Abstract:
In order to facilitate the management of the hardware key of a library apparatus employing the LTO system, a write function of a noncontact memory (CM: cartridge memory) contained in an LTO tape cartridge is implemented in a medium carrying mechanism part of the library apparatus, and during an insertion to a tape drive, the IDs unique to a library control part and to the medium carrying mechanism part are recorded in the non-contact memory and utilized as the hardware key of an encrypting apparatus. The hardware key written once is overwritten (erased) during an ejection, thereby preventing leakage of key information.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation of PCT application of PCT/JP2005/004605, which was filed on Mar. 16, 2005. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to a managing apparatus and method of a hardware key in a library apparatus employing LTO (Linear Tape-Open) technology, and in particular to a managing apparatus and method of a key for facilitating the management of hardware keys (antitheft protection of keys) and for improving the usability of a library apparatus employing the LTO technology.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     In a case in which data to be recorded in a tape medium is encrypted using an encryption apparatus, a method is conventionally known for using a unique ID assigned to an apparatus encrypting the data as a hardware key.  
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing an overview of a configuration of a key managing apparatus in a conventional library apparatus employing the LTO technology. Generally, in a library apparatus employing the LTO technology, the function can be divided into a medium carrying processing side and a medium recording control side as shown in  FIG. 1 . The configuration of the conventional library apparatus employing the LTO technology shown in  FIG. 1  comprises a library control unit  10  and a medium carrying mechanism unit  20  in the medium carrying processing side and an encryption apparatus having a key managing unit  44  and a tape drive  50  in the medium recording control side. A tape cartridge  30  having a CM (Cartridge Memory) is carried by the medium carrying mechanism unit  20 , is next mounted to a prescribed position of the tape driver  50 , is subsequently written/read, and afterward is ejected to the original position. A server  100  causes the library apparatus to issue a write/read instruction and to perform writing/reading of data, on the basis of a write/read request from a host in an upper level not shown in the drawings.  
         [0007]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the library control unit shown in  FIG. 1 . In  FIG. 2 , a host interface (I/F) unit  12  communicates with a host in an upper level (or the server  100 ) not shown in the drawing according to a prescribed interface specification. A command issued from the upper level host not shown in the drawing is interpreted in the host I/F unit  12 , and the interpretation is sent to the apparatus control/status management unit  14 . For each command issued from the upper level host not shown in the drawing and processed/executed in the library apparatus, the host I/F unit  12  receives the result from the apparatus control/status management unit  14 , and responds to the upper level host (or the server  100 ) not shown in the drawing.  
         [0008]     The apparatus control/status management unit  14  processes the command received via the host I/F unit  12  on the basis of the status information and the setting information of an apparatus that the apparatus control/status management unit  14  manages, and issues operation instructions to each of the mechanism units (a robot control unit  16  and a CM write/read unit  24 ) explained later. The apparatus control/status management unit  14  informs the host I/F unit  12  of the operation result of each of the mechanism units (the robot control unit  16  and the CM write/read unit  24 ), and updates the status information of the apparatus control/status management unit  14 .  
         [0009]     The robot control unit  16  performs drive and stop controls of a robot on the basis of robot operation instructions issued by the apparatus control/status management unit  14 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the medium carrying mechanism unit shown in  FIG. 1 . In  FIG. 3 , a carrying mechanism unit  22  grips and carries the tape cartridge  30  on the basis of instructions from the apparatus control/status management unit  14  of the library apparatus  10 .  
         [0011]     The CM write/read unit  24  performs read and write operations from and to the CM (Cartridge Memory) stored in the tape cartridge in the medium carrying mechanism unit.  
         [0012]     Patent Document 1 should be referred to for an example of the tape cartridge and the CM cartridge memory here. The CM cartridge memory is a non-contact type IC memory that can store the mounting history of the tape cartridge, recording data volume, and statistical information such as error information.  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram showing a configuration of the encryption apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 . In  FIG. 4 , the host I/F unit  42  communicates with the upper level host (or the server  100 ) not shown in the drawing according to a prescribed interface specification.  
