Interruptible inventory of a mass data storage library

A computer program product usable with a programmable computer processor having computer readable program code embodied therein for conducting an inventory of transportable data storage media stored in a mass data storage library having a plurality of storage shelves for storing said media, having a robot for transporting said media to, from and between said storage shelves, and having a sensor for conducting said inventory by identifying said media at said storage shelves, wherein said plurality of storage shelves are organized into a plurality of subsets of storage shelves for the purpose of conducting said inventory, comprising:

• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to conduct an inventory of said media stored in said subsets of storage shelves, in a predetermined order by subset;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to, upon completion of said inventory of each subset of storage shelves, post that completion of said inventory to a subset list;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to detect newly received commands, and upon detecting a command for a non-inventory process, to interrupt said inventory of said subsets of storage shelves, stopping said inventory of said subsets of storage shelves;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to conduct said non-inventory process;
• and
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to, upon completion of said non-inventory process, resume causing said programmable computer processor to conduct said inventory.

A system, in a mass data storage library, for conducting an inventory of transportable data storage media stored in said library, said library having a plurality of storage shelves for storing said media, having a plurality of data storage drives, having a library controller, having at least one accessing robot controlled by said library controller, and having a sensor for conducting said inventory by identifying said media at said storage shelves, said system comprising:

• a library manager, coupled to said library controller, organizing said plurality of storage shelves into a plurality of subsets of storage shelves for the purpose of conducting said inventory, and said library manager conducting an inventory of said media stored in said subsets of storage shelves, in a predetermined order by subset;
• a list, coupled to said library manager, for posting that said inventory of each said subset of storage shelves is complete or incomplete, said library manager, upon completion of said inventory of each subset of storage shelves, posting that completion of said inventory to said list;
• a command input, coupled to said library manager, for receiving and detecting newly received commands, and upon detecting a command for a non-inventory process, said library manager interrupts said inventory of said subsets of storage shelves, stopping said inventory of said subsets of storage shelves, said library manager conducts said non-inventory process;
• and said library manager, upon completion of said non-inventory process, resumes conducting said inventory.