Patent ID: 6044435
Filing Date: 2000-03-28
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A machine readable storage device, tangibly embodying instructions executable by a memory controller of a memory management subsystem to perform a method of steps for determining whether m tape drives in said memory management subsystem are available to concurrently serve n requests to store data from connected processors, wherein at least one of said n requests must be served by a one of a predetermined m-x tape drives of said m tape drives that have been assigned by said controller to store data from said at least one of n requests, said method comprising the steps of:grouping said n requests into groups of l different requests wherein l is less than or equal to n;determining whether l different tape drives of said m tape drives are available to concurrently serve said l different requests in each of said groups, wherein said l different tape drives includes a specified one of said predetermined m-x tape drives for each of said at least one of said n requests that must be served by said predetermined m-x tape drives, andreturning a flag responsive to a determination that said n different tape drives are available to serve said n requests.