Patent ID: 6889232
Filing Date: 2005-05-03
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method of managing a plurality of data storage media, each of said media being designatable as being in a writeable state or a non-writeable state, said method comprising: designating a quantity of said plurality of media as being in the writeable state, said quantity being equal to a concurrency value; determining that none of the media designated in the writeable state has sufficient space to store specified data; designating an additional one of said plurality of media as being in the writeable state whereby the aggregate number of media in the writeable state exceeds said concurrency value; and writing said specified data to the additional medium, wherein said plurality of media are mountable on one or more drives, said drives being associated with a device, said device having a library which stores media and a robotic mechanism which mounts media stored in said library on said drives, and wherein said determining act comprises: determining that none of said plurality of media in the writeable state located within said device has sufficient space to store said specified data; identifying a first medium located outside of said device, the identified medium being in the writeable state; determining that an amount of time has passed without the identified medium having been placed in said device; re-evaluating said plurality of media; and determining, based on the re-evaluation, that none of said plurality of media in the writeable state has sufficient space to store said specified data.