         [0014]     The key managing unit  44  manages encryption key information for encrypting data and provides appropriate key information in response to requests from a data encryption processing unit  46  and a data decryption processing unit  48 . For encryption key information, an ID that is unique to the encryption apparatus corresponding to each tape drive is used.  
         [0015]     The data encryption processing unit  46  identifies the command received via the host I/F unit  42 , and when the data is to be encrypted, obtains key information for encryption from the key managing unit  44  and performs data encryption processing.  
         [0016]     The data decryption processing unit  48  identifies data sent from the tape drive  50 , and when the data is to be decrypted, obtains key information for decryption from the key managing unit  44 , and performs data decryption processing.  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the tape drive shown in  FIG. 1 . In  FIG. 5 , a host I/F unit  52  communicates with the upper level host (the server  100  or the encryption apparatus  40 ) not shown in the drawing according to a prescribed interface specification.  
         [0018]     A mechanism control unit  54  performs run and stop control of the tape and mounting/ejecting processing of the tape cartridge according to commands received via the host I/F unit  52 .  
         [0019]     The data buffer unit  56  temporarily accumulates written/read data in order to increase as much as possible the data volume exchanged with a host not shown in the drawing and the volume written in a magnetic tape.  
         [0020]     The CM write/read unit  57  exchanges processed data of the in-process tape cartridge and statistical information such as the error rate with the CM cartridge memory housed in the tape cartridge.  
         [0021]     The data read/write unit  58  performs data writing to the tape cartridge and data reading from the tape cartridge.  
         [0022]     The operation of the key managing apparatus in the conventional library apparatus employing the LTO technology with the configuration provided above is set forth with reference to  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 .  FIG. 6  is a diagram showing a sequence between the server (including the upper level host), the library control unit and medium carrying mechanism unit, and the tape drive and the encryption apparatus, and  FIG. 7  is a diagram explaining the flow of information of the key managing apparatus in the conventional library apparatus employing the LTO technology. In  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 , the server  100  issues a medium insertion request (command) (a) to the library control unit  10  (A 1 ). The library control unit  10  issues a medium insertion instruction ((b)-(d)) to the medium carrying mechanism unit  20  (A 2 ). The medium carrying mechanism unit  20  performs medium carrying processing (A 3 ). In the medium carrying processing, medium management information is obtained (e) from the CM cartridge memory of the tape cartridge  30  (A 31 ), and the medium management information is updated and stored (f) in the library control unit  10  (A 32 ). Meanwhile, the tape drive  50  loads (n) a medium (A 4 ). The tape drive  50 , next, obtains (g) the medium management information in the CM write/read unit  57  (A 5 ).  
         [0023]     Afterward, the server  100  instructs (j) data writing to the encryption apparatus  40  (B 1 ). Although the example shown in the drawing describes a data writing instruction, it is obvious that the instruction can also be a data reading instruction. The encryption apparatus  40  obtains the key information (k) from the key managing unit  44 , and performs encryption of the data (q) (B 2 ). In the tape drive  50 , the encrypted data is written in the magnetic tape unit of the tape cartridge  30  ((r), (s), (t)) (B 3 ).  
         [0024]     In response to the termination of the writing of the encrypted data to the tape cartridge  30  ((r), (m), (j)), the server  100  issues a medium ejection request (command) ((j), (m), (n)) to the tape drive  50  (C 1 ). The tape drive  50  updates the medium management information (g) in the CM write/read unit  57  (C 2 ). The tape drive  50  ejects (n) the medium (C 3 ). Meanwhile, the medium ejection request (command) from the server  100  (C 1 ) is also issued to the library control unit  10  at the same time ((a), (b)), and when the medium ejection ends in the tape drive  50  ((n), (m), (j), (a), (b)), the library control unit  10  issues a medium ejection instruction ((c), (d)) to the medium carrying mechanism unit  20  (C 4 ). The medium carrying mechanism unit  20  performs the medium carrying processing (C 5 ). In the medium carrying processing, the medium management information is obtained (e) from the CM cartridge memory of the tape cartridge  30  (C 51 ), and the medium management information is updated and stored (f) in the library control unit  10  (C 52 ).  
