Patent Grant
9330729
The present invention relates to data storage, and more particularly, to a slim profile, rear docking tape drive canister.
Automated tape libraries are large storage devices that have a robotic accessor that moves tape cartridges between storage shelves and tape drives in the library. The tape drives are typically put in canisters which act as a sled or conveyance device to allow the tape drives to more easily be inserted and removed from the automated tape library as well as provide an interface for power and communications between the automated tape library and the tape drive. Very often these tape drive canisters ‘hot dock’ into the automated tape library such that as soon as the tape drive canister is fully seated into a slot in the automated tape library, the electrical connection is established between the tape drive canister and electronics of the automated tape library. The tape drive canisters are then held in this ‘docked’ position using some physical mechanism, such as a latch, thumbscrew, catch, friction fitting, etc.
One important aspect of automated tape libraries is the storage density of the tape library. For example, the density of a tape library may refer to a number of tape cartridges capable of fitting in the tape library, a number of tape drives capable of fitting in the tape library, or some combination thereof. To increase the storage density of an automated tape library, the components of the library must be packed very closely together while still allowing the robotic accessor to reach each component that the robotic accessor needs to reach in order to carry out its functions.
Current tape drive canisters add space and volume to the tape drive due to their packaging and electrical docking mechanism.
The combination of all of these extra components increases an overall physical size of a conventional tape drive canister 100. The increased size of the conventional tape drive canisters 100 negatively affects how closely tape drives may be packed together inside an automated tape library and thus lowers the overall storage density of automated tape libraries. Accordingly, a tape drive canister that is able to achieve all the functionality of conventional tape drive canisters (such as hot-docking) while allowing increased storage density for automated tape libraries would be very beneficial.
In one embodiment, a tape drive canister includes a housing adapted for attaching to a rear side of a tape drive brick and providing connectivity for the tape drive brick when inserted in an automated tape library and a docking connector positioned on a rear side of the housing, the docking connector being adapted for connecting to a power system and a communications system of the automated tape library.
In another embodiment, an automated tape library includes an array of tape drive canister bays, each tape drive canister bay being adapted for insertion of a tape drive canister therein, each tape drive canister supporting a tape drive, a power system, a communications system, and a robotic accessor adapted for accessing tape cartridges in tape drives in the array of tape drive canister bays, wherein accessing tape cartridges includes insertion and removal, wherein each tape drive canister bay includes a latching mechanism adapted for securing a tape drive canister into the tape drive canister bay when the tape drive canister is inserted in the tape drive canister bay and the latching mechanism is in a latched close position and releasing the tape drive canister from the tape drive canister bay when the latching mechanism is in an unlatched open position, and a library docking connector adapted for connecting a docking connector of the tape drive canister to the power system and the communications system when the latching mechanism is in the latched close position.
In yet another embodiment, a system includes an automated tape library including an array of tape drive canister bays, each tape drive canister bay being adapted for insertion of a tape drive canister therein, each tape drive canister supporting a tape drive, a plurality of tape cartridge storage shelves, each tape cartridge storage shelf being adapted for insertion of a tape cartridge therein, a power system, a communications system, and a robotic accessor adapted for accessing tape cartridges from the tape cartridge storage shelves and accessing tape cartridges in tape drives in the array of tape drive canister bays, wherein accessing includes insertion and removal, wherein each tape drive canister bay includes a latching mechanism adapted for securing a tape drive canister into the tape drive canister bay when the tape drive canister is inserted in the tape drive canister bay and the latching mechanism is in a latched close position and releasing the tape drive canister from the tape drive canister bay when the latching mechanism is in an unlatched open position, a library docking connector adapted for connecting a docking connector of the tape drive canister to the power system and the communications system when the latching mechanism is in the latched close position, with a plurality of tape drive canisters installed in the array of tape drive canister bays. Each tape drive canister includes a housing adapted for attaching to a rear side of a tape drive brick and supporting the tape drive brick when inserted in the automated tape library, low profile side mounting features positioned on both sides of at least one of the housing and the tape drive brick, wherein the low profile side mounting features are adapted for engaging corresponding members in the automated tape library and a docking connector positioned on a rear side of the housing, the docking connector being adapted for connecting to the power system and the communications system of the automated tape library.
