Abstract:
Storage apparatus and related methods wherein an operator control panel that controls functions and displays information regarding the storage apparatus and its storage devices is configured to have or display a selectable thumbtack function. The operator control panel is configurable to show a number of operational screens for managing the storage apparatus, show a default screen after a period of inactivity at the operator control panel, receive a designation that an operational screen should replace the default screen, and if designated, show the designated operational screen instead of the default screen after a period of inactivity.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     Businesses, governmental agencies, learning institutions, and other organizations typically operate computers that are interconnected by a network. Network users often store data on hard drives of network servers. Users also store data on their host computers.  
         [0002]     Data stored on the network and/or host computers is typically backed-up periodically to create a copy of the data to prevent it from being lost due to mechanical failure or accidental deletion, for example, and/or to produce an archive of the data. Backup operations typically involve storing a copy of all or a portion of the data files on the network and/or host computers to a backup device such as a magnetic tape library having a plurality of magnetic tape drives.  
         [0003]     Digital magnetic tape has long been used for data storage in computer systems. The low cost-per-bit stored, long-term retention capability, and portability of magnetic tape cartridges have made them invaluable for storing large quantities of data generated by businesses.  
         [0004]     Tape cartridges are used by automated tape library devices. Tape libraries generally handle many tape cartridges to store very large amounts of data. The tape libraries hold the tape cartridges in predefined positions or media slots. When data is required from a particular tape cartridge, a host system communicates via a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) bus or a Fibre Channel (FC) fabric, for example, with a controller of the tape library. The controller retrieves the particular tape cartridge from its media slot and places the tape cartridge in a tape drive. The host system may then read from or write to the tape cartridge via the tape drive. Also, the host system may query the controller to determine the number of tape cartridges, tape drives, and robotics mechanisms contained in the tape library to manage the tape library.  
         [0005]     There are a number of manufacturers of tape libraries that back up and store large quantities of data to digital magnetic tape cartridges. For example, a StorageWorks brand of tape libraries are manufactured in various sizes and configurations. The number of tape cartridges that can be loaded into such tape libraries varies depending upon model, but may be on the order of 400-500 tapes, for example.  
         [0006]     A typical tape library may have a control and display panel (or operator control panel) where local functions are controlled and where the health of the tape library may be displayed. The display typically presents information about components in the tape library that are built by the original library manufacturer. Value added components may also be installed in the tape library including software tools to aid in the configuration, installation, and management of the tape library.  
         [0007]     The operator control panel may have a menu structure that is complicated and which has many paths. After a period of inactivity, the operator control panel may default to a home screen, such a splash screen with a logo. This may not be the screen that a user would like to display. It would be desirable to have a solution to this problem. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     The various features and advantages of disclosed embodiments may be more readily understood with reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram that illustrates an exemplary tape library;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  shows an exemplary generic operator control panel and thumbtack function;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2   a  shows an exemplary list of available functions of an operator control panel of an exemplary tape library;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  shows an exemplary screen display that may be presented on a backup storage device; and  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram that illustrates an exemplary method or algorithm for use with backup storage devices. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]     Backup storage apparatus  10  is disclosed and is discussed below in the context of a magnetic tape library  10 . However, it is to be understood that the backup storage apparatus  10  is not limited only to magnetic tape libraries, but may be employed in the context of other storage devices and systems, including optical drives and hard disk drives, for example.  
         [0015]     Referring to the drawing figures,  FIG. 1  shows exemplary backup storage apparatus  10  comprising an exemplary tape library  10 . The exemplary tape library  10  comprises a housing  11  in which a plurality of tape drives  12  (storage devices  12 ) are housed. A plurality of tape cartridges  13  (storage media  13 ) are loaded and stored in the housing  11  and which are manipulated by a robotics assembly  14  to load and unload them into a selected tape drive  12  to store data thereon or retrieve data therefrom. In other types of backup storage apparatus  10 , the storage device  12  might comprise an optical disk reader used with optical disk media, or removable hard disk drives, for example.  
         [0016]     An external management station  15  communicates with the tape library  10  by way of an external local area network (LAN)  16 . The management station  15  is coupled by way of the external LAN  16  to a component  22  of the tape library  10  such as an interface manager  22  or management appliance  22 . The interface manager  22  or management appliance  22  includes software tools  25  that aid in the configuration, installation, and management of the tape library  10 , and specifically allow configuration and control of value added components  24  of the tape library  10 . The interface manager  22  is coupled to an internal bus  18  comprising a communication link  18 .  
