Library of hard disk drives with transparent emulating interface
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsKamal E. Dimitri, Robert G. Emberty, Craig Klein, Daniel J. Winarski
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Abstract
Disclosed is a library of hard disk drives with transparent emulating interface. The hard disk drives are shelved in associated storage locations in the library. A library controller translates the logical address of a requested hard disk drive known to the requesting host computer to a physical address or location within the library. A picker preferably mounts the requested disk drive to a destination receptacle which may be part of a backplane of the library, and the controller accesses the hard disk drive. Library operation is transparent to the host computer, the library emulating a selected type of storage device.
Claims42
An automated library of computer memory elements for use by one or more host computers, wherein a requesting host computer may request access to any selected memory element in the library by providing a logical address identifying the selected memory element, the library comprising:
- a controller,
- a plurality of storage bins, each bin being adapted to receive a corresponding one of the memory elements;
- a destination receptacle adapted for coupling the selected memory element to the requesting host computer;
- a robotic picker for electrically coupling and decoupling the selected memory element to and from said destination receptacle, said robotic picking device being operable by command of said controller, wherein said controller is adapted to identify a physical address in the library corresponding to the logical address for the selected memory element;
- and
- a plurality of repeatedly removable hard disk drives constituting at least some of said memory elements.
A method for providing a library of memory elements comprising hard disk drives for use by one or more host computers, wherein a requesting host computer may request access to any selected hard disk drive in the library by providing a logical address identifying the selected hard disk drive, the method comprising:
- providing a destination receptacle adapted for coupling the selected hard disk drive to the requesting host computer;
- providing a robotic picker for electrically coupling and decoupling the selected hard disk drive to and from said destination receptacle;
- identifying the selected hard disk drive by a physical address in the library corresponding to the logical address for the selected hard disk drive;
- and
- if the selected hard disk drive is not already electrically coupled to said destination receptacle, electrically coupling the identified hard disk drive to said destination receptacle.
A method for providing a library of memory elements for use by one or more host computers, the memory elements comprising hard disk drives and repeatedly removable solid state memory, wherein a requesting host computer may request access to one of the hard disk drives in the library by providing a logical address identifying the selected hard disk drive, the method comprising:
- providing a plurality of storage bins, each bin being adapted to receive a corresponding one of the memory elements;
- providing a destination receptacle adapted for coupling the selected memory element to the requesting host computer;
- providing a robotic picker for electrically coupling and decoupling the selected memory element to and from said destination receptacle;
- identifying solid state memory by a physical address therefor corresponding to the logical address for the requested hard disk drive;
- and
- if the selected solid state memory is not already electrically coupled to said destination receptacle, electrically coupling the identified solid state memory to said destination receptacle.
A method for accessing a disk drive in a library of hard disk drives, comprising the steps of:
- (a) representing to a host computer that the library is a predetermined selected form of mass storage, said selected form of mass storage defining a handshaking protocol with said host computer;
- (b) receiving a command from the host computer and a logical address for a hard disk drive to which said command pertains;
- (c) consulting a predetermined index associating said logical address with a physical address within the library,
- (d) translating said logical address to said physical address;
- (e) locating the hard disk drive corresponding to said physical address;
- (f) where said hard disk drive is in a storage bin, retrieving said hard disk drive from said storage bin, translating said hard disk drive to a destination receptacle for coupling the hard disk drive to the host computer, electrically interconnecting said hard disk drive and said destination receptacle, and performing said command;
- and
- (g) carrying out said command by handshaking with said host computer according to said handshaking protocol, wherein steps (c)-(f) are thereby transparent to the host computer.