Other aspects and embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, when taken in conjunction with the drawings, illustrates by way of example the principles of the invention.
The following description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the present invention and is not meant to limit the inventive concepts claimed herein. Further, particular features described herein can be used in combination with other described features in each of the various possible combinations and permutations.
Unless otherwise specifically defined herein, all terms are to be given their broadest possible interpretation including meanings implied from the specification as well as meanings understood by those skilled in the art and/or as defined in dictionaries, treatises, etc.
It must also be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless otherwise specified.
In one general embodiment, a tape drive canister includes a housing adapted for attaching to a rear side of a tape drive brick and providing connectivity for the tape drive brick when inserted in an automated tape library and a docking connector positioned on a rear side of the housing, the docking connector being adapted for connecting to a power system and a communications system of the automated tape library.
In another general embodiment, an automated tape library includes an array of tape drive canister bays, each tape drive canister bay being adapted for insertion of a tape drive canister therein, each tape drive canister supporting a tape drive, a power system, a communications system, and a robotic accessor adapted for accessing tape cartridges in tape drives in the array of tape drive canister bays, wherein accessing tape cartridges includes insertion and removal, wherein each tape drive canister bay includes a latching mechanism adapted for securing a tape drive canister into the tape drive canister bay when the tape drive canister is inserted in the tape drive canister bay and the latching mechanism is in a latched close position and releasing the tape drive canister from the tape drive canister bay when the latching mechanism is in an unlatched open position, and a library docking connector adapted for connecting a docking connector of the tape drive canister to the power system and the communications system when the latching mechanism is in the latched close position.
In yet another general embodiment, a system includes an automated tape library including an array of tape drive canister bays, each tape drive canister bay being adapted for insertion of a tape drive canister therein, each tape drive canister supporting a tape drive, a plurality of tape cartridge storage shelves, each tape cartridge storage shelf being adapted for insertion of a tape cartridge therein, a power system, a communications system, and a robotic accessor adapted for accessing tape cartridges from the tape cartridge storage shelves and accessing tape cartridges in tape drives in the array of tape drive canister bays, wherein accessing includes insertion and removal, wherein each tape drive canister bay includes a latching mechanism adapted for securing a tape drive canister into the tape drive canister bay when the tape drive canister is inserted in the tape drive canister bay and the latching mechanism is in a latched close position and releasing the tape drive canister from the tape drive canister bay when the latching mechanism is in an unlatched open position, a library docking connector adapted for connecting a docking connector of the tape drive canister to the power system and the communications system when the latching mechanism is in the latched close position, with a plurality of tape drive canisters installed in the array of tape drive canister bays. Each tape drive canister includes a housing adapted for attaching to a rear side of a tape drive brick and supporting the tape drive brick when inserted in the automated tape library, low profile side mounting features positioned on both sides of at least one of the housing and the tape drive brick, wherein the low profile side mounting features are adapted for engaging corresponding members in the automated tape library and a docking connector positioned on a rear side of the housing, the docking connector being adapted for connecting to the power.
According to one embodiment, a slim profile tape drive canister adds minimal width and height to a tape drive brick so that tape drive canisters are capable of being packed very closely together inside an automated tape library. This slim profile allows for increasing the density of tape drives stored within an automated tape library. A further embodiment provides a method for ‘hot docking’ the slim profile tape drive canister in the rear of the canister to maintain this feature of the automated tape library while still allowing for a compact spacing of the slim profile tape drive canisters in the automated tape library.
