US 10,885,938 B1 · Tape gripper cartridge cache

Abstract

An apparatus for big data tape management tape cartridge management. The apparatus includes a tape gripper for storing one or more additional tape cartridges within a housing of the tape gripper, wherein the housing of the tape gripper includes a tape cartridge cache, where the tape cartridge cache is a modification to the housing of the tape gripper for holding the one or more additional tape cartridges stacked internally within the tape gripper, the tape cartridge cache is affixed to a bottom portion of the housing of the tape gripper, and the tape cartridge cache includes a plate, oriented above and centered to the tape cartridge cache, capable of being raised and lowered within the tape cartridge cache utilizing one or more springs mounted under the plate inside the tape cartridge cache.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An apparatus for tape cartridge management, the apparatus comprising:

a tape gripper for storing one or more additional tape cartridges within a housing of the tape gripper, wherein the housing of the tape gripper includes a tape cartridge cache;
and
wherein the tape cartridge cache includes a plate, oriented above and centered to the tape cartridge cache, capable of being raised and lowered within the tape cartridge cache utilizing one or more springs mounted under the plate inside the tape cartridge cache.

A method for tape cartridge management, the method comprising:

responsive to receiving a mount request, moving a tape gripper including a tape cartridge cache to a high density storage slot containing a first requested tape cartridge;
removing the first requested tape cartridge from the storage slot utilizing a first gripper finger and a gripper finger opposite the first gripper finger to grasp the first requested tape cartridge;
loading the first requested tape cartridge into the tape gripper to a position on a plate above the tape cartridge cache utilizing an electric motor to move the first gripper finger and the gripper finger opposite the first gripper finger inward along a belt track;
and
responsive to the mount request designating that the first requested tape cartridge is to be stored in the tape cartridge cache, releasing the first requested tape cartridge on the plate and caching the first requested tape cartridge into the tape cartridge cache utilizing a first tapered portion of a gripper finger module housing, oriented towards an open portion of the housing of the tape gripper.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Tape gripper cartridge cache

Life of this patent

Tape gripper cartridge cache

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19