An article of manufacture for use in a library of hard disk drives including a library controller, said article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable storage medium tangibly embodying a program of executable computer instructions which cause said controller to perform steps comprising:
- (a) representing to a host computer that the library is a predetermined selected form of mass storage, said selected form of mass storage defining a handshaking protocol with said host computer;
- (b) receiving an I/O command from the host computer and a logical address for a hard disk drive to which said command pertains;
- (c) consulting a predetermined index associating said logical address with a physical address within the library;
- (d) translating said logical address to said physical address;
- (e) locating the hard disk drive corresponding to said physical address;
- (f) where said hard disk drive is in a storage bin, retrieving said hard disk drive from said storage bin, translating said hard disk drive to a destination receptacle for coupling the hard disk drive to the host computer, electrically interconnecting said hard disk drive and said destination receptacle, and performing said command;
- and
- (g) carrying out said command by handshaking with said host computer according to said handshaking protocol, wherein steps (c)-(f) are thereby transparent to the host computer.
A method for communicating between one or more host computers and a library of one or more types of memory elements controlled by a library controller, comprising the steps of:
- forming a first association of a plurality of commands for instructing a predetermined type of memory element and a plurality of protocols,
- forming a second association of said plurality of commands and a plurality of codes particularly adapted for controlling respective memory elements in the library;
- receiving a command from a host computer according to one of said protocols for instructing said device;
- identifying said protocol;
- identifying said command by consulting said first association;
- selecting, by the controller, one or more of the memory elements in the library for carrying out the command;
- identifying the associated said code by consulting said second association for said selected memory elements;
- and
- executing the identified code for carrying out the command in the library with said selected memory elements.
An article of manufacture for use in communicating between one or more host computers and a library of one or more types of memory elements controlled by a library controller, said article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable storage medium tangibly embodying a program of executable computer instructions which cause said controller to perform steps comprising:
- forming a first association of a plurality of commands for instructing a predetermined type of memory element and a plurality of protocols;
- forming a second association of said plurality of commands and a plurality of codes particularly adapted for controlling respective memory elements in the library;
- receiving a command from a host computer according to one of said protocols for instructing said device;
- identifying said protocol,
- identifying said command by consulting said first association;
- selecting, by the controller, one or more of the memory elements in the library for carrying out the command;
- identifying the associated said code by consulting said second association for said selected memory elements;
- executing the identified code for carrying out the command in the library with said selected memory elements.
A storage area network, comprising:
- a first library of memory elements comprising hard disk drives for use by one or more host computers, wherein a requesting host computer may request access to any selected hard disk drive in the library by providing a logical address identifying the selected hard disk drive, said first library including a first controller for controlling said first library and for communicating with the one or more host computers;
- a second library of memory elements comprising hard disk drives for use by said one or more host computers, wherein a requesting host computer may request access to any selected hard disk drive in the library by providing a logical address identifying the selected hard disk drive, said second library including a second controller for controlling said second library and for communicating with the one or more host computers, wherein said first library and said second library are separated by at least one kilometer;
- and
- a first fibre-channel arbitrated loop communications link between said first controller and at least some of the one or more host computers, and a second fibre-channel arbitrated loop communications link between at least some other of the one or more host computers, wherein said first and said second fibre-channel arbitrated loop communication links are each switchably connected to a third communications link between said first and said second controller.
A method for area network storage, comprising the steps of:
- providing a first library of memory elements comprising hard disk drives for use by one or more host computers, wherein a requesting host computer may request access to any selected hard disk drive in the library by providing a logical address identifying the selected hard disk drive, said first library including a first controller for controlling said first library and for communicating with the one or more host computers;
- providing a second library of memory elements comprising hard disk drives for use by said one or more host computers, wherein a requesting host computer may request access to any selected hard disk drive in the library by providing a logical address identifying the selected hard disk drive, said second library including a second controller for controlling said second library and for communicating with the one or more host computers, wherein said first library and said second library are separated by at least one kilometer;
- providing a first communications link between said first controller and at least some of the one or more host computers;
- providing a second communications link between at least some other of the one or more host computers;
- providing a third communications link between said first and second controller;
- operating said first communications link according to a fibre channel arbitrated loop protocol;
- and
- operating said second communications link according to a fibre channel arbitrated loop protocol.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.