Referring now to
As shown in
According to various embodiments, the low profile side mounting features 202 may be rails that extend from a side of the tape drive brick 210 (as shown in
A handle 204 for the tape drive canister 200, venting areas 216, fan exhaust areas 206, and one or more docking connectors 208 adapted for power, communication, and fiber channel connections 218 are contained within the front face envelope of the drive brick 210, and possibly positioned on a rear side of the tape drive canister 200 (as shown in
This slim profile, rear docking tape drive canister 200 allows for tape drives to be positioned very close to each other within a tape library enclosure. One arrangement of this close packing is shown in
As can be seen from
These slim tape drive canisters 200 still maintain their ability to be ‘hot docked’ into the frame 302 of the tape library 300 and mechanically latched into the frame 302 as shown in
Also, integrated into this pivoting latching mechanism 400 is a library docking connector 402 that is cabled (cable not shown in the figures) to a power system and a communications system of the automated tape library 300. The act of latching the tape drive canister 200 in place in the tape library 300 fully seats this library docking connector 402, and the act of unlatching the tape drive canister 200 from the tape library and pivoting the latching mechanism 400 away from the tape drive canister 200 unseats the docking connector 402 and disconnects the tape drive canister 200 from the power system and the communications system of the automated tape library 300. The library docking connector 402, in one approach, is adapted to couple to the tape drive canister's docking connector (docking connector 208 in
Although the diagrams in the figures illustrate how this slim profile, rear docking tape canister 200 may fit in a large, enterprise class tape library, use of the embodiments and descriptions herein is not be limited to this implementation only. This slim profile may also be advantageous in smaller, rack-mount tape libraries where there is also an increased demand for higher densities of tape drives. A slim drive tape drive canister profile may be able to accommodate more tape cartridges in a smaller tape library.
Referring now to
According to various embodiments, the tape drive canister 200 may be adapted for insertion in an unoccupied slot of the automated tape library 300, the tape drive canister 200 may further comprise any or all of: a handle 204 positioned on a rear side of the housing 214, a fan exhaust area(s) 206 positioned on a rear side of the housing 214, venting area(s) 216 positioned on a front side of the housing 214, etc.
The tape drive canister 200 may also be adapted for ‘hot docking’ with the automated tape library 300, thereby allowing tape drive canisters 200 to be inserted and removed from the automated tape library 300 at will by simply connecting/disconnecting the tape drive canister's docking connector 208.
Furthermore, in one approach, the low profile side mounting features 202 may be longitudinal rails (as shown) which protrude from sides of the housing 214 and extend in a direction parallel to an insertion direction for insertion of the tape drive canister 200 into a tape drive canister bay 306 of the automated tape library 300.
In another approach, the docking connector 208 may be adapted for accepting a library docking connector 402 which may be positioned on a latching mechanism 400 of the automated tape library 300. In this way, the tape drive canister 200 may be adapted for being connected to the power system and the communications system of the automated tape library 300 and for being secured in the automated tape library 300 when the latching mechanism 400 is in a latched close position (as shown in
By being secured in the tape library 300, what is meant is that the latching mechanism 400 may provide lateral stability to the tape drive canister 200 so that it cannot move backward out of the tape library 300 through the tape drive canister bay 306. This is important as the robotic accessor will push a tape cartridge 310 into the front loading mechanism 212 of the tape drive canister 200 when loading the tape cartridge 310. If the tape drive canister 200 is not secured in the tape drive canister bay 306, there is a possibility that the tape drive canister 200 may be pushed out of the back of the tape library 300, which is undesirable.
Furthermore, it is undesirable to have multiple steps or operations that must be performed in order to install a tape drive canister 200, as ‘hot docking’ is a preferred approach. Therefore, according to one embodiment, by closing the latching mechanism 400 into the latched close position, not only is the tape drive canister 200 coupled to the power system and communications system of the tape library 300, but the tape drive canister 200 is also secured in place so it will not move during operation of the robotic accessor.
