US 9,961,141 B1Granted

Techniques and systems for tray-based storage and organization in automated data storage systems

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsJames Raymond Allard, Paul David Franklin, Samuel Rubin Barrett, Jeremiah Brazeau, Jeffrey Allen Dzado, James Caleb Kirschner, David Levy, Brent James Lutz, Andrew Brenden Tinka, Colin Laird Lazier

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Abstract

Techniques and systems for storing and retrieving data storage devices of a data storage system are disclosed. In some embodiments, inventory holders are used to store data storage devices used by a data storage system. When data is to be transacted with the data storage devices, mobile drive units locate appropriate inventory holders and transport them to a device reading station, where an appropriate device retrieval unit transacts the data. In some embodiments, each inventory holder includes a plurality of trays that are independently accessible to the device retrieval unit. After the data has been transacted, the data storage devices are returned to the appropriate inventory holders, and the inventory holders are placed by the mobile drive units in locations where they may be accessed in response to further data transactions.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented method, comprising:

under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,
generating, from a plurality of received archives using a redundancy code, a set of shards representing the plurality of archives;
storing the set of shards on a set of storage devices, the set of data storage devices having a quantity of data storage devices that is associated with a minimum quorum quantity of the data storage devices sufficient to retrieve the plurality of archives;
allocating the set of storage devices to a plurality of inventory holders, each inventory holder having a plurality of trays, each tray of the plurality of trays capable of holding a plurality of the data storage devices, such that:
a first subset of the set of data storage devices is allocated to at least one inventory holder of the plurality of inventory holders and a remainder of the set of storage devices outside of the subset is allocated to a different inventory holder of the plurality of inventory holders;
and
a second subset of the first subset is allocated to at least one tray of the plurality of trays and a remainder of the first subset outside the second subset is allocated to a different tray of the plurality of trays;
and
in response to a data request associated with at least a portion of the plurality of received archives, at least:
locating one or more of the inventory holders associated with at least one subset of the set of data storage devices upon which a subset of shards associated with the data request is stored;
retrieving, using at least one mobile drive unit capable of retrieving any of the plurality of inventory holders, the located inventory holders;
routing the retrieved inventory holders to one or more device data stations capable of transacting data with member data storage devices of the least one subset of the set of storage devices to which the retrieved inventory holders are associated;
manipulating one or more of the plurality of trays of the retrieved inventory holders so as to expose contents of at least one of the plurality of trays having one or more respective data storage devices associated with the data request;
retrieving, using at least one device retrieval unit associated with the device data stations, the at least one subset of the set of data storage devices from the exposed trays;
transacting, by the device data stations, the data with the at least one subset of the set of storage devices;
returning the at least one subset of the set of data storage devices to a respective inventory holder from which it was retrieved;
and
placing the retrieved inventory holders in a location where they are capable of being retrieved using the at least one mobile drive unit.

15 more elements

A system, comprising:

at least one computing device configured to implement one or more services, wherein the one or more services are configured to:
allocate a set of storage devices to a plurality of inventory holders, each inventory holder having a plurality of trays, each tray of the plurality of trays capable of holding a plurality of the data storage devices;
and
in response to a data request associated with data associated with a portion of the allocated set of storage devices, at least:
determine, based on the data request, which subset of the portion of the set of storage devices to retrieve;
locate at least one respective inventory holder to which the determined subset of storage devices is associated;
manipulate one or more of the plurality of trays of the retrieved inventory holders so as to expose contents of at least one of the plurality of trays having one or more respective data storage devices associated with the data request;
retrieve, using at least one mobile drive unit capable of retrieving any of the plurality of inventory holders, the located inventory holders so as to enable at least one device retrieval unit associated with at least one device data station to access the determined subset of storage devices, the at least one mobile drive unit being associated with the at least one computing device;
and
transact, using the at least one device data stations, the data with the determined subset of storage devices.

7 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to at least:

cause storage of data storage devices by at least:
allocating the data storage devices to a plurality of inventory holders, at least some of which include a plurality of trays capable of storing the data storage devices, contents of each tray of the plurality being accessible independently of other trays of the plurality;
and
placing the plurality of inventory holders in locations accessible to any of at least one mobile drive unit associated with the computer system;
and
in response to a data request associated with a subset of the data storage devices, at least:
determine at least one respective inventory holder to which the subset of storage devices is allocated;
cause, using at least one of the at least one mobile drive unit, retrieval of the determined at least one inventory holder so as to enable at least one device retrieval unit associated with at least one device data station to access the subset of storage devices;
cause location of a respective tray of the plurality of trays in which the subset of storage devices is stored;
and
cause, using the at least one device data stations, transaction of data associated with the data request, with the subset of storage devices.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.