Methods and systems for transfer of data storage components in an automated data storage system using drones

A drone vehicle for transferring data storage components in a data storage system, the drone vehicle comprising:

• a flight assembly;
• a frame;
• at least one landing structure;
• a package holding assembly configured to hold and release a data storage component;
• a power source;
• a processing device;
• and
• a non-transitory, computer-readable memory containing programming instructions that are configured to cause the processing device to:
• receive a command for transferring a data storage component from a source location to a destination location in a data storage system,
• by the package holding assembly, cause the drone vehicle to hold the data storage component, and
• by the flight assembly, cause the drone vehicle to move to a location that is not the source location,
• wherein the drone vehicle is configured to move and transfer data storage components within the data storage system.

A method for transferring data storage components within a data storage system, the method comprising:

• instructing a drone vehicle, by a processing device, to transfer a data storage component to a destination location;
• and
• by the drone vehicle, transferring the data storage component to the destination location,
• wherein the destination location comprises at least one of the group consisting of a storage slot of a data storage library, a magazine slot of a data storage library, a data storage drive of a data storage library, an I/O station of a data storage library, a robot accessor of a data storage library, a pass-through portal of a data storage library, a vault storage cell, a vault magazine slot, a vault pass-through portal, and a vault I/O station.