The tape library 300, according to various embodiments, may comprise a latching mechanism 400 adapted for securing the tape drive canister 200 in the tape drive canister bay 306 of the library frame 302 and a library docking connector 402 adapted for coupling to a docking connector 208 of a tape drive canister 200.
According to another embodiment, an automated tape library 300 may comprise an array of tape drive canister bays 304, each tape drive canister bay 306 being adapted for insertion of a tape drive canister 200 therein. As previously described, each tape drive canister 200 supports a tape drive in a tape drive brick 210. The automated tape library 300 also includes a plurality of tape cartridge storage shelves 308, each tape cartridge storage shelf 308 being adapted for insertion of a tape cartridge 310 therein, a power system and a communications system (not shown), and a robotic accessor (not shown). The robotic accessor, as is known in the art, is adapted for accessing tape cartridges 310 from the tape cartridge storage shelves 308 and accessing tape cartridges 310 in tape drives in the array of tape drive canister bays 304, with accessing referring to both insertion and removal of tape cartridges 310.
Each tape drive canister bay 306 in the array of tape drive canister bays 304 comprises a latching mechanism 400 adapted for securing a tape drive canister 200 into the tape drive canister bay 306 when the tape drive canister 200 is inserted in the tape drive canister bay 306 and the latching mechanism 400 is in a latched close position, releasing the tape drive canister 200 from the tape drive canister bay 306 when the latching mechanism 400 is in an unlatched open position, and a library docking connector 402 adapted for connecting a docking connector 208 of the tape drive canister 200 to the power system and the communications system when the latching mechanism 400 is in the latched close position.
In various further embodiments, each tape drive canister bay 306 may also include mounting members which correspond to low profile mounting features 202 of a tape drive canister 200, the latching mechanism 400 of each tape drive canister bay 306 may include a swinging member adapted for swinging, pivoting, sliding, or rotating clear of the tape drive canister bay 306 to allow removal of a tape drive canister 200 therefrom when the latching mechanism 400 is in the unlatched open position, and the swinging member may allow the latching mechanism 400 to swing, pivot, slide, or rotate in an upward direction above a rear end of the tape drive canister 200 (as shown) or the swinging member may allow the latching mechanism 400 to swing, pivot, slide, or rotate in a horizontal direction beside a rear end of the tape drive canister 200 or in a downward direction below the rear end of the tape drive canister 200 or in some other direction or fashion known in the art, such as sliding in and out of position, being attached to another portion of the tape library 300 and being capable of being secured to a rear side of the tape drive canister bay 306, flexing into or out of position, attaching to portions of the tape library 300 behind a tape drive canister 200, etc.
According to one embodiment, each tape drive canister bay 306 may be adapted to accept a tape drive canister 200 that is about 340 mm or less in depth (such as about 335 mm without a handle), about 85 mm or less in height (such as about 82.5 mm), and about 150 mm or less in width (such as about 146 mm). Of course, each of these ranges do not include zero, as the tape drive canister must have a depth, height, and width dimension.
In a further embodiment, the automated tape library 300 may further comprise a plurality of tape drive canisters 200 installed in the array of tape drive canister bays 304. Each tape drive canister 200 may comprise a housing 214 adapted for attaching to a rear side of a tape drive brick 210 and supporting the tape drive brick 210 when inserted in the automated tape library 300, low profile side mounting features 202 positioned on both sides of at least one of: the housing 214 and the tape drive brick 210, wherein the low profile side mounting features 202 are adapted for engaging corresponding members in the automated tape library 300 (such as in the tape drive canister bay 306), and a docking connector 208 positioned on a rear side of the housing 214, the docking connector 208 being adapted for connecting to the power system and the communications system of the automated tape library 300.
Any of the slim profile tape drive canisters described herein may be suitable for use in full size server racks as well as smaller racks, such as 19″ racks. Any system which may benefit from increased tape drive density may use these slim profile tape drive canisters, according to various embodiments.
While various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of an embodiment of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
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