Apparatus and method for drive control, and computer product

A drive control method for mounting a predetermined medium out of a plurality of media onto a predetermined drive unit out of a plurality of drive units, comprising:

• receiving, from an upper unit, an instruction to mount the predetermined medium onto the predetermined drive unit;
• storing information indicating whether data stored in the medium is encrypted;
• storing information indicating whether the drive unit corresponds to encrypted data;
• determining whether a combination of a drive unit and a medium in an instruction from the upper unit is appropriate, wherein a combination of the drive unit and the medium both corresponding to encrypted data is determined as appropriate, and a combination of the drive unit and the medium both corresponding to unencrypted data is determined as appropriate;
• and
• replying to the upper unit that the predetermined drive unit cannot be used, if it is determined at the determining that the combination is inappropriate.

A computer-readable recording medium that stores therein a computer program for mounting a predetermined medium out of a plurality of media onto a predetermined drive unit out of a plurality of drive units, the computer program including instructions, which when executed, case a computer to execute:

• receiving, from an upper unit, an instruction to mount the predetermined medium onto the predetermined drive unit;
• storing information indicating whether data stored in the medium is encrypted;
• storing information indicating whether the drive unit corresponds to encrypted data;
• determining whether a combination of a drive unit and a medium in an instruction from the upper unit is appropriate, wherein a combination of the drive unit and the medium both corresponding to encrypted data is determined as appropriate, and a combination of the drive unit and the medium both corresponding to unencrypted data is determined as appropriate;
• and
• replying to the upper unit that the predetermined drive unit cannot be used, if it is determined at the determining that the combination is inappropriate.

A server device comprising:

• a receiving unit that receives, from an upper unit, an instruction to mount a predetermined medium out of a plurality of media onto a predetermined drive unit out of a plurality of drive units;
• a relaying unit that relays the instruction to a drive control apparatus;
• a medium information storage unit that stores information indicating whether data stored in each of the media is encrypted;
• a drive information storage unit that stores information indicating whether each of the drive units corresponds to encrypted data;
• a match determining unit that determines whether a combination of a drive unit and a medium in an instruction from the upper unit is appropriate, wherein a combination of the drive unit and the medium both corresponding to encrypted data, and a combination of the drive unit and the medium both corresponding to unencrypted data are determined as appropriate;
• a replying unit that replies to the upper unit that the predetermined drive unit cannot be used, if the match determining unit determines that the combination is inappropriate;
• and
• an instruction transmitting unit that transmits the instruction to the drive control apparatus, if the match determining unit determines that the combination is appropriate.