Optical disk array device

An optical disk array apparatus for reproducing data from optical disks,

• the optical disk array apparatus comprising a plurality of optical disk library devices each including a recording/reproduction device, a cabinet, and a carriage, the cabinet accommodating a plurality of optical disks, and
• the optical disk being carried by the carriage between the cabinet and the recording/reproduction device for permitting data reproduction by the recording/reproduction device, wherein,
• a disk array is constituted by the plurality of optical disks in the plurality of optical disk library devices;
• stripes are recorded in the disk array;
• the stripes have redundancy for enabling, when data fails to be reproduced in at least one of the plurality of optical disks in which data composing a same stripe is recorded, restoration of the data failing to be reproduced;
• data composing a same stripe is recorded at physically different positions of the plurality of optical disks, so that mutually different timings for optical disk changing exist among the plurality of optical disk library devices;
• the optical disk library device avoids reproducing data in a predetermined region range immediately after optical disk changing;
• and
• the data in the predetermined region range is restored from data reproduced by the optical disk library devices other than the optical disk library device avoiding data reproduction in the predetermined region range.

A reproduction method for reproducing data from a disk array composed of a plurality of optical disks, wherein,

• stripes are recorded in the disk array;
• the stripes have redundancy for enabling, when data fails to be reproduced in at least one of the plurality of optical disks in which data composing a same stripe is recorded, restoration of the data failing to be reproduced;
• data composing a same stripe is recorded at physically different positions of the plurality of optical disks;
• and
• each optical disk composing the disk array is changeable to another optical disk,
• the reproduction method comprising:
• a step of avoiding data reproduction in a predetermined region range immediately after optical disk changing;
• and
• a step of restoring the data in the predetermined region range from data which is reproduced from the remaining optical disks composing the disk array excluding an optical disk in which data reproduction in the predetermined region range is avoided.