         [0017]     One or more interface controllers  21  may be coupled between selected tape drives  12  and the internal bus  18 . The interface controllers  21  provide a communication path for the interface manager  22  to talk to the tape drives  12 . The interface controllers  21  also provide a controlled data path between the tape drives  12  and a backup server  26 . The backup server  27  communicates with the interface controllers  21  via a Fibre Channel fabric  26 , shown in  FIG. 1  as a storage area network (SAN) fabric  26 , for example. A parallel data bus such as a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) bus may be used in place of the Fibre Channel fabric  26 , but this is not commonly used in current-generation computers.  
         [0018]     The interface manager  22  or management appliance  22  and the interface controllers  21  comprise the value added components  24  of the tape library  10 , i.e., components that may not be manufactured and installed by the original library manufacturer.  
         [0019]     A library controller  17  is coupled by way of the internal bus  18  (communication link  18 ) to the one or more interface controllers  21  and to the interface manager  22  or management appliance  22 . The library controller  17  is also coupled by the way of a private internal bus such as a PCI bus  19  to the robotics assembly  14 .  
         [0020]     The tape library  10  comprises an operator control panel and display system  30 , referred to as an operator control panel  30 , which is preferably disposed on a front panel of the tape library  10 , for ease of use. The operator control panel  30  controls local functions and displays information regarding the tape library  10 . The operator control panel  30  presents information about components in the tape library  10 .  
         [0021]     The operator control panel  30  comprises a graphical user interface (GUI) that displays library status information and allows a user to access the library menus. These menus allow a user to view or change the library settings, run demonstration programs, and run diagnostic tests, for example. Certain of these menus are illustrated in and are discussed with reference to  FIGS. 3   a - 3   f.    
         [0022]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , it shows an exemplary generic operator control panel  30  and thumbtack function  32 . The exemplary operator control panel  30  and thumbtack function  32  are described herein with reference to their use in a tape library  10 , such as was described with reference to  FIG. 1 . However, the operator control panel  30  and thumbtack function  32  may be used in other devices, such a personal digital assistant (PDA) device, or similar devices, for example.  
         [0023]     The operator control panel  30  of the exemplary tape library  10 , for example, typically has a menu structure  33  that is complicated and has many paths, such as is illustrated by multiple menus  34  shown in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2   a  shows a detailed list of exemplary functions that may be provided by the menu structure  33  of the exemplary tape library  10 . These exemplary functions may be displayed on the operator control panel  30 . Some of the these functions may be “thumbtacked” using the thumbtack function  32 .  
         [0024]     Some of the display screens that may be presented on the operator control panel  30  may comprise operational screens that may show data from selected or multiple sources within the tape library  10 . For example, a display screen may show data relating to sixteen (16) storage devices  12  (tape drives  12 ) employed in the tape library  10 .  
         [0025]     Individual display screens may be thumbtacked using the thumbtack function  32 . Also, multiple display screens may be thumbtacked using the thumbtack function  32 . In this case, only the last thumbtacked display screen is displayed as a default screen. In addition, multiple thumbtacked screens may be displayed in a cyclic manner, for example, which are cycled through and displayed at a predetermined rate.  
         [0026]     Referring again to  FIG. 2 , after a period of inactivity, the operator control panel  30  defaults to a home screen  35 , or default screen  35 , such a splash screen  35 , which is typically a static image that may comprise a logo or a blank screen  35  which is typically black. This home default screen/splash screen  35  is illustrated in the upper left display screen shown within the operator control panel  30  at the left side of  FIG. 2 . An exemplary home screen  35  is shown in the upper right portion of  FIG. 2 . This may not be the screen that a user would like to display. To remedy this, the operator control panel  30  is configured to have a thumbtack function  32  that is presented and which allows the user to select a desired status screen  34   a  (or operational screen  34   a ) from screen displays  36  that are available in the menu structure  33 .  FIG. 2  shows an exemplary thumbtack function  32  for use in the backup storage apparatus  10 . Operational screens  34   a  are selected, such as by switching the state of a graphical thumbtack. If selected, the operational screens  34   a  are displayed during a period of inactivity instead of the default screen  35 . If more than one operational screen  34   a  is selected, the display screen will rotate through each operational screen  34   a  much like a screen saver, for example.  
