초록 ▼

A robotic tape library which queues two or more move instructions is described. Generally, the robotic system receives a first move instruction which commands a first robot to move a first tape cartridge from a shelf to a first tape drive to be loaded therein. Though the first move has not actually

A robotic tape library which queues two or more move instructions is described. Generally, the robotic system receives a first move instruction which commands a first robot to move a first tape cartridge from a shelf to a first tape drive to be loaded therein. Though the first move has not actually taken place, the library replies to the host computer that the first tape drive has been loaded with the first tape cartridge, at least to an acceptable level of engagement, at which point, the first move instruction is queued. After receiving a second move instruction from the host to move a second tape cartridge from the shelf to a second tape drive, the library reorganizes and physically carries out the move instructions with potentially different hardware in a preferred order.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A robotic storage library adapted to perform the method of: a) receiving a first move instruction from a host computer directing a robot, identified by the host, to move a first storage element from a shelf to a first drive;b) in reference to said first move instruction, responding to said host t

1. A robotic storage library adapted to perform the method of: a) receiving a first move instruction from a host computer directing a robot, identified by the host, to move a first storage element from a shelf to a first drive;b) in reference to said first move instruction, responding to said host that said first drive is in possession of said first storage element in a minimal acceptable engaged relationship in anticipation of a second move instruction regardless of whether, in actuality, said first drive possesses said first storage element;c) receiving a second move instruction from said host computer directing said robot to move a second storage element from said shelf to a second drive;d) in reference to said second move instruction, responding to said host that said second drive is in possession of said second storage element in a minimal acceptable engaged relationship regardless of whether, in actuality, said second drive possesses said second storage element;e) queuing said first and said second move instructions;f) reorganizing said first and said second move instructions in a preferred order; andg) carrying out said preferred order via said robot within said robotic storage library. 2. A robotic storage system with a single robotic transporter comprising: a communication interface adapted to receive a first load instruction to load a first mobile storage element in a first drive via a first robotic transporter and adapted to communicate to a host that said first load instruction is carried out prior to actually carrying out said first load instruction, wherein said host has knowledge of said first robotic transporter;a queue system adapted to retain said first load instruction and a second load instruction received after said communication that said first load instruction was carried out wherein said second load instruction pertains to loading a second mobile storage element in a second drive via a second robotic transporter, wherein said host has knowledge of said second robotic transporter, said first load instruction and said second load instruction are reorganized from said queue system in a preferred order; anda controller adapted to cause said single robotic transporter to carry out said preferred order. 3. The robotic storage system of claim 1 further comprising: a shelf system adapted to support said first mobile storage element and said second mobile storage element and said first robotic transporter adapted to move said mobile storage elements between said shelf system and said drives. 4. The robotic storage system of claim 3 wherein said first robotic transporter carries out said first and said second instructions after said controller reorganizes said first and said second instructions in said preferred order. 5. The robotic storage system of claim 1 wherein said load instructions are received from said host, and wherein said host does not transmit said second load instruction to said robotic storage system until receiving said communication that said first load instruction is carried out. 6. The robotic storage system of claim 2 further comprising a central processing unit adapted to maintain and execute computing instructions that cause said robotic storage system to receive, manage and perform queuing duties by said queue system, said communication interface and said controller. 7. The robotic storage system of claim 2 wherein said preferred order is to complete said second move instruction before completing said first move instruction. 8. The robotic storage system of claim 2 wherein said preferred order is dependent on which one of said mobile storage elements is closest to either said first drive or said second drive. 9. The robotic storage system of claim 2 further comprising a means for retaining said first and said second move instructions in said queue system after said robotic storage system is re-energized following an unexpected loss of power before said move instructions have been fully executed. 10. The robotic storage system of claim 2 wherein said queue system includes a table of said instructions maintained by memory disposed within said storage system. 11. The robotic storage system of claim 2 further comprising: a third drive and a third mobile storage element disposed to said shelf system;a first partition and a second partition wherein said first and said second drives are associated with said first partition and said third drive is associated with second partition;a third load instruction received from a second host retained in said queue system wherein said third load instruction includes commands to load said third mobile storage element to said third drive via a robot transporter different from said first robotic transporter, and wherein said third load instruction is affirmed to said second host as carried out via said communication interface before said third load instruction is actually carried out; andsaid controller further capable of organizing said third instruction with said first and said second instructions in said preferred order. 