System and method of providing and relocating a portable storage canister in an automated data storage library

A portable test canister for servicing an automated data storage library, comprising:

• a test tray having a planar base, a mounting support surface on one end of the planar base, a plurality of mounting features;
• and
• one or more test cartridge storage cells, each comprising a box-like structure having a base, side walls, an end wall, and an open front portion that is adapted to receive a cartridge into the test cartridge storage cell, wherein the test cartridge storage cells are stacked and nested together, and mounted to the lateral brackets on the mounting support surface of the test tray.

A method of testing an automated data storage library, comprising:

• providing an automated data storage library having one or more data storage drives for reading data from and/or writing data to data storage media, a plurality of data storage cells for storing the data storage media, at least one accessor for transporting the data storage media between the plurality of data storage cells and said one or more data storage drives, one or more grippers associated with said at least one accessor for gripping the data storage media, and one or more portable canisters contained in a drive slot and having at least one storage cell for holding the data storage media;
• removing one of the data storage media from said at least one storage cell of said one or more portable canisters;
• placing a data storage media into a storage cell of said one or more portable canisters.

An automated data storage library, comprising:

• one or more data storage drives for reading and/or writing data to/from data storage media, a plurality of data storage cells for storing the data storage media, at least one accessor for transporting the data storage media between the plurality of data storage cells and the one or more data storage drives, one or more grippers associated with the at least one accessor for gripping the data storage media, one or more portable canisters comprising at least one storage cell for holding the data storage media, wherein:
• the portable canister occupies a data storage drive slot and can reside in more than one location of the automated data storage library.

A method of upgrading an automated data storage library, comprising:

• providing an automated data storage library having one or more data storage drives for reading data from and/or writing data to data storage media, a plurality of data storage cells for storing the data storage media, at least one accessor for transporting the data storage media between the plurality of data storage cells and said one or more data storage drives, one or more grippers associated with said at least one accessor for gripping the data storage media, one or more portable storage canisters having at least one storage cell for holding the data storage media, and one or more storage slots for holding said portable storage canisters, wherein:
• a portable storage canister is placed in a storage slot to increase the storage capacity of the automated data storage library, and;
• said storage canister is placed in said storage slot without disruption of normal operations of said automated data storage library.