Optical disc storage system
Embodiments provide methods and systems for handling optical discs in a media library appliance and for replacing optical drives in the field. In one embodiment, the media library appliance comprises optical disc handling robotics developed for slim form factor slot load drives in a vertical orientation located on both sides of the robotics within a 19 inch rackable appliance. On the system level, the optical disc storage system provides modularity and scalability. The drives reside in field replaceable units (“FRUs”) that are oriented vertically on a horizontal backplane. The disc handling robotics access discs on each side stored in horizontal stacks within large disc cartridges. A small disc shuttle cartridge attaches to a large disc cartridge to provide a means to import and export a smaller number of discs from the disc cartridge.
1. A media library appliance comprising:
an optical disc drive field-replaceable unit comprising two optical drives oriented vertically;
a disc cartridge housing discs stored in a horizontal stack;
disc handling robotics comprising a disc picker assembly that slides laterally with respect to the disc cartridge and the optical disc drives to access discs stored in the cartridge to load into the optical drives; and
a shuttle cartridge that removably attaches to the disc cartridge to import and export a smaller number of discs from the larger disc cartridge.
2. The media library appliance of claim 1 , wherein the appliance has a maximum width of 17.5 inches and is rack mountable in a standard 19 inch rack.
3. The media library appliance of claim 1 , wherein the shuttle cartridge further comprises shuttle cartridge flash used to carry metadata about discs in the shuttle cartridge.
4. The media library appliance of claim 1 , wherein the disc cartridge further comprises cartridge flash used to carry metadata about discs in the cartridge.
5. The media library appliance of claim 1 , wherein the disc cartridge is removable from the library, and wherein the media library appliance further comprises a cartridge key rod to lock and unlock the cartridge to the library and to lock discs into the cartridge when the cartridge is removed from the library.
6. The media library appliance of claim 1 , wherein the two optical drives oriented vertically in the field-replaceable unit are oriented to read opposite sides of a disc having media on both sides.
7. The media library appliance of claim 1 , further comprising another optical disc drive field-replaceable unit comprising two optical drives oriented vertically, wherein the disc handling robotics also load discs into the optical drives of this other optical disc drive field-replaceable unit, and wherein two optical disc drive field-replaceable units are positioned on opposite sides of the disc handling robotics.
8. The media library appliance of claim 1 , further comprising another disc cartridge housing discs stored in a horizontal stack, wherein the two disc cartridges are positioned on opposite sides of the disc handling robotics, and wherein the disc handling robotics slide laterally with respect to both disc cartridges to access discs stored in the cartridges to load into the optical drives.
9. The media library appliance of claim 1 , wherein the disc handling robotics comprises redundant front and rear disc picker assemblies that slide laterally with respect to the disc cartridge and the optical disc drives to access discs stored in the cartridge to load into the optical drives.
10. The media library appliance of claim 1 , further comprising an access door in a housing of the media library appliance that allows access to the optical disc drive field-replaceable unit without requiring the media library appliance to power down.
11. The media library appliance of claim 10 , wherein the access door comprises a fan field-replaceable unit.
12. The media library appliance of claim 1 , wherein the disc cartridge and the disc handling robotics only contact discs on a disc edge or center hole to avoid damage to areas that store data.
13. The media library appliance of claim 1 , wherein the disc cartridge further comprises a spring finger to flag the presence of a disc within a slot of the disc cartridge.
14. The media library appliance of claim 1 , wherein the disc handling robotics further comprise a collision sensor module to prevent collision of a moving disc picker assembly with an object in the disc picker assembly's path.
15. The media library appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a disc detection system comprising an arc array of phototransistors opposite an arc array of LED transmitters to sense a disc edge.
16. The media library appliance of claim 15 , wherein the disc detection system further comprises a linear array of phototransistors opposite a linear array of LED transmitters to sense a gross disc location.
17. The media library appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a disc picker assembly that operates on a closed-loop control signal based on outputs from two sensors.