JPH0522440A - Information storage system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an information storage system which has high-speed response even when service requests of plural lines are concentrated and which is omtimum for multi-media information requiring only minimum medium convertible storage device. CONSTITUTION:The information to be transmitted from respective lines are temporarily sotred in buffers (BF) 1 for each line. The information of the resective BFs are transferred/stored in one DK of a pair of disk devices (DK) 2 with a first time division multiplexing processing. For example, the information of BF A-J is transmitted and stored in DKa. In parallel to this, the information of lines A to J stored in a DKb are transferred to an optical disk device (DK) alpha4 and stored in an optical disk prepared for each line in order by a second timedivision multiplexing processing. First and second time division multiplexing processings are alternatively repeated on a pair of DKs. The similar operation is performed on the information of line K to T between BF, K to T, DK, c, d, and DKbeta.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information storage system, and more particularly, to information that is effective for simultaneously storing multimedia information such as a long-time encoded video with audio sent from many lines. It concerns a storage system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 shows a general structure of a storage service system to which a conventional multimedia information storage system is applied. In the figure, 10 is a terminal, 11 is an exchange, and 12 is a multimedia information storage system. The multimedia information storage device 12 is a video tape recorder (VTR) 1
3, a tape handler 14, and a storage rack 15.

The terminal 10 collects and encodes multimedia information of video with audio (hereinafter, abbreviated as video information) and sends it to the line, and is composed of, for example, a digital videophone. The exchange 11 connects the lines of a large number of terminals 10 with the lines connected to the VTR 13 of the multimedia information storage system 12. The multimedia information storage system 12 stores video information sent from a line, and is configured by adding a line connection function to a normal video tape library device. The VTRs 13 are provided in a number corresponding to the number of lines at a rate of two per one line, and store video information sent from the lines on a video tape, and are constituted by a normal digital VTR. Tape handler 14
Is for storing the video tape loaded in the VTR 13 in the storage shelf 15 or loading the video tape stored in the storage shelf 15 in the VTR 13. The storage shelf 15 is a shelf for storing a plurality of video tapes.

When a request to store video information is made, the terminal 10 requests the exchange 11 to connect to the multimedia information storage system 12. If there is a vacancy in the line connected to the multimedia information storage system 12, the exchange 11 connects the line and the terminal 10. Next, the terminal 10 requests the video information storage service from the multimedia information storage system 12 through the line. In the multimedia information storage system 12, the tape handler 14
Attaches a video tape from the storage shelf 15 to one of the VTRs 13 connected to the line and sends a preparation completion signal to the terminal 10. In response to this, the terminal 10 starts sending the video information to the line. On the other hand, the one VTR 13 connected to the line starts to accumulate the video information sent from the line. The tape handler 14 further mounts another video tape from the storage shelf 15 on the other VTR 13 connected to the line. Then, when the video tape currently being stored is finished, the other VTR 13 connected to the line starts to store the video information sent from the line. The tape handler 14 stores the completed video tape in the storage rack 15 and mounts a new video tape from the storage rack 15 on the previous VTR 13. Hereinafter, the same operation is repeated every time the video tape currently being stored is finished. When the terminal 10 finishes the transmission of the video information, the information to that effect is sent from the line, so that the VTR 13 being stored finishes the storing operation, and the tape handler 14 stores the video tape of the VTR 13 in the storage shelf 15.
To store.

In this way, in the multimedia information storage system 12, by preparing two VTRs 13 for each line, it is possible to store video information for a long time without interruption.

