US 10,379,959 B1Granted

Techniques and systems for physical manipulation of data storage devices

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsPaul David Franklin, James Raymond Allard, Samuel Rubin Barrett, Jeremiah Brazeau, Jeffrey Allen Dzado, James Caleb Kirschner, David Levy, Brent James Lutz, Andrew Brenden Tinka, Colin Laird Lazier

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Abstract

Techniques and systems for storing and retrieving data storage devices of a data storage system are disclosed. In some embodiments, inventory holders are used to store data storage devices used by a data storage system. When data is to be transacted with the data storage devices, mobile drive units locate appropriate inventory holders and transport them to a device reading station, where an appropriate device retrieval unit transacts the data. After the data has been transacted, the data storage devices are returned to the appropriate inventory holders, and the inventory holders are placed by the mobile drive units in locations where they may be accessed in response to further data transactions.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented method, comprising:

generating, from a plurality of received archives, a set of shards representing the plurality of archives;
storing the set of shards on a set of storage devices;
allocating the set of storage devices to a plurality of inventory holders such that a subset of the set of data storage devices is allocated to at least one inventory holder of the plurality of inventory holders and a remainder of the set of storage devices outside of the subset is allocated to a different inventory holder of the plurality of inventory holders;
and
in response to a data request associated with at least a portion of the plurality of received archives, at least:
determining, based on the data request, a subset of the set of shards to retrieve;
locating one or more of the inventory holders associated with at least one subset of the set of data storage devices upon which the determined subset of shards is stored;
retrieving, using at least one mobile drive unit capable of retrieving at least one of the plurality of inventory holders, the located inventory holders;
routing the retrieved inventory holders to one or more device data stations capable of transacting data with member data storage devices of the least one subset of the set of storage devices to which the retrieved inventory holders are associated;
retrieving, using at least one device retrieval unit associated with the device data stations, the at least one subset of the set of data storage devices from the associated inventory holders;
transacting, by the device data stations, the data with the at least one subset of the set of storage devices;
returning the at least one subset of the set of data storage devices to a respective inventory holder;
and
placing the retrieved inventory holders in a location where they are capable of being retrieved using the at least one mobile drive unit.

11 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon executable instructions that, if executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to at least:

cause storage of data storage devices by at least:
allocating the data storage devices to a plurality of inventory holders;
and
placing the plurality of inventory holders in locations accessible to any of at least one mobile drive unit associated with the computer system;
and
in response to a data request associated with a subset of the data storage devices, at least:
determine at least one respective inventory holder to which the subset of storage devices is allocated;
cause, using at least one of the at least one mobile drive unit, retrieval of the determined at least one inventory holder so as to enable at least one device retrieval unit associated with at least one device data station to access the subset of storage devices;
and
cause, using the at least one device data station, transaction of data associated with the data request, with the subset of storage devices.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/754,588Filed 29 Jun 2015
Granted: 13 Aug 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G06F 11/1451
Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore: by selection of backup contents
G06F 11/2094
Where persistent mass storage functionality or persistent mass storage control functionality is redundant: redundant storage or storage space
G06F 11/3034
Monitoring arrangements specially adapted to the computing system or computing system component being monitored: where the computing system…
H04L 67/1097
In which an application is distributed across nodes in the network: for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for…