device management table 5 has entries E1 to EN corresponding to each data storage device 2-1 to 2-N. Each data storage word is in the field 51 of each entry E1 to EN! The field 52 contains the names of the storage media loaded in each data storage device 2-1 to 2-N, and the field 53 contains the device name of each data storage device 2-1 to 2-H. A loading flag indicating whether a storage medium is loaded in ~2-N (in this example, if it is on,
field 54 contains a release number indicating the order in which each data storage device 2-1 to 2-N was released, and field 55 contains a release number indicating the order in which each data storage device 2-1 to 2-N was released
An allocation flag indicating whether or not 2-N has been allocated to the request source (in this embodiment, if it is on, it is assumed that the allocation has been completed) is stored.

Job 6 is a program that performs input/output to storage media 1-a, l-b, etc. When starting input/output, it secures an allocation request including the media name of the storage medium to be input/output. A release request including the device name of the data storage device to be released upon completion of input/output is output to the device release means 8. When an allocation request is added, the device securing means 7 refers to the device management table 5 to determine the data storage device 2-i to be allocated to the request source, and determines the device name of the data storage device 2-i and the information contained in the allocation request. A loading instruction message including the name of the medium being stored is output to the message output device 3, and the allocation flag in the field 55 of the entry Ei corresponding to the data storage device 2-i of the device management table 5 is turned on. When the device release means 8 receives a release request from the job 6,
The allocation flag in the field 55 of the entry Ej corresponding to the device name included in the release request in the device management table 5 is turned off, and the data storage bag W2- corresponding to the device name is
At the same time, the release number in the field 54 of entry Ej is replaced with the release number held within the device release means 8 (a number that is incremented by 1 each time the data storage device is released). The loading confirmation means 9 is connected to each data storage device 2-1 to 2-2.
-N is loaded with a storage medium, the fields 5 of each entry E1 to EN of the device management table 5 are
The loading flag in No. 3 is turned on, and when it is removed, the corresponding loading flag is turned off.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the device securing means 7,
The operation of this embodiment will be explained below with reference to each figure.

When the job 6 starts input/output to a storage medium, it sends an allocation request to the device securing means 7 including the name of the storage medium to which the input/output is to be performed.

As a result, the device securing means 7 starts the process shown in the flowchart of FIG. Point E1 (step Sl). Next, field 53. of target entry E1.
55 are both off, that is, the data storage device 21 corresponding to entry E1.
It is determined whether or not is an empty data storage device (unallocated data storage device) in which no storage medium is loaded (Step 7 S2).

If it is determined in step S2 that the data storage device 2-1 corresponding to the target entry E1 is an empty data storage device in which no storage medium is loaded, the target entry E1
512), and then field 5 of the target entry E1.
Change the loaded media name in E1 to the media name included in the allocation request (Step 7, step 513), and then output a loading instruction message including the device name in the target entry E1 and the media name in the allocation request. Output to device 3 (step 514).

If the determination result in step S2 is No, it is determined whether the loading flag and the allocation flag in the field 53.55 of the target entry E1 are both on, that is, whether the data storage device 2-1 corresponding to the target entry E1 is stored. It is determined whether the device is an allocated data storage device loaded with a medium (step S3), and if it is determined in step S3 that both the loading flag and assignment flag are on, all of the device management table 5 is If it is determined that not all entries have been searched, the next entry E2 is pointed to and the process returns to step S2. Further, if the determination result in step S3 is No, it is impossible that the allocation I is performed in a state where no storage medium is loaded in the data storage device, so the data storage device corresponding to the target entry El This is the case where 2-1 is an empty data storage device and a storage medium is loaded. Therefore, it is determined whether the loaded medium name stored in the field 52 of the target entry E1 matches the medium name included in the allocation request (step S4).

If it is determined in step S4 that the two match, the allocation flag in the field 55 of the target entry E1 is turned on to allocate the data storage device 2-1 to job 6 (step S6), and the process ends. In addition, if it is determined in step S4 that there is no match, the target entry E
Release number in field 54 of 1 and release number minimum value MI
N and if the release number is smaller, the release number is set to the new minimum release number MIN, and the entry number of the target entry E1 is stored in the entry number storage section provided inside the device securing means 7. (Step S5). After that, it is determined whether or not the search for all entries has been completed (step S7). If it is determined that the search has not been completed, the next entry E2 is pointed to in step S8).
), and if it is determined that the process has ended, it is determined whether or not there is a free data storage device (step S9). here,
Whether or not a free data storage device exists is determined based on whether or not the minimum release number MIN remains at its initial value.

If it is determined in step S9 that there is no free data storage device, the requesting job 6 is notified of the allocation failure (step 5IO), and if it is determined that there is a free data storage device, an entry in the device securing means 7 is sent. After setting the entry corresponding to the entry number stored in the number storage unit as the target entry (step 511), step 3
12 to S14 are performed. Here, the entry number stored in the entry number storage section is the entry number of the entry in which the smallest release number is stored among the entries E1 to EN of the device management table 5, and the data corresponding to the entry is The storage device is the first freed data storage device among the free data storage devices. Therefore,
By setting the entry corresponding to the entry number stored in the entry number storage unit in step Sll as the target entry, and then performing the processing in steps 812 to S14,
The first freed data storage device among the free data storage devices can be assigned to the job 6, and each of the data storage devices 2-1 to 2-N can be used equally.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, in the present invention, if there is a data storage device in which a storage medium is not loaded, it is assigned preferentially to the allocation request source, so compared to the conventional example, if there is a data storage device in which a storage medium is not loaded, the data storage device is This has the effect of reducing the number of times the storage medium is removed, which reduces the burden on the operator.

Furthermore, the present invention manages the order in which each data storage device is released, and when there is no data storage device with no storage medium loaded, the first one of the unallocated data storage devices is Since the data storage devices released are allocated to the allocation requester, each data storage device can be used equally.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a device management table, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the device securing means. In the figure, 1; storage medium group 1-a, l-b, ...; storage medium 2; data storage device group 2-1 to 2-N; data storage device 3; message output device 4; processing device 5; Device management table 6; Job 7; Device securing means 8; Device release means 9; Loading confirmation means

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In a computer system equipped with a plurality of data storage devices loaded with storage media, information indicating whether a storage medium is loaded in each of the data storage devices and whether each of the data storage devices has been allocated. a device management table for managing information indicating whether or not a storage medium is loaded; and a device management table that manages information indicating whether or not a storage medium is loaded; If so, it allocates one of them to the request source and outputs a message instructing the request source to load the storage medium with the media name included in the allocation request into the data storage device allocated to the request source. If there is no unloaded data storage device, one of the unallocated data storage devices is assigned to the requester, and the media name included in the allocation request is assigned to the data storage device assigned to the requester. A data storage device allocation method comprising: device securing means for outputting a message instructing loading of a storage medium. (2) In a computer system equipped with a plurality of data storage devices loaded with storage media, information indicating whether a storage medium is loaded in each of the data storage devices, and whether each of the data storage devices has been allocated. a device management table that manages information indicating whether or not the data storage devices are released and information indicating the order in which each of the data storage devices is released; If there are data storage devices with no storage media loaded, one of them is assigned to the request source, and the storage medium with the media name included in the allocation request is assigned to the data storage device assigned to the request source. Outputs a message instructing the user to load the storage medium, and if there is no data storage device with no storage medium loaded, the requester selects the first free data storage device among the unallocated data storage devices. Data storage device allocation characterized by comprising: device securing means for allocating and outputting a message instructing the data storage device allocated to the request source to be loaded with a storage medium having a medium name included in the allocation request. method.