         [0027]     An operational screen  34   a  is a view of the user interface that is selected for the purpose of being displayed during a period of inactivity so that status can quickly be ascertained without additional user interaction with the user interface. Often the operational screen  34   a  will show status of the system, but the operational screen  34   a  may also be a main menu or data entry view of a controlling application. The operational screen  34   a  may be a static view of the controlling application, but more often it will be a dynamic view of system status.  
         [0028]     The thumbtack function  32  comprises a selectable identifier  32 , such as an icon, button or switch, for example, that displays one of two identifiers  32   a ,  32   b  corresponding to “Thumbtack out”  32   a  (or Thumbtack On”  32   a ) and “Thumbtack in”  32   b  (or Thumbtack Off”  32   b ). These are shown at the right of the upper screen display shown in  FIG. 2  and in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0029]     When the “Thumbtack out” identifier  32   b  is displayed or no identifier  32  is displayed, one of the screen display  36  is eligible to be selected for display after a period of inactivity (timeout). When the thumbtack function  32  is activated and the “Thumbtack in” identifier  32   a  is displayed, the desired screen display  34   a  is locked in for display as the default screen  35  after the period of inactivity (timeout).  
         [0030]     The exemplary thumbtack function  32  shown in  FIG. 2  is in the form of an icon. However, it is to be understood that the thumbtack function  32  can be any type of icon, or selection element, or text, and is not limited to an icon of a thumbtack.  
         [0031]     A user scrolls through the available screen displays  36  which are part of the menu structure  33 , wherein individual screen displays  36  from the menu structure  33  are displayed in the center display screen shown in the operator control panel  30  at the left side of  FIG. 2 . An exemplary menu structure  33  with its available screen displays  36  is shown at the right side of  FIG. 2 . Again, individual screen displays  36  are navigated through to present them on the display screen, not the menu structure  33 . The dashed lines projecting from the center display screen to the menu structure  33  indicates that the menu structure  33  is displayed in the center display screen.  
         [0032]     Once the user identifies a particular screen display  36 , such as screen display  34   a , for example, in the menu structure  33  that he or she wants to use as the default screen  35 , the thumbtack function  32  is activated to “lock in” the selected screen display  34   a . Again, the thumbtack function  32  is essentially an on/off switch that when selected identifies the selected screen display  34   a  as the default screen  35 . Using the thumbtack function  32 , the default screen  35  may take the form of any of the available screen displays  36  in the menu structure  33 .  
         [0033]     Thus, if no screen display  36  available in the menu structure  33  is thumbtacked using the thumbtack function  32 , the display screen of the operator control panel  30  presents the home screen/splash screen  35  with a logo, for example. If one of the screen displays  36  in the menu structure  33  is thumbtacked using the thumbtack function  32 , this particular screen display  36 , such as screen display  34   a , for example, is presented on the display screen of the operator control panel  30 .  
         [0034]     The user can selectively have the default screen  35  become a selected status screen  34   a  which enables the user to see desired status information regarding devices of the tape library  10  without drilling down into the menu tree, so that the status of desired devices may be viewed. The thumbtack function  32  thus allows a selected status screen  34   a  to be designated as the default screen  35 .  
         [0035]     The selective nature of the thumbtack function  32  allows the user to change the screen that is displayed after a period of inactivity (timeout) which would normally display the logo splash screen to one that is most relevant to his or her needs. The status screen  34   a  that is displayed may easily be changed using the thumbtack function  32 . The solution provided by the thumbtack function  32  also allows the default screen  35  to be easily reconfigured in order to view any desired status screen  34   a  relating to devices installed in the tape library  10 .  
         [0036]     Thus, it is easy to find an appropriate status screen  34   a  in the menu tree, which minimizes the complexity of navigating to it. Also, the user can see at a glance the changing status of devices during troubleshooting or test, for example, without having to continue to reenter and navigate the path to the desired status screen  34   a.    
         [0037]      FIG. 3  shows an exemplary screen display  34  that may be presented on a backup storage device  10 , such as a tape library  10 , or other device, for example, that that may be selected as the splash screen  35  using the exemplary thumbtack function  32 .  
         [0038]     The exemplary thumbtack function  32  may be activated to select any one of a number of screen displays  34  as the splash screen  35  that are arrived at by migrating through the menu structure or tree. The operator control panel  30  has a menu structure that has many paths, such as is illustrated by menus  36  shown in  FIGS. 2 and 2   a.    