         [0025]     As described above, in a case in which the key managing apparatus in the conventional library apparatus employs the LTO technology, one encryption apparatus is needed for one tape drive, and in a library apparatus using a great number of tape drives (in general, a library apparatus employing the LTO technology can comprise 30-40 tape drives), a great number of hardware keys have to be managed (antitheft protection of the keys), and the management of the hardware keys thus becomes very complicated, which is a problem.  
         [0026]     Because backup software generally used in open systems (a computer system using an OS whose specifications have been released to the public such as Windows™, and UNIX™) does not specify a tape drive for each normally performed job but uses any empty tape drive, there is a problem such that when an ejected tape medium is taken out and used with other computers, identification of a hardware key required for decryption is difficult.  
         [0000]     Patent Document 1:  
         [0027]     Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-117643  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0028]     The present invention has been created to solve the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and a method for key management in the library apparatus that facilitates management of hardware keys of the library apparatus employing the LTO technology.  
         [0029]     The present invention comprises key information writing means for writing encryption key information in non-contact type memory stored in a tape cartridge in a medium carrying mechanism unit, writes the key information to the non-contact type memory by the key information writing means when the tape cartridge is inserted and carried to the tape drive, and obtains encryption/decryption key information from the non-contact type memory.  
         [0030]     According to the present invention, because writing of encryption/decryption key information is performed when the tape cartridge is inserted and carried to the tape drive, key management can be facilitated, and in addition, it is possible to improve the usability of a library apparatus employing the LTO technology. 
     
    
     BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0031]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing an overview of a configuration of a key managing apparatus in a conventional library apparatus employing the LTO technology;  
         [0032]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the library control unit shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0033]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the medium carrying mechanism unit shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0034]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram showing a configuration of the encryption apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0035]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the tape drive shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0036]      FIG. 6  is a diagram showing a sequence between the server (including the upper level host), the library control unit and medium carrying mechanism unit, and the tape drive and the encryption apparatus;  
         [0037]      FIG. 7  is a diagram explaining the flow of information of the key managing apparatus in the conventional library apparatus employing the LTO technology;  
         [0038]      FIG. 8  is a block diagram showing an overview of a configuration of the key managing apparatus of the library apparatus employing the LTO technology according to the present invention;  
         [0039]      FIG. 9  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the library control unit shown in  FIG. 8 ;  
         [0040]      FIG. 10  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the encryption apparatus shown in  FIG. 8 ;  
         [0041]      FIG. 11  is a diagram showing a sequence between the server (including the upper level host), the library control unit and the medium carrying mechanism unit, and the tape drive and the encryption apparatus; and  
         [0042]      FIG. 12  is a diagram explaining the flow of information of the key managing apparatus in the library apparatus employing the LTO technology according to the present invention.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0043]      FIG. 8  is a block diagram showing an overview of a configuration of the key managing apparatus of the library apparatus employing the LTO technology according to the present invention. As described above, in the library apparatus employing the LTO technology, the functioning can be divided into a medium carrying processing side and a medium recording control side. The configuration of the library apparatus according to the present invention shown in  FIG. 8  comprises a library control unit  70  having a key managing unit  78  and the medium carrying mechanism unit  20  on the medium carrying processing side, and an encryption apparatus  80  having a key input/output unit  84  and a tape drive  50  on the medium recording control side. The tape cartridge  30  having CM (Cartridge Memory) is carried by the medium carrying mechanism unit  20 , is next mounted to a prescribed position of the tape drive  50 , is subsequently written/read, and afterward, is ejected to the original position. A server  100  causes the library apparatus to issue a write/read instruction and to perform writing/reading of data on the basis of a write/read request from the upper level host not shown in the drawing. Note that because the medium carrying mechanism unit  20  is the same as the one shown in  FIG. 3  and the tape drive  50  is the same as the one shown in  FIG. 5 , the explanations for each are omitted in the following description.  
