JPH10320894A - Library controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide such a new library controller as becoming accessible to the desired data file from a user side even in the case of incapable of using a specified control computer device or specified driving device for reproducing in the system jointly providing the library device holding a large quantity of data. SOLUTION: In the library device having plural accessible cells 6 independently housing plural cartridges respectively stored the data file and providing the accesser automatically carrying and installing the cartridge of the designated cell to one selected out of plural driving device 5 for reproducing, when the data file in the specified cartridge is designated to access from the prescribed user device 1, the address of the control computer device 2 connected the driving device 5 accessible to the data file is informed to the user device 1 designated accessing from the controller 3 installed in order to control the operation of the accesser, whereby the control computer is selected.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement of a library device for storing and using a large amount of data, and more particularly, to accessing a required data file from a plurality of user devices directly or via a control computer device. To the extent possible, it relates to a new control system for the configured library device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to store and use a large amount of data, a plurality of magnetic tapes or optical recording media in the form of cartridges are integrated, and a cartridge storing a necessary data file is arbitrarily selected to be used in a drive device. 2. Description of the Related Art There is known a data library apparatus which automatically loads data. Such a library device is generally constructed so that a plurality of users can use it simultaneously and in parallel. For example, it is often connected to a plurality of user devices via a LAN line in a server / client format. . By the way, in such a system configuration, a control computer and a drive device connected to the control computer are allocated in advance for user devices in order to distribute load and traffic. In other words, a configuration is such that only a specific user device can access a data file through a predetermined route.

[0003]

However, in such a conventional configuration, when a load request for a cartridge having a desired data file is issued from a specific user device through a specific control computer connected to the user, a request is issued. If an error message is received from the control computer, access to the data file becomes impossible,
As a result, the data call had to be abandoned until the error was recovered.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a system for sharing a library device holding a large amount of data, even if a specific control computer device or a specific reproduction drive device becomes unusable. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a new library control device that enables a desired data file to be accessed from the side, thereby improving operability and smoothing operation.

[0005]

The library control apparatus according to the present invention has the following configuration in order to achieve the above object. That is, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of accessible cells individually storing a plurality of cartridges each storing a data file are provided, and a cartridge of a designated cell is used for a plurality of reproduction cells. In a library device equipped with an accessor that is automatically conveyed and mounted on a selected one of the drive devices, the data reproduced corresponding to the reproduction drive device is extracted,
A plurality of control computer devices for outputting to a predetermined user device are provided, and when the user device specifies to access a data file in a specific cartridge, a drive device capable of accessing the data file is designated. A library control device, characterized in that the address of the connected control computer device is notified from the controller device installed for controlling the operation of the accessor to the user device that specified the access. Provided.

Further, according to a second aspect of the present invention, a plurality of accessible cells individually storing a plurality of cartridges each storing a data file are provided. In a library device having an accessor that is automatically conveyed and mounted on a selected one of the drive devices for reproduction, a plurality of client devices for extracting and using data reproduced from the drive device for reproduction are provided. When the client device specifies access to a data file in a specific cartridge, if access to a drive device connected to the client device is not possible, the other client device is used to access the drive device. The specified file is accessed from the drive device connected to the client device. Library controller is provided, characterized in that the.

[0007]

According to the present invention, when a failure occurs in a specific control computer device, an accessor and a drive device connected to a user device, the data file can be accessed by the status recognition unit and the access control unit in the controller device described above. Since another control computer device name is transmitted to the user device, the user can establish another access route. As a result, the library control system can reliably respond to the load request without stopping and can continuously access the data file.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention corresponding to claim 1 will be described. In FIG. 1 showing the overall system configuration, reference numeral 1 denotes a client terminal constituting a user device, 2 denotes a control computer, and 3 denotes a controller, which are realized by computer functions known as so-called workstations and personal computers. It is. In the controller 3, an operating state recognition and response unit 3 which has a function of recognizing states of a plurality of control computers and responding to inquiries.
1 and an access control unit 3-2 for controlling a robot-type accessor 7 for selecting a cartridge stored in a large number of cells 6 of the library device 4, transferring the cartridge to the drive device 5, and loading the cartridge. .

