Media library assembly having first data transfer assembly that receives first command signal and transmits second command signal to second data transfer assembly to decrease time-to-data
View Patent ↗A media library assembly ( 10 ) includes a host controller ( 12 ), a first data transfer assembly ( 18 A) and a second data transfer assembly ( 18 B), which can be remotely positioned from the first data transfer assembly ( 18 A). The host controller ( 12 ) sends a first command signal to the first data transfer assembly ( 18 A) to request a transfer of a first block of data relative to a target storage media ( 22 ). The first data transfer assembly ( 18 A) receives the first command signal, determines the location of the target storage media ( 22 ), and initiates a second command signal to the second data transfer assembly ( 18 B) to request the transfer of the first block of data relative to the target storage media ( 22 ). The second data transfer assembly ( 18 B) transfers the first block of data relative to the target storage media ( 22 ) in response to the second command signal. The first data transfer assembly ( 18 A) then returns a status to the host controller ( 12 ) regarding the transfer of the first block of data. The first block of data can be transmitted between the first data transfer assembly ( 18 A) and the second data transfer assembly ( 18 B) via an Ethernet connection, a Fibre Channel connection, or via the Internet, over wired or wireless connections. The second command signal occurs transparently to the host controller ( 12 ).
1. A media library assembly for use with a plurality of storage media including a target storage media, the plurality of storage media being positioned in a plurality of spaced apart media libraries, the media library assembly comprising:
a host controller that sends a first command signal to request a transfer of a first block of data relative to the target storage media;
a first data transfer assembly that receives the first command signal, the first data transfer assembly being configured to determine the location of the target storage media in one of the plurality of media libraries, the first data transfer assembly being configured to initiate a second command signal to request the transfer of the first block of data relative to the target storage media; and
a spaced apart, second data transfer assembly including a second data transfer device that receives the target storage media, the second data transfer assembly being selected from a plurality of data transfer assemblies by the first data transfer assembly based at least partially on proximity to the target storage media, the second data transfer assembly receiving the second command signal, the second data transfer device being configured to transfer the first block of data relative to the target storage media in response to the second command signal.
2. The media library assembly of claim 1 wherein the first data transfer assembly is configured to return a status to the host controller regarding the transfer of the first block of data.
3. The media library assembly of claim 2 wherein the status of the transfer includes providing the first block of data.
4. The media library assembly of claim 2 wherein the status includes a confirmation that the first block of data has been written to the target storage media.
5. The media library assembly of claim 1 wherein the first command signal includes a request for retrieval of the first block of data from the first data transfer assembly to the host controller.
6. The media library assembly of claim 5 wherein the second command signal includes a request for retrieval of the first block of data from the second data transfer assembly to the first data transfer assembly.
7. The media library assembly of claim 1 further comprising a third data transfer assembly, wherein the second command signal includes a request for transmitting the first block of data from the second data transfer assembly to the third data transfer assembly.
8. The media library assembly of claim 1 wherein the second data transfer device is a tape drive.
9. The media library assembly of claim 1 wherein the first data transfer assembly includes a tape drive.
10. The media library assembly of claim 1 wherein the first data transfer assembly and the second data transfer assembly are substantially identical to one another.
11. The media library assembly of claim 1 wherein the first data transfer assembly is included in a first media library, and the second data transfer assembly is included in a second media library that is remotely positioned from the first media library.
12. The media library assembly of claim 11 wherein the first block of data is transmitted between the first data transfer assembly and the second data transfer assembly via an Ethernet connection.
13. The media library assembly of claim 11 wherein the first block of data is transmitted between the first data transfer assembly and the second data transfer assembly via a Fiber Channel connection.
14. The media library assembly of claim 11 wherein the first block of data is transmitted between the first data transfer assembly and the second data transfer assembly via the Internet.
15. The media library assembly of claim 11 wherein the first block of data is transmitted wirelessly between the first data transfer assembly and the second data transfer assembly.
16. The media library assembly of claim 1 wherein the second command signal occurs transparently to the host controller.
17. The media library assembly of claim 1 wherein the second data transfer assembly includes a storage media retainer and a storage media mover that selectively moves one or more of the storage media between the storage media retainer and the second data transfer device.
18. The media library assembly of claim 17 wherein the first command signal is part of a command sequence that includes a request from the first data transfer assembly to the storage media mover to move the target storage media to the second data transfer device.
19. The media library assembly of claim 1 wherein the target storage media is a tape cartridge.
20. The media library assembly of claim 1 wherein the first data transfer assembly and the second data transfer assembly are both positioned within a same housing of one of the media libraries.
21. The media library assembly of claim 1 wherein the first data transfer assembly includes an emulated media device that initiates the second command signal received by the second data transfer assembly.
22. A media library assembly for use with a plurality of storage media including a target storage media, the media library assembly comprising:
a host controller that sends a first command signal to retrieve a first block of data from the target storage media;
a first data transfer assembly that receives the first command signal, the first data transfer assembly being configured to determine the location of the target storage media, the first data transfer assembly being configured to initiate a second command signal to retrieve the first block of data from the target storage media; and
a spaced apart, second data transfer assembly including a second data transfer device that receives the second command signal, the second data transfer assembly being selected from a plurality of data transfer assemblies by the first data transfer assembly based at least partially on proximity to the target storage media, the second data transfer device being configured to transmit the first block of data from the target storage media to the first data transfer device in response to the second command signal.
