Patent ID: 6041421
Filing Date: 2000-03-21
Classification: G06F,G11B

Abstract:
A storage apparatus system comprising:at least one storage medium group comprising (m+n) storage media where m and n are integers and m.gtoreq.1 and n.gtoreq.1, each of said storage media being used for storing at least one record group including m data records and n redundant records, wherein each data record contains data accessed by an information processing unit and each redundant record contains redundant data for recovering data contained in said data records;at least one spare storage media being used, upon occurrence of a failure in any of said storage media of said storage medium group, for storing data stored in a storage media incurring a failure;at least one medium accommodating rack comprising a plurality of accommodation units each accommodating one of said storage media of said storage medium group or one of said spare storage media;at least (m+n) read/write units for mounting said storage media and carrying out read/write operations on said mounted storage media;at least one robot for transporting said storage media between said medium accommodating rack and said read/write units;a control unit for controlling said medium accommodating rack, said read/write units and said robot in accordance with a request made by said information processing unit;spare storage media selecting means being used, upon occurrence of a failure in any of said storage media of said storage medium group, for selecting one of said spare storage media for storing data stored in said storage media incurring a failure and for mounting said selected spare storage media on one of said read/write units by use of said robot;recovery means for storing said data stored in said storage media incurring a failure in said selected spare storage media; andmeans for restoring, by use of said robot, said selected spare storage media to an accommodation unit different from an accommodation unit originally occupied by said selected spare media upon completion of said storing operation carried out by said recovery means.