An operation mode of the present invention corresponding to claim 1 will be described below with reference to flowcharts of FIGS. In the normal state, when a client terminal 1 designates access to a required file, loading of a desired cartridge and reading and transferring of data are performed through a control computer device 2 which is determined in advance for the terminal. On the other hand, when a failure occurs, the client terminal 1 inquires of the operating state recognition response unit 3-1 of the controller 3 about another control computer 2 on which a cartridge can be loaded. (FIG. 2) If another control computer 2 capable of loading a cartridge is present in the system, the address of the control computer 2 is returned from the controller 3. (FIG. 2) Client terminal 1
Sends a load request to another control computer 2 taught by the controller 3. The following processing steps
It is the same as the conventional one.

The controller 3 is provided with a new function of reporting the network address of the control computer 2 which can load the cartridge when the cartridge name is specified. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, when an inquiry request is received in the event of a failure (FIG. 3), the management database 8 is searched to find the library device 4 in which the cartridge 6 is stored (FIG. 3). Next, from among the reproduction drive devices 5 mounted on the library device 4, a search is made for a reproduction drive device 5 having no failure (FIG. 3). If library device 4
If there is a failure in all the playback drive devices 5 mounted on the device, an error is returned. If a reproduction drive device 5 having no trouble is found, an available reproduction drive device 5 is searched for from among them. If all the playback drive devices 5 are in use, an error is returned. (FIG. 3
If there are several playback drive devices 5 that can be used, check whether the control computer 2 to which each playback drive device 5 is connected can be used. The following processing is performed on all the control computers 2 to which the usable reproduction drive devices 5 are connected. (FIG. 3) First, a command for returning only a response is issued to the control computer 2. (FIG. 3 (10)) If the control computer 2 is not usable, a response is returned. If there is no response, the control computer 2 determines that it is down and removes it from the list of available playback drive devices 5. (FIG. 3 (12)) If no response is returned from any of the control computer devices 2 in the above processing, it is determined that all of the control computer devices 2 connected to the playback drive device 5 are down. , An error is returned (FIG. 4). When one usable playback drive device 5 remains, the address of the control computer 2 to which the playback drive device 5 is connected is returned to the request source (FIG. 4). When a plurality of available playback drive devices 5 remain, those playback drive devices 5
If the control computer device to which is connected is the same control computer device 2, the address of the control computer device 2 is returned to the request source (FIG. 4). If the connection control computer devices are different, the number of playback drive devices in use among the playback drive devices connected to each control computer device is determined. The control computer having the least number of playback drives in use is determined as the control computer having the lightest load (FIG. 4), and the address of the control computer is returned to the request source (FIG. 4). .

According to the library device control method of the present invention described above, the installation of the server state recognizing unit enables continuous monitoring of connectable servers, thereby enabling continuous data transfer. Can be planned. next,
An embodiment of the present invention based on claim 1 will be described below. FIG.
Is a system in which public libraries publish book data on the Internet.

The library device in this embodiment stores an optical disk in which book contents are digitized for each book title. When the book data management controller (controller device) is accessed from the client # 1 (user terminal) via the Internet and the title of the book is designated, the book data management controller sends the target book to the client # 1. (A computer for control, in this case, the Internet address of the server # 1. The client # 1 receiving the report can send the data of the target book data to the server # 1.) Requesting and loading the transfer, the transfer of the book contents data is completed through the above procedure.

In the first embodiment described above, the data transfer that has been conventionally stopped when an error message is received from the server is provided according to the present invention by providing the controller with a function of inquiring and replying to an available server. It is possible without interruption. Next, a second embodiment of the present invention based on claim 4 will be described below. FIG. 6 shows an example employed in a magnetic tape library device control system.

FIG. 6 shows the configuration of the library device control system. In the library device 10, the medium transport mechanism 11
And eight drives 12. It has two controllers 13 for controlling the transport mechanism of the library apparatus, and eight servers 14 connected to one drive each. 2
The controllers are connected to the shared disk device 15 to share control information and the like of the library device.

FIG. 7 shows a controller definition table.
This table is used when the server 14 issues a load request to the controller 13, and is provided on each server. FIG. 8 shows a server definition table. This table is
It is used when a server requests a proxy load from another server, and is provided on each server. FIG. 9 shows a controller management table. This table is for the controllers to manage each other's state, and is provided on the shared disk device.

