Patent ID: 6425059
Filing Date: 2002-07-23
Classification: G06F,G11B

Abstract:
A method for managing access to a physical data storage library among multiple hosts coupled thereto, the data storage library including a controller, multiple shared read/write drives, multiple slots to house data storage cartridges, and robotics to transfer cartridges between the drives and slots, the method comprising operations of:partitioning the data storage library into multiple logical libraries, each logical library including multiple constituent slots; establishing host-partition mapping providing one or more hosts with access rights to each logical library; responsive to receiving each host request to load a cartridge from a specified source slot, the controller performing operations comprising: identifying a source logical library containing the source slot, and determining whether the host has access rights to the source logical library; and only if the host has access rights to the source logical library, directing the robotics to load the cartridge from the source slot into one of the shared read/write drives; responsive to receiving each host request to unload a cartridge from a specified one of the read/write drives into a target slot, the controller performing operations comprising: identifying an originating logical library from which the cartridge was loaded into the specified read/write drive; only if the host has access rights to the originating logical library, directing the robotics to remove the cartridge from the shared read/write drive and transfer the cartridge into the target slot.