         [0039]     The exemplary screen display  34  shown in  FIG. 3  may be arrived at by migrating through a number of screen displays  34  that present information relating to different aspects of the backup storage device  10 , or tape library  10 . Exemplary screen displays  34  may include Status, Configuration, Operation and Support screen displays  34 , for example, two of which are shown in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0040]     Clicking on an appropriate selectable identifier  32  (selector  32  or selectable menu item  32 ) representing the Status, Configuration, Operation and Support screen displays  34  takes the user to lower levels in the menu structure or tree relating to the particular information that is desired. The selectable identifier  32  may comprise an icon, selectable text, label, banner, or other selectable area of the display screen  35 , for example.  
         [0041]     Status and Configuration selectable identifiers  32  are shown near the top of the screen displays  34  shown in  FIG. 3 . Other screen displays  34 , such as Library Status, Robotics Status, Drive Status, All Drive Summary, Interface Controller Status, Interface Manager Status, Operation and Support screen displays  34 , for example, may be viewed by clicking on the right pointing triangular arrow to the right of the Status and Configuration selectable identifiers  32 . Selecting one of the selectable identifiers  32  takes the user to a subsequent screen display  34  of the menu structure. Help and Back icons are presented on each of the screen display  34  that allow a user to access one or more help screens relating to what is displayed on the screen display  34 , and to return to a previous screen display  34 .  
         [0042]      FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary Identity screen display  34  that may be accessed through the Status menu. The Identity screen display  34  lists the library name, library model, IP address of the library, serial number, and so forth.  
         [0043]     The Identity screen display  34  includes the thumbtack function  32  at the bottom of the screen. The thumbtack function  32  indicates that the Identity screen display  34  is thumbtacked, as indicated by the thumbtack icon  32   a  next to the Help button at the left of the screen display  34 . If this screen display  34  were not thumbtacked, the icon  32   b  shown in the dashed box at the bottom of  FIG. 3  would be displayed in place of the thumbtack icon  32   a  shown in the screen display  34 .  
         [0044]     The particular screen display  34  that may be thumbtacked are not limited to only the Identity screen display  34 . Many other screen displays  34  may be thumbtacked and include Library Status, Robotics Status, Drive Status, All Drive Summary, Interface Controller Status, Interface Manager Status, Operation and Support screen displays  34 , for example. Furthermore, a thumbtacked screen may contain more than a single display&#39;s worth of information. In this case, the display may be configured to cycle through each of the displays at some predetermined rate. Thus, multiple thumbtacked screens may be displayed in a cyclic fashion, and which are displayed at some predetermined rate.  
         [0045]     It is to be understood that multiple screen displays  34  may be thumbtacked, and the default screen would cycle through the multiple screen displays  34  in a timed manner, say at one second intervals, for example.  
         [0046]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram that illustrates an exemplary method  40  or algorithm  40  for use in backup storage apparatus  10 . The exemplary method  40  or algorithm  40  may be used with storage apparatus  10  such as magnetic tape libraries, optical drives and hard disk drives, for example, although it is described with reference to use with a tape library  10 . The exemplary method  40  or algorithm  40  may also be used in other devices, such a personal digital assistant (PDA) device, or similar devices, for example. The exemplary method  40  or algorithm  40  comprises the following actions.  
         [0047]     A backup storage apparatus  10  (storage apparatus  10 ) is provided  41 , or implemented  41 , that comprises a controller  17  that controls and monitors a robotics assembly  14  that loads and unloads storage media  13  into and from at least one storage device  12 , and an operator control panel  30  comprising a selectable thumbtack function  32 , which operator control panel  30  is coupled to the controller  17  for controlling functions of and displaying information regarding the backup storage apparatus  10 .  
         [0048]     The operator control panel  30  is configured to display  42  a default screen  35  on the display of the operator control panel  30  after a period of inactivity. The operator control panel  30  selectively displays  43  a menu structure  33  that comprises one or more screen displays  34  that display selective information regarding the backup storage apparatus  10 . The thumbtack function  32  may be activated  44  to select a desired screen display  34   a  from the plurality of available screen displays  34  as the default screen for displaying information regarding the backup storage apparatus  10 .  
         [0049]     Thus, a backup storage apparatus and method or algorithm that implement a thumbtack function to allow a user to selectively display a desired status screen instead of a default splash screen have been disclosed. It is to be understood that the above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of some of the many specific embodiments that represent applications of the principles described herein. Clearly, numerous and other arrangements can be readily devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.