Virtual tape library system

A computer-implemented method for storing data, comprising:

• under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,
• during a time when a virtual tape and a virtual tape drive are associated, translating tape operations from an input/output interface to a logical data container associated with the virtual tape drive;
• deassociating the virtual tape drive from the virtual tape and the logical data container in response to a request to remove the virtual tape from the virtual tape drive;
• selecting a storage tier from a set of storage tiers, each storage tier comprising a speed of access attribute and a cost attribute;
• and
• transferring the logical data container from a current tier that includes the input/output interface to a logical data container on the selected storage tier.

A computer system for managing a virtual tape library, comprising:

• one or more computing resources having one or more processors and memory including executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to implement at least:
• a virtual tape library system that provides an interface to a client archive system, the virtual tape library system providing emulation of a tape library system by providing:
• a set of virtual tapes, each virtual tape of the set of virtual tapes comprising a storage logical data container from a storage service that provides storage logical data containers upon request;
• a set of virtual tape drives, each virtual tape drive from the set of virtual tape drives providing an interface to the client archive system to interact with a virtual tape associated with the virtual tape drive;
• a media changing interface configured to associate a virtual tape with a virtual tape drive;
• and
• a metadata store that links virtual tapes to storage logical data containers.

One or more computer-readable storage media having collectively stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to at least:

• provide a virtual tape library interface to a client archive system;
• map a set of virtual tapes in a virtual tape library to a set of logical data containers provided by a storage service;
• map a logical data container to an input/output interface associated with a virtual tape drive;
• and
• translate tape operations from the client archive system to the logical data container.