FIG. 10 shows a drive management table.
This table is for the controller to manage the server, and is also provided on the shared disk device. FIG.
1 shows a server-side load process. First, the active controller name is obtained by referring to the controller definition table.
A load is requested from the active controller, and if successful, a data path is opened and data is read. The processing up to this point is the same as the processing in the related art.

If the load fails, a message indicating that the load request to the controller has failed is displayed on the console, and the controller names of the active system and the standby system are replaced on the controller definition table. If the replacement of the controller name has not been completed, the load request is retried. If the load fails even after the controller name has been replaced, the server refers to the server definition table and requests a proxy load from another server. If the proxy load by another server is successful, a data path is established on the communication line to read and write data. When proxy loading by another server also fails, an error message is displayed and the process ends.

The proxy load request by another server described above is also realized by the same processing of FIG. Load realization is
This is indicated by the judgment before reading and writing data and the establishment of a data path on the communication line. In the first and second embodiments described above, by providing a function of querying a loadable server to the controller and by mutually monitoring the controllers, the library control device in which continuity of data access is indispensable. It is possible to improve the reliability of data access in the system.

[0019]

As described above, the library control device according to the present invention comprises:
By controlling the operation of the accessor by performing state recognition by the controller device, the following excellent effects can be obtained.
By transmitting the name of the control computer device capable of accessing the data file from the controller device to the user device, it is possible to avoid an error of the control computer device.
The reliability of the library control device can be improved. Therefore, the present invention is extremely useful in facilitating operability and operation of the library device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a library control device system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation mode of the new invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation mode of the new invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation mode of the new invention.

FIG. 5 is a book information disclosure system for public libraries on the Internet, showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a magnetic tape library device control system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a controller definition table of the system of FIG.

FIG. 8 shows a server definition table of the system of FIG.

FIG. 9 shows a controller management table of the system of FIG. 4;

FIG. 10 shows a drive management table of the system of FIG.

FIG. 11 shows a server-side load process of the system of FIG. 4;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 User apparatus (client terminal) 2 Control computer apparatus 3 Controller apparatus 3-1 Operation state recognition response section 3-2 Access control section 4 Library control apparatus 5 Reproduction drive apparatus 6 Cartridge storage cell 7 Robot 8 Management data (database) 10) Library device 11 Media transport mechanism 12 Drive 13 Controller 14 Server 15 Shared disk device

Claims (5)

[Claims] A plurality of cartridges each storing a data file; a plurality of accessible cells individually stored therein; and a cartridge of a designated cell is selected from a plurality of drive devices for reproduction. In a library device equipped with an accessor that is automatically conveyed and mounted, a plurality of control computer devices for extracting data reproduced corresponding to the reproduction drive device and outputting the data to a predetermined user device are provided, When the user device specifies access to a data file in a specific cartridge, the address of a control computer connected to a drive device capable of accessing the data file is used to control the operation of the accessor. From the controller device installed for the access to the user device that specified the access Library controller, wherein was Unishi. 2. When a plurality of control computer devices are connected to a common library device, a control computer device that is operating, or a control computer device linked to an available playback drive device, and the most loaded computer device. 2. The library control device according to claim 1, wherein one of the three types of light control computer device is selected and one address is notified. 3. In the case where a plurality of control computer devices are connected to the same library device, either the control computer device that is operating or the control computer device having an available playback drive device is connected. Selected,
2. The library control device according to claim 1, wherein all the addresses are notified. 4. A plurality of accessible cells each individually storing a plurality of cartridges each storing a data file, and a cartridge of a designated cell is selected from a plurality of drive devices for reproduction. A library device provided with an accessor that is automatically conveyed and mounted to a plurality of client devices for extracting and using data reproduced from the reproduction drive device,
If the client device specifies access to a data file in a specific cartridge and access to the drive device connected to the client device is not possible, the other client device is used to access the drive device. A library control device configured to access a specified file from a drive device connected to a client device. 5. If the drive device connected to the client device cannot be accessed, or if no drive device is connected to the client device,
5. The library control device according to claim 4, wherein the controller device accesses the designated file via the controller device.