Method for associating physical address with logical communication address in a media library assembly
View Patent ↗A method for associating a physical address with a logical communication address for an Ethernet-connected media drive ( 22 A 1 - 22 A 4, 22 B 1 - 22 B 4 ) in a media library assembly ( 10 ) includes the steps of providing a first media drive ( 22 A 1 ) having a first physical address; sending a request for a first logical communication address from the first media drive ( 22 A 1 ) to a library controller ( 16 ) via an Ethernet switch ( 18 ) the first physical address being imbedded in the request; and recording the first physical address with the Ethernet switch ( 18 ). The method can include associating the first physical address with one of a plurality of Ethernet switch ports ( 26 A 1 - 26 A 4, 26 B 1 - 26 B 4 ) using a mapping server ( 25 ) of the library controller ( 16 ). The method can include searching a routing table ( 228 ) of the Ethernet switch ( 18 ) with the library controller ( 16 ) to determine the first physical address. The method can also include assigning the first logical communication address to the first physical address with the library controller ( 16 ). The step of assigning can include basing the first logical communication address on an Ethernet switch port ( 26 A 1 - 26 A 4, 26 B 1 - 26 B 4 ) that is associated with the first physical address.
1. A method comprising the steps of:
sending a request from an Ethernet-connected tape drive of a tape library assembly to a library controller via an Ethernet switch to receive a logical communication address that is then associated with a physical address of the tape drive, the physical address being imbedded in the request; and
recording the physical address in a routing table that is stored in the Ethernet switch.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of associating the physical address with one of a plurality of Ethernet switch ports using the library controller.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of associating includes using a mapping server of the library controller.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of associating includes searching the routing table with the library controller to determine the physical address.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of assigning the logical communication address to the physical address using the library controller.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of assigning includes basing the logical communication address on an Ethernet switch port that is associated with the physical address.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of sending includes the physical address being a Media Access Control address.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of sending includes the logical communication address including an Internet Protocol address.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of recording includes storing a plurality of physical addresses of a plurality of corresponding tape drives in the routing table that is stored in the Ethernet switch.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of recording includes associating each of the plurality of physical addresses with a corresponding Ethernet switch port using the library controller.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the tape drive has been assigned a single, unique physical address.
12. A method comprising the steps of:
sending a first request from a first Ethernet-connected tape drive of a tape library assembly to a library controller via an Ethernet switch to receive a first logical communication address that is then associated with a first physical address of the first tape drive, the first physical address being imbedded in the first request;
sending a second request from a second Ethernet-connected tape drive of the tape library assembly to the library controller via the Ethernet switch to receive a second logical communication address that is then associated with a second physical address of the second tape drive, the second physical address being imbedded in the second request, the second physical address being different than the first physical address; and
recording the first physical address and the second physical address in a routing table that is stored in the Ethernet switch.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of (i) associating the first physical address with a first Ethernet switch port using the library controller, and (ii) associating the second physical address with a second Ethernet switch port using the library controller.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the steps of associating the first physical address and associating the second physical address each includes using a mapping server of the library controller.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of associating the first physical address includes searching the routing table with the library controller to determine the first physical address, and wherein the step of associating the second physical address includes searching the routing table with the library controller to determine the second physical address.
16. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of (i) assigning the first logical communication address to the first physical address using the library controller, and (ii) assigning the second logical communication address to the second physical address using the library controller.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of assigning the first logical communication address includes basing the first logical communication address on a first Ethernet switch port that is associated with the first physical address; and wherein the step of assigning the second logical communication address includes basing the second logical communication address on a second Ethernet switch port that is associated with the second physical address.
18. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of sending the first request includes the first physical address being a Media Access Control address.
19. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of sending the first request includes the first logical communication address including an Internet Protocol address.
20. The method of claim 12 wherein the first tape drive has been assigned a single, unique first physical address, and wherein the second tape drive has been assigned a single, unique second physical address.
21. A method comprising the steps of:
sending a first request from a first Ethernet-connected tape drive of a tape library assembly to a library controller via an Ethernet switch to receive a first logical communication address, the first tape drive having been assigned a single, unique first physical address that is imbedded in the first request, the first logical communication address then being associated with the first physical address of the first tape drive;
recording the first physical address in a routing table that is stored in the Ethernet switch;
associating the first physical address with a first Ethernet switch port using the library controller;
assigning the first logical communication address to the first physical address using the library controller based on the first Ethernet switch port that is associated with the first physical address.
22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the steps of:
sending a second request from a second Ethernet-connected tape drive of the tape library assembly to the library controller via the Ethernet switch to receive a second logical communication address, the second tape drive having been assigned a single, unique second physical address that is imbedded in the second request, the second logical communication address then being associated with the second physical address of the second tape drive, the second physical address being different than the first physical address;
recording the second physical address in the routing table that is stored in the Ethernet switch;
associating the second physical address with a second Ethernet switch port using the library controller;
assigning the second logical communication address to the second physical address using the library controller based on the second Ethernet switch port that is associated with the second physical address.