[0006]

The above-mentioned conventional information storage system requires two medium exchangeable storage devices (for example, VTRs) for each connection line, so that the amount of hardware in the system becomes extremely large. There was a flaw. Also,
Since it took a long time to load a storage medium (for example, a video tape) into one medium exchangeable storage device, when service requests from a large number of lines are concentrated, the response until service becomes extremely slow. There was a drawback that

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an information storage system in which a response is extremely fast even when service requests from a large number of lines are concentrated and the amount of hardware is small. To do.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a buffer memory connected to each of a plurality of lines, and at least one storage device forming one set with two units. At least one automatic medium exchangeable storage device containing at least one medium exchangeable storage device, and a first switch for connecting and disconnecting a data transmission path between the buffer memory and the storage device Units, a second switch unit for connecting and disconnecting a data transmission path between the storage device and the medium exchangeable storage device, and a control unit for controlling the operation of each unit, and each line While accumulating the information sent from the corresponding buffer memory in the corresponding buffer memory, according to the instruction of the control unit, the information for each line accumulated in each buffer memory is subjected to the first time division multiplexing processing by the first switch unit. Via The process of transferring and storing the data to one of the storage devices and the information of the plurality of lines stored in the other of the storage devices in parallel to the storage device via the second switch unit by a second time division multiplexing process. The process of transferring to the medium exchangeable storage device and accumulating in the prepared storage medium for each line is alternately performed.

[0009]

[Operation] In response to a service request from the line side, immediately
The temporary storage of the information sent from the line is started in the buffer memory provided for each line. In parallel with this, a set of storage devices alternately repeats input / output operations by the first time-division multiplexing process and the second time-division multiplexing process, so that a given medium-replaceable storage device has a given number of storage devices. Information sent from a number of multiple lines is stored in a storage medium prepared for each line without interruption.

[0010]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 is a buffer memory, 2 is a magnetic disk device, 3 is an optical disk library device, 4 is an optical disk device, and 5 is a first switch. Part, 6 is the second switch part, 7
Is the overall control unit. Here, it is assumed that there are 20 accommodation lines and that there are 20 buffer memories corresponding thereto. Further, it is assumed that there are four magnetic disk devices 2 in a set of two.

The buffer memory 1 is connected to each line and temporarily stores the video information sent from the line and outputs the video information to the first switch section 5.
It is composed of a semiconductor memory of the inFirst out type. The magnetic disk device 2 temporarily stores the video information sent from the first switch unit 5 and outputs it to the second switch unit 6, and is composed of a normal magnetic disk device. The optical disk library device 3 includes two optical disk devices 4
Optical disc (not shown) that has a built-in disk and is stored in a storage shelf
The optical disc device 4 or the optical disc device 4
The optical disk mounted on the storage device is automatically stored in the storage shelf, and is composed of a normal optical disk library device. The optical disc device 4 stores the video information sent from the second switch section 6 in the optical disc device, and is constituted by a normal optical disc device. The first switch unit 5 connects / disconnects a transmission path from the buffer memory 1 to the magnetic disk device 2, and is composed of a cross bus switch. The second switch unit 6 connects / disconnects the transmission path from the magnetic disk device 2 to the optical disk device 4, and is similarly configured by a crossbar switch. The control unit 7 controls each buffer memory 1, each magnetic disk device 2, the optical disk library device 3, the first switch unit 5, and the second switch unit 6 and exchanges control information with each line. It is composed of a microprocessor.

In the system of the present embodiment, it is assumed that 20 lines A to T can be serviced at the same time, and the basic operation is performed by two systems and two types of time division multiplexing processing. That is,
The video information sent from the 10 lines A to J (or K to T) is first subjected to the magnetic field of any of a to b (or c to d) by the first time division 10 high-speed multiplex processing. It is temporarily stored in the disk device 2. The buffer memory 1 provided for each line is for absorbing the waiting time of the time division method and for storing the data to be stored at high speed in the magnetic disk device 2 in one processing. Two sets of magnetic disk devices ab (or cd) 2 are alternately used. Next, the video information stored in any of the magnetic disk devices 2 of a to b (or c to d) is transferred to the optical disk device α (or β) 4 by the second time division 10 high-speed processing. It is transferred and stored in each optical disk for the lines A to J (or K to T) to be mounted. The details of the operation of FIG. 1 will be described below with reference to FIGS.