         [0044]      FIG. 9  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the library control unit shown in  FIG. 8 . In  FIG. 9 , a host interface (I/F) unit  72  communicates with the upper level host (or the server  100 ) not shown in the drawing according to a prescribed interface specification. The command issued from the upper level host not shown in the drawing is interpreted in the host I/F unit  72 , and the interpretation is sent to an apparatus control/status management unit  74 . For each command issued from the upper level host not shown in the drawing and processed/executed in the library apparatus, the host I/F unit  72  receives the result from the apparatus control/status management unit  74 , and responds to the upper level host (or the server  100 ) not shown in the drawing.  
         [0045]     The apparatus control/status management unit  74  processes the command received via the host I/F unit  72  on the basis of the status information and the setting information of an apparatus that the apparatus control/status management unit  74  manages, and issues an operation instruction to each of the mechanism units (a robot control unit  76  and the CM write/read unit  24 ) explained later. The apparatus control/status management unit  74  informs the host I/F unit  72  of the operation result of each of the mechanism units (the robot control unit  76  and the CM write/read unit  24 ), and updates the status information of the apparatus control/status management unit  74 .  
         [0046]     The robot control unit  76  performs drive and stop controls of a robot on the basis of a robot operation instruction issued by the apparatus control/status management unit  74 .  
         [0047]     The key managing unit  78  manages encryption key information for encrypting data, and provides appropriate key information to the CM write/read unit  24  of the medium carrying mechanism unit. In  FIG. 9 , an ID that is unique to the library control unit can be used as a hardware key. Note that in  FIG. 9 , the site for retaining the encryption key information and the site for managing the encryption key information are the same in the key managing unit  78 ; however, as long as the site for managing the encryption key information is determined to be in the key managing unit  78  of the library control unit  70 , the site for retaining the key information can be provided in any unit in the library apparatus other than the library control unit, including in the medium carrying mechanism unit  20  or in its neighboring dedicated installation site (not shown in the drawing). In such a case, a new transmission line for transferring the key information to the key managing unit  78  of the library control unit  70  from the site for retaining the key information is required. In such a manner, an ID unique to the medium carrying mechanism unit or an ID unique to the dedicated installation site near the medium carrying mechanism unit can be used as a hardware key, and the key managing unit  78  of the library control unit  70  can manage all of the transferred encryption key information.  
         [0048]      FIG. 10  is a block diagram showing the configuration of the encryption apparatus shown in  FIG. 8 . In  FIG. 10 , the host I/F unit  82  communicates with the upper level host (or the server  100 ) not shown in the drawing according to a prescribed interface specification.  
         [0049]     The key input/output unit  84  is for temporarily writing key information managed by the key managing unit  78  of the library control unit  70  and is provided to the CM write/read unit  24  of the medium carrying mechanism unit  20  in non-contact type memory (cartridge memory: CM) stored in the tape cartridge  30  and for temporarily storing the key information so that the key information is read by the CM write/read unit  57  of the tape drive  50  and is used as the key information for data encryption/decryption. Further, the key input/output unit  84  provides appropriate key information in response to requests from the data encryption processing unit  86  or the data decryption processing unit  88 .  
         [0050]     The data encryption processing unit  86  identifies the command received via the host I/F unit  82 , obtains key information for encryption from the key input/output unit  84  when the data is a subject of encryption, and performs data encryption processing.  
         [0051]     The data decryption processing unit  88  identifies data sent from the tape drive  50 , obtains key information for decryption from the key input/output unit  84  when the data is a subject of decryption, and performs data decryption processing.  
         [0052]     The operation of the key managing apparatus in the library apparatus employing the LTO technology according to the present invention having the configuration described above is set forth with reference to  FIG. 11  and  FIG. 12 .  FIG. 11  is a diagram showing a sequence between the server (including the upper level host), the library control unit and the medium carrying mechanism unit, and the tape drive and the encryption apparatus, and  FIG. 12  is a diagram explaining the flow of information of the key managing apparