Storage apparatus system having redundancy in a rail configuration

A storage apparatus system comprising:

• at least two storage-medium groups each comprising (m+n) pieces of storage medium, where m and n are integers and where m≧1 and n≧1, each of said (m+n) pieces of storage medium being used for storing at least one record group each including m data records and n redundant records, wherein each of said data records contains data accessed by an information processing unit and each of said redundant records contains redundant data for recovering data contained in said data records;
• at least one medium accommodating rack comprising a plurality of accommodation units each for accommodating one of said (m+n) pieces of storage medium;
• at least two read/write-unit groups each comprising (m+n) read/write units for mounting said (m+n) pieces of storage medium and carrying out read/write operations on said (m+n) pieces of storage medium;
• at least one robot for transporting said (m+n) pieces of storage medium between said medium accommodating rack and said read/write units;
• a control unit for controlling said medium accommodating rack, said read/write units and said robot in accordance with a request made by said information processing unit;
• and
• means for allocating one of said read/write-unit groups as one required for execution of processing to recover data stored in a storage medium incurring a failure and sending said information processing unit an indication that a failure has occurred in said allocated read/write-unit group, thereby temporarily preventing use of said allocated read/write-unit group.

A controller for controlling a storage apparatus system which includes at least two storage-medium groups each comprising a plurality of storage media for storing data records and redundant records, wherein each data records contains data accessed by an information processing unit and each redundant record contains redundant data for recovering data contained in said data records, at least one medium accommodating rack comprising a plurality of accommodation units each for accommodating one of said storage media, at least one read/write unit group comprising a plurality of read/write units for mounting said storage media and carrying out read/write operations on said storage media, and at least one robot for transporting said storage media between said medium accommodating rack and said read/write units, said controller comprising:

• a control unit for controlling said medium accommodating rack, said read/write units and said robot in accordance with a request made by said information processing unit;
• means for allocating one of said read/write-unit groups as one required for execution of processing to recover data stored in a storage media incurring a failure and sending said information processing unit an indication that a failure has occurred in said allocated read/write-unit group, thereby temporarily preventing use of said allocated read/write-unit group;
• and
• means for executing a request for access, from said information processing unit, to a storage media other than said storage media currently undergoing recovery processing by using said read/write-unit group allocated to said recovery processing when said request is received during said recovery processing.

A method of controlling a storage apparatus system which includes at least two storage-medium groups each comprising a plurality of storage media for storing data records redundant records, wherein each data records contains data accessed by an information processing unit and each redundant record contains redundant data for recovering data contained in said data records, at least one medium accommodating rack comprising a plurality of accommodation units each for accommodating one of said storage media, at least one read/write unit group comprising a plurality of read/write units for mounting said storage media and carrying out read/write operations on said storage media, and at least one robot for transporting said storage media between said medium accommodating rack and said read/write units, said method comprising the steps of:

• controlling said medium accommodating rack, said read/write units and said robot in accordance with a request made by said information processing unit;
• allocating one of said read/write-unit groups as one required for execution of processing to recover data stored in a storage media incurring a failure;
• sending said information processing unit an indication that a failure has occurred in said allocated read/write-unit group, thereby temporarily preventing use of said allocated read/write-unit group;
• and
• executing a request for access, from said information processing unit, to a storage media other than said storage media currently undergoing recovery processing by using said read/write-unit group allocated to said recovery processing when said request is received during said recovery processing.