23. The media library assembly of claim 22 wherein the first data transfer assembly is configured to send the first block of data received from the second data transfer assembly to the host controller.
24. The media library assembly of claim 22 wherein the second data transfer device is a tape drive.
25. The media library assembly of claim 22 wherein the first data transfer assembly includes a tape drive.
26. The media library assembly of claim 22 wherein the first data transfer assembly and the second data transfer assembly are substantially identical to one another.
27. The media library assembly of claim 22 wherein the first data transfer assembly is included in a first media library, and the second data transfer assembly is included in a second media library that is remotely positioned from the first media library.
28. The media library assembly of claim 27 wherein the first block of data is transmitted between the first data transfer assembly and the second data transfer assembly via an Ethernet connection.
29. The media library assembly of claim 27 wherein the first block of data is transmitted between the first data transfer assembly and the second data transfer assembly via the Internet.
30. The media library assembly of claim 27 wherein the first block of data is transmitted wirelessly between the first data transfer assembly and the second data transfer assembly.
31. The media library assembly of claim 22 wherein the second data transfer assembly includes a storage media retainer and a storage media mover that selectively moves one or more of the storage media between the storage media retainer and the second data transfer device, and wherein the first command signal is part of a command sequence that includes a request from the first data transfer assembly to the storage media mover to move the target storage media to the second data transfer device.
32. The media library assembly of claim 22 wherein the first data transfer assembly and the second data transfer assembly are both positioned within a same housing of a media library.
33. A media library assembly for use with a plurality of storage media including a target storage media, the plurality of storage media being positioned in a plurality of spaced apart media libraries, the media library assembly comprising:
a host controller that sends a first command signal to write a first block of data onto the target storage media;
a first data transfer assembly that receives the first command signal, the first data transfer assembly being configured to determine the location of the target storage media in one of the plurality of media libraries, the first data transfer assembly being configured to initiate a second command signal to write the first block of data onto the target storage media; and
a spaced apart, second data transfer assembly including a second data transfer device that receives the second command signal, the second data transfer assembly being selected from a plurality of data transfer assemblies by the first data transfer assembly based at least partially on proximity to the target storage media, the second data transfer device being configured to write the first block of data to the target storage media in response to the second command signal.
34. The media library assembly of claim 33 wherein the second data transfer device is a tape drive.
35. The media library assembly of claim 33 wherein the first data transfer assembly includes a tape drive.
36. The media library assembly of claim 33 wherein the first data transfer assembly and the second data transfer assembly are substantially identical to one another.
37. The media library assembly of claim 33 wherein the first data transfer assembly is included in a first media library, and the second data transfer assembly is included in a second media library that is remotely positioned from the first media library.
38. The media library assembly of claim 37 wherein the first block of data is transmitted between the first data transfer assembly and the second data transfer assembly via an Ethernet connection.
39. The media library assembly of claim 37 wherein the first block of data is transmitted between the first data transfer assembly and the second data transfer assembly via the Internet.
40. The media library assembly of claim 37 wherein the first block of data is transmitted wirelessly between the first data transfer assembly and the second data transfer assembly.
41. The media library assembly of claim 33 wherein the first data transfer assembly and the second data transfer assembly are both positioned within a same housing of one of the media libraries.
42. A method for transferring a block of data between a host controller and a target storage media, the method comprising the steps of:
initiating a first command signal from a host controller to a first data transfer assembly to transfer the block of data relative to the target storage media;
locating the target storage media with the first data transfer assembly;
selecting a second data transfer assembly to receive the target storage media, the second data transfer assembly being selected from a plurality of data transfer assemblies by the first data transfer assembly based at least partially on proximity to the target storage media; and
initiating a second command signal with the first data transfer assembly to request the second data transfer assembly to transfer the block of data relative to the target storage media.
43. The method of claim 42 wherein the step of initiating a second command signal includes requesting the second data transfer assembly to retrieve the block of data from the target storage media and transmit the block of data to the first data transfer assembly.
44. The method of claim 42 wherein the step of initiating a second command signal includes requesting the second data transfer assembly to write the block of data to the target storage media.
45. The method of claim 42 wherein the step of initiating a second command signal includes requesting the second data transfer assembly to transfer the block of data between the target storage media and a third data transfer assembly.
46. The method of claim 42 wherein the first data transfer assembly and the second data transfer assembly are substantially identical to one another.
47. The method of claim 42 further comprising the steps of positioning the first data transfer assembly within a first media library, and positioning the second data transfer assembly within a second media library that is remotely positioned from the first media library.
48. The method of claim 42 further comprising the step of transferring the block of data from the second data transfer assembly to the first data transfer assembly via an Ethernet connection.
49. The method of claim 42 further comprising the step of transferring the block of data from the second data transfer assembly to the first data transfer assembly via the Internet.
50. The method of claim 42 further comprising the step of wirelessly transferring the block of data from the second data transfer assembly to the first data transfer assembly.
51. The method of claim 42 further comprising the steps of positioning the first data transfer assembly and the second data transfer assembly within a housing of a single media library.