12. The robotic storage system of claim 2 wherein said first and said second mobile storage elements are selected from a group of mobile storage elements consisting of: a tape cartridge magazine, a mobile disc drive magazine, a solid state memory device adapted for mobility, and a disc drive adapted for mobility. 13. The robotic storage system of claim 2 wherein said first and said second mobile storage elements are tape cartridges and said robotic storage system is a tape library. 14. The robotic storage system of claim 2 wherein said preferred order is based at least partly on efficiency of travel of said first robotic transporter between said mobile storage elements and said drives. 15. The robotic storage system of claim 14 wherein said efficiency consists essentially of distance of travel. 16. The robotic storage system of claim 2 wherein said preferred order is based at least partly on an urgency to obtain information from one of said mobile storage elements over the other. 17. The robotic storage system of claim 2 wherein said preferred order is based at least partly on priority of a customer associated with information maintained by one of said mobile storage elements. 18. The robotic storage system of claim 2 wherein said controller reorganizes said load instructions after a predetermined amount of time following when said queue system receives said first load instruction from said host. 19. The robotic storage system of claim 2 wherein said controller reorganizes said load instructions after receiving a predetermined number of load instructions from said host. 20. The robotic storage system of claim 2 wherein said controller reorganizes said load instructions based upon either a predetermined amount of time after said queue system receives said first load instruction or after said queue system receives a predetermined number of load instructions, whichever occurs earlier. 21. A method comprising: providing a storage system comprising, a shelf system supporting a first storage element and a second storage element, a first drive and a second drive, and only a first robotic transporter;receiving a first request from a host to load said first storage element in a cooperating relationship with said first drive via said first robotic transporter; wherein said host has knowledge of said first robotic transporter;responding to said host that said first storage element has been loaded in said first storage drive via said first robotic transporter;queuing said first request in memory;receiving a second request from said host, after said first request, to load said second storage element in a cooperating relationship with said second drive via a second robotic transporter, wherein said host has knowledge of said second robotic transporter;responding to said host that said second storage element has been loaded in said second drive via said second robotic transporter;computing a strategy that reorganizes said first and said second requests in a desired order; andcarrying out said strategy via said first robotic transporter. 22. The method of claim 21 further comprising queuing said second request in said memory. 23. The method of claim 22 further comprising: providing a third storage element and a third drive;receiving a third request from either said host or a different host to load said third storage element in a cooperating relationship with said third drive;responding to either said host or said different host, from whichever said third request was received, that said third storage element has been loaded in said third drive;queuing said third request in memory;computing said strategy to include said third request; andcarrying out said strategy via said robotic transporter. 24. A robotic storage system adapted to comprise: a queue system containing a first move instruction, received from a host, and a second move instruction, received from said host, wherein said first move instruction commands a first robotic transporter to move a first mobile storage element from a shelf system to a first drive and load said first mobile storage element into said first drive, wherein said host has knowledge of said first robotic transporter, and said second move instruction commands a second robotic transporter to move a second mobile storage element from said shelf system to a second drive and load said second mobile storage element into said second drive, wherein said host has knowledge of said second robotic transporter, said second move instruction is received by said host after said storage system makes known to said host that said first mobile storage element has been moved to said first drive and that said first mobile storage element is engaged with said first drive, prior to actually physically completing said first move instruction;a means for reorganizing said first and said second move instructions in said storage system in a preferred order via said queue system and wherein said robotic transporter physically carries out said first and said second move instructions based on said preferred order via said first robotic transporter. 25. A robotic storage library including: a plurality of mobile storage elements;only one robotic transporter;at least one drive adapted to receive one of said mobile storage elements in an at least minimally acceptable operative engagement;a queue system adapted to receive a plurality of move instructions from a host computer, each of said move instructions to move one of said storage elements via one of a plurality of robotic transporters to said at least one drive for operative engagement therewith, wherein said plurality of robotic transporters are targeted by said host computer, to initially organize said instructions in an order essentially as chronologically received, and to reorganize said instructions according to a pre-established set of conditions, said plurality of move instructions carried out via said one robotic transporter.