When a service request is issued from the line, the control unit 7 receives and decodes the service request and immediately sends an acknowledge signal to the line. In response to this, the transmission of video information is started from the line, so that the buffer memory 1 connected to the line starts temporary storage. Thereafter, the video information in the buffer memory 1 is transferred and stored in the magnetic disk device 2 by the first time division multiplexing process as follows.

The upper part of FIG. 2 shows the operation of the first time division multiplexing process for the lines AJ. The same applies to the lines K to T. The period of the time slot is 1s,
One cycle is divided into 10 types of time slots A to J. Therefore, the time of each one of the time slots A to J is 100 ms. For line A, control unit 7
In each time slot A
The switch unit 5 connects the transmission path from the buffer memory A1 to the magnetic disk device a2, and for 1 s accumulated in the buffer memory A1 (1 when the service starts and when it ends).
The video information of s or less) is transferred from the buffer memory A1 and stored in the magnetic disk device a2 at high speed. If the speed of the video information sent from the line is 1.5 Mbps, the buffer memory 1
The amount of video information stored in is 1.5 Mbit. On the other hand, the maximum access time of the magnetic disk device 2 is 50 m
s, data transfer rate is 30 Mbps (= 3.75M Byte)
/ S), access and transfer / accumulation of 1.5 Mbits are completed within one time slot time = 100 ms.
Therefore, if the capacity of the buffer memory 1 is set to 1.5 Mbit, the buffer memory 1 will not overflow. Time slots are also assigned to the lines B to J, and like the lines A to J, the video information for 1 s accumulated in the buffer memories B to J1 is respectively stored in the magnetic disk device a2 during each time slot. High-speed transfer / accumulation.

The above operation for 200 time slot periods = 200 s is the operation unit of the second time division multiplexing process. Therefore, the maximum amount of information stored in the magnetic disk device 2 for each line is 1.5 Mbit × 200s / 8bit.
= 37.5M Byte. This video information is stored in a continuous area of the magnetic disk device 2 for each line. 10
The maximum amount of information for 200s on the entire line is 375MByte
Therefore, the storage capacity of the magnetic disk device 2 is 375M.
It should be at least Byte.

The middle part of FIG. 2 shows the alternate operation of the magnetic disk device 2 with a period of 200 s × 2 = 400 s. During the first 200s, the video information is transferred and accumulated from the buffer memories A to J1 to the magnetic disk device a2 by the first time division multiplexing process. During the second half of the 200s,
Subsequent video information is transferred and accumulated from each of the buffer memories A to J1 to the magnetic disk device b2 by the first time division multiplexing process, and the video information of the magnetic disk device a2 accumulated during the previous 200 s is transferred to the second time. It is transferred and stored in the optical disk device α4 by the time division multiplexing process. During the first 200 s of the next cycle, the video information is continuously transferred / stored from each of the buffer memories A to J1 to the magnetic disk device a2 by the first time division multiplexing process, and the magnetic information stored during the previous 200 s is stored. The video information of the disk device b2 is transferred to the optical disk device α by the second time division multiplexing process.
4 is transferred and stored. By the same operation, the video information is transferred / accumulated from the buffer memory 1 to the optical disk via the magnetic disk device 2 without interruption.

The lower part of FIG. 2 shows the operation of the second time division multiplexing process. The time slot cycle is 200s
That is, one cycle is divided into 10 types of time slots A to J. Therefore, the time of each time slot of A to J is 20 s. In the first half of this 20s (the shaded portion in FIG. 2), the optical disc is automatically replaced, and in the latter half, the image information is stored.

