JPH0682485B2 - Cell controller - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Outline] In a cell control device, when a data cartridge is moved to a locker frame save dedicated cell, the usage status of the save dedicated cell for each rocker frame is stored in a register and saved. By recognizing the locker frame with a free space in the dedicated cell in advance, it becomes possible to improve the efficiency of the cartridge movement control to the evacuation dedicated cell.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a cell control device that efficiently controls a cartridge movement to a retreat-only cell.

With the development of information processing technology, the information processing system becomes larger and larger. For example, if the number of windings of the magnetic tape is several thousand or more and the operation of the magnetic tape is more than several thousand times a day, the labor cost for the operation will be increased. Not only increases, but also the decrease in operating rate due to operation mistakes becomes a problem.

Further, in a large-scale online system that requires several hundreds of magnetic disk devices, not only the hardware cost increases but also the installation floor area is a big problem. As a countermeasure for this, a super mass storage device (MSS) has been developed and put into practical use. It has a capacity equivalent to many magnetic tapes,
At the same time, the storage device has an access speed that is faster than that of a magnetic tape and is similar to that of a magnetic disk and is easily rewritable.

This super mass storage device (MSS) has a configuration as described later,
That is, it is equipped with a plurality of rocker frames each having a cell for storing a large number of data cartridges, and the accessor is self-propelled and positioned vertically and horizontally with respect to the cell every time it is necessary to read or write information. It is a fully-automated system that takes data cartridges in and out at a place and transports them between the read / write unit and the storage cells.

[Reference Information Processing Society of Japan: 'Latest Information Processing Handbook (1st Edition)' p.641, Ohmsha (March 30, 1980)
(Japanese)] In this way, personnel is not involved in the operation, labor costs and human operation errors are reduced, and the highly integrated cell configuration also contributes to the improvement of the installation floor area.

In this super mass storage device (MSS), the availability of cells is logically stored in the device that manages the data cartridge, but mechanical operation is required to insert and remove the data cartridge. is necessary.
However, attaching a sensor to hundreds to thousands of cells does not have a sensor because of the enormous dose and reliability of the sensor system. Therefore, the availability of cells can be confirmed only when the accessor takes out or returns the data cartridge.

There are two causes for the difference between the vacancy status of the cell that is logically stored and the vacancy status that is physically confirmed by operating the accessor, and one is due to a logic error that occurs during software development. This is due to the double designation of the cell address. However, this is an error that does not occur after the operation starts.

The other is due to mechanical operation, and for example, the accessor goes back to return the data cartridge and pushes the cartridge against the edge of the cell even if the cell is empty, so that the storage becomes impossible. (This can be due to mechanical fit or clearance of mutual dimensions, readjusted by maintenance.) As an MSS, it must recognize that the cell is being used by another cartridge. I don't get it.

As described above, the MSS is one of the goals to reduce the human operation error, and therefore, a high degree of countermeasure is taken against the mechanical error, and the present invention is a part thereof.

Hereinafter, in the present specification, when the cartridge cannot be stored in the cell regardless of the above-mentioned soft error or mechanical error, it is expressed as "another cartridge is already stored in the cell".

For example, if another cell is already stored in the cell for storing the data cartridge, the cartridge is stored in the evacuation dedicated cell (hereinafter referred to as a reserve cell). However, if another cartridge is also stored in this reserve cell, the accessor will repeat the inserting operation one after another until the empty reserve cell is detected, and the confirmation is performed.

Practical application of a method for efficiently controlling such reserve cells is expected.

[Problems to be solved by conventional technology and invention]

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional example, and FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a rocker frame.

The block diagram of FIG. 4 illustrates the control of the transportation means for moving the data cartridge between the cells, and the accessor 1 which is the transportation means for moving the data cartridge between the cells and the control of the accessor 1 and the accessor 1. An accessor control device 2 that monitors the reaction during operation, and a control instruction for the accessor 1 to accessor control device 2
And a communication register 5 for mutually notifying the control devices 3 and 4 of the contact contents from the respective control devices 3 and 4 and the control state of the accessor control device 2, The rocker frame 6 composed of a plurality of cells for storing a large number of data cartridges, and the control device 3, 4 which is located above the control devices 3, 4 in the system configuration.
Host device 7, which issues various commands to the system and receives a report from the control devices 3, 4 to control the system.
It is composed of 8 and.

As shown in FIG. 5, the rocker frame 6 is composed of a plurality of rocker frame units (in this example, it is composed of four units # 1 to # 4), and the cells are designated by the rocker frame unit number and each unit # 1. .. # 4 are assigned to the X address (00 to OF, 10 to 19) and the Y address (1 to C).

In FIG. 5, "R" indicates a reserve cell, "C" indicates a CE cell or a maintenance cell, "." Indicates an invalid cell, and the other indicate a general cell.

For example, when a command to store a cartridge in a predetermined cell of the rocker frame unit # 1 is issued from a certain cell via the control device 3 from the host device 7, another cartridge is already stored in the predetermined cell. In this case, the accessor control device 2 recognizes that the operation of the accessor 1 makes it impossible to store in a predetermined cell.

As a result, the accessor control device 2 notifies the control device 3 that has received the move command of the information that "a different cartridge has already been stored in the storage destination cell". As a result, the control device 3 controls to store the corresponding cartridge in the reserve cell "R" of the rocker frame unit # 1.

