Graphical user interface-relational database access system for a robotic archive

A method for data-file archival management comprising:

• (a) receiving user selected or entered metadata of a plurality of data files via a graphical user interface displayed on a client comprising a personal computer or workstation, wherein the data file is stored in a robotic archival system;
• (b) storing the metadata in one or more tables of a relational database running on a server connected over a network to the client;
• (c) receiving a query of the relational database by receiving user-selected or entered metadata parameters into the graphical user interface and rendering the query into a query format compatible with the relational database;
• (d) processing the query on the server and returning to and displaying on the client a report listing one or more of the data files meeting the metadata parameters of the query, wherein the report includes a file locator compatible with the robotic archival system for each data file in the report;
• (e) receiving a user selection via the graphical user interface of one or more of the data files in the report;
• (f) translating the selection request to one compatible with the robotic archival system and passing the translated selection request to the robotic archival system;
• and
• (g) returning a copy of the selected data files over a network from the robotic archival system to the client.

A system for data file archival management comprising:

• (a) a robotic data storage system having multiple non-volatile storage medium, input and output means for reading and writing to the storage media, adapted and configured for storing data files, and having a command-line software code portion adapted and configured to provide a command-line user interface to control the robotic data storage system;
• (b) a server;
• (c) a business logic software code portion resident in memory on the server, configured and adapted for adding and searching metadata about the data files, wherein the metadata is organized as a relational database;
• (d) a plurality of personal computers or workstation clients connected to the server computer over a network;
• (e) a GUI software code portion resident in the memory of the personal computers, workstations, or of a server in communication with the personal computers or workstations, configured and adapted for providing a graphical user interface to the record adding and searching portions of the business logic software code portion;
• and
• (f) a translation software code portion resident in the memory of the database server adapted and configured for translating adding and searching messages from a format compatible with the business logic code portion into and from a format compatible with the command-line code portion.

A method for data-file archival management comprising:

• (a) selecting or entering metadata of a plurality of data files via a graphical user interface running on a client comprising a personal computer, workstation, or server, wherein the data file is stored in a robotic archival system;
• (b) storing the metadata in one or more tables of a relational database running on a server;
• (c) querying the relational data by selecting or entering metadata parameters into the graphical user interface that is then rendered in a format compatible with the relational database;
• (d) processing the query on the server and returning to and displaying on the client a report of one or more of the data files meeting the metadata parameters of the search, wherein the report includes a file locator for each data file compatible with the robotic archival system;
• (e) selecting via the graphical user interface one or more of the data files;
• (f) translating the selection request to one compatible with the robotic archival system and passing the translated selection request to the robotic archival system;
• and
• (g) returning a copy of the selected data files over a network from the robotic archival system to the client.

A computer-readable media tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform a method of data-file archival management comprising:

• (a) computer readable program code means for receiving from a user a selection or input of metadata of a plurality of data files via a graphical user interface, wherein the data file is stored in a robotic archival system;
• (b) computer readable program code means for storing the metadata in one or more tables of a relational database;
• (c) computer readable program code means for receiving a user query to the relational data by receiving user selections or text entry metadata parameters into a graphical user interface that is then rendered in a format compatible with the relational database;
• (d) computer readable program code means for processing the query and returning to and displaying on the user a report of one or more of the data files meeting the metadata parameters of the search, wherein the report includes a file locator for each data file compatible with the robotic archival system;
• (e) computer readable program code means for receiving a user selection via the graphical user interface one or more of the data files,
• (f) computer readable program code means for translating the selection request to one compatible with the robotic archival system and passing the translated selection request to the robotic archival system;
• and
• (g) computer readable program code means for returning a copy of the selected data files over a network from the robotic archival system to the user.