First, in the time slot A, the second switch unit 6 connects the transmission path from the magnetic disk device a (or b) 2 to the optical disk device α4 according to the instruction of the control unit 7. Next, according to the instruction from the control unit 7, the optical disk library device 3 replaces the optical disk of the optical disk device α4 with the optical disk for the line A. Finally, according to the instruction of the control unit 7, the magnetic disk device a (or b)
The video information of 37.5 MByte for 200 s from the line A accumulated in the continuous area of 2 is transferred at high speed to the optical disc apparatus α4 and accumulated in the optical disc. Maximum replacement time of the optical disk library device 3 (the optical disk already loaded in the optical disk device 4 is stored in the storage shelf, and a new optical disk stored in the storage shelf is replaced by the optical disk device 4
The maximum time required to mount it on the device is 10s, and the data transfer rate is the same as the magnetic disk device, 30 Mbps (= 3.7).
5 MByte / s), time slot time = 20
During s, the exchange of the optical disc and the transfer / accumulation of the video information of 37.5 MByte are completed. Below, time slot B ~
The same operation is executed for J.

Although the above series of explanations have been made with respect to the system of the lines A to J, they are similarly carried out with respect to the system of the lines K to T. However, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 2, automatic exchange of the optical disc device α4 and the optical disc device β4 is alternately performed.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the number of lines or buffer memories 1 is 20, the number of magnetic disk devices 2 is 4, the number of optical disk library devices 3 is 1, and the number of optical disk devices 4 is 2. These can be variously modified according to the performance of each device to which they are applied. Further, the magnetic disk device 2 is not limited to this, and may be a storage device having a high access speed such as a semiconductor disk device. The optical disk library device 3 is not limited to this, and may be an automatic medium exchangeable storage device such as a magnetic tape library device. Although the control unit 7 has a single configuration, it can be variously modified by dividing it into a plurality of units and incorporating it into another device. The video information sent from the line may be sent at the generation speed of the video information at the terminal, or may be sent at high speed intermittently while being temporarily stored in the terminal.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, only the storage operation has been described, but the reverse operation of reading the video information stored in the optical disk and sending it to the line can be mixed.

[0023]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the information sent from a plurality of lines is accumulated in the buffer memories corresponding to the lines, and the information for each line accumulated in each buffer memory is accumulated. An operation of transferring information to one of a pair of storage devices by two units by the first time division multiplexing process, and a medium exchange of information of a plurality of lines accumulated in the other storage unit by the second time division multiplexing process. By alternately repeating the operation of transferring to a type storage device and accumulating in a storage medium prepared for each line, it is possible to always respond at an extremely high speed regardless of the concentration degree of service requests from many lines, and a small amount of hardware Depending on the amount, it becomes possible to store the information sent from a large number of lines in a storage medium prepared for each line without interruption. Therefore, the information storage system of the present invention is
It is effective in simultaneously storing multimedia information such as long-time encoded video with audio sent from multiple lines, but it is also applicable to the storage of information other than such multimedia information. Needless to say.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of an information storage system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a general configuration of a storage service system to which a conventional information storage system is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Buffer Memory 2 Magnetic Disk Device 3 Optical Disk Library Device 4 Optical Disk Device 5 First Switch Section 6 Second Switch Section 7 Control Section

Claims (1)

Claim: What is claimed is: 1. A buffer memory connected to each of a plurality of lines, at least one storage device forming one set by two, and at least one medium exchangeable storage device. At least one automatic medium exchangeable storage device incorporating therein, a first switch unit for connecting and disconnecting a data transmission path between the buffer memory and the storage device, the storage device and the medium exchangeable device. It has a second switch section for connecting and disconnecting a data transmission path to and from the exchangeable storage device, and a control section for controlling the operation of each of these sections, and corresponds to the information sent from each of the lines. While accumulating in the buffer memory, in accordance with an instruction from the control unit, the information for each line accumulated in each buffer memory is subjected to a first time division multiplexing process via the first switch unit to one of the storage devices. Transfer to and store And the information of a plurality of lines accumulated in the other side of the storage device in parallel with this processing is transferred to the medium exchangeable storage device via the second switch section by the second time division multiplexing process. An information storage system characterized by alternately performing a process of accumulating in a storage medium prepared for each line.