The control device 3 issues to the accessor control device 2 a "command to store the cartridge in the reserve cell" R "for the rocker frame unit # 1". As a result, the accessor control device 2 sequentially performs storage control from the lower side of the reserve cell “R” shown in FIG. 5, and stores it in the empty reserve cell “R”.

All reserve cells “R” of rocker frame unit # 1
Is full (including when all store operations fail),
The accessor control device 2 notifies the control device 3 of information that "reserve cells" R "are all full". Since the control device 3 is using all the reserve cells “R” of the unit # 1, all of the reserve cells “R” of the unit # 2 are stored in the access cell of the accessor control device 2 in order to save to the reserve cell “R” of the unit # 2. Issue "command to store cartridge".

As described above, for example, the reserve cell “R” of the unit # 1
Even when all are in use, the accessor hits the reserved cells “R” and recognizes that all are in use, so there is a problem that the accessor 1 performs an extra operation.

[Means for solving problems]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
Is a block diagram, and FIG. 1 (B) is a configuration diagram of a communication register.

The block diagram of FIG. 1 (A) has the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 4, but the communication register 5 has a communication data area 5a and a reserved cell information area.
It consists of 5b.

The reserved cell information area 5b stores information indicating the full state of the reserved cell "R" for each rocker frame unit # 1 to # 4.

[Action]

The control device reads the information in the reserved cell information area of the communication register 5 before issuing a save cell save command to the accessor control device, and if there is a vacancy in the reserved cell of the corresponding rocker frame unit, the control device of the corresponding rocker frame unit is read. Issues a save instruction to the reserved cell.

Also, if the reserve cell of the corresponding rocker frame unit is full, it is efficient to check the reserve cell of the next rocker frame unit and issue a save command to the reserve cell of that rocker frame unit to make it efficient. Movement control is possible.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the gist of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the embodiments shown in FIGS.

FIG. 2 is a situation diagram showing full information of reserved cells, and FIG. 3 is an operation diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. The same reference numerals denote the same objects throughout the drawings.

Reserved cell information area in communication register 5
5b shows each rocker frame unit # 1 in the state shown in FIG.
~ Displays the reserved cell usage status of # 4.

That is, when the reserved cells of the units # 1 to # 4 are empty in bits 0 to 3 corresponding to the units # 1 to # 4, "0" is set, and when all the reserved cells are full, "1" is set. Is displayed according to an instruction from the control devices 3 and 4.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described based on the operation diagram shown in FIG. It should be noted that this operation will be described focusing on the processing of the control devices 3 and 4.

A cell full state occurs in a predetermined cell in the rocker frame unit # 1. As a result, the evacuation operation to the nearest locker frame unit, that is, the reserve cell in the rocker frame unit # 1 is started (step 10).

When starting the save operation to the reserved cell in the unit # 1, the control device 3 or 4 causes the accessor control device 2 to read the display state of the corresponding bit of the reserved cell information area 5b in the communication register 5. It is determined whether or not the display state is "1". If it is "1", the process proceeds to step 18, and if it is not "1", the process proceeds to step 12 (step 11).

When the display state is "0", the access instruction to the accessor control device 2 is issued to the reserve cell in the unit # 1 (step 12).

The accessor control device 2 sequentially issues a move command to the reserved cells in the designated unit # 1 to the accessor 1 (step 13).

The accessor control device 2 judges whether any of the five reserved cells could be saved or whether all the reserved cells are in the full state and reports it to the control device 3 or 4 (step 14).

Next, the control device 3 or 4 determines whether the evacuation operation has ended, and if it has ended, notifies the higher-level device 7 or 8 that the evacuation operation has been executed in the reserved cell (steps 15 and 16).

If the save operation is not completed and all the reserved cells are full, the bit of the corresponding reserved cell information area 5b in the communication register 5 is set to "1" (step 1
7).

Next, it is judged whether or not the save instruction has been executed to the other units # 2 to # 4. If not executed, the process moves to the next closest unit # 2 to # 4 and repeats from step 11. On the other hand, when the save instruction is executed for all the units # 2 to # 4, the process proceeds to step 19 (step 18).

In this case, all the units # 1 to the host device 7 or 8
Notify that all reserve cells of # 4 were full and could not save the cartridge (step 19).

〔The invention's effect〕

According to the present invention as described above, it is possible to confirm the availability of reserved cells in advance for each rocker frame unit and move the accessor to the reserved cells, so that there is an effect that efficient movement control can be performed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a status diagram for displaying full information of reserved cells, FIG. 3 is an operation diagram for an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional example, and FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a rocker frame. In the figure, 1 is an accessor, 2 is an accessor control device, 3 and 4 are control devices, 5 is a communication register, 6 is a rocker frame, and 7 and 8 are host devices, respectively.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of rocker frames (6) each comprising a plurality of cells for storing data cartridges, wherein the data cartridges are moved between the cells by a transport means (1) and stored in the destination cells. If it is not possible, in the device having the function of retreating to the evacuation dedicated cell provided for each rocker frame, data indicating that the evacuation dedicated cells are all used for each rocker frame (6) is displayed. A data storage means (5) for storing is provided, and when the data cannot be stored in the destination cell, the data in the data storage means (5) is recognized and the movement of the data cartridge to the evacuation dedicated cell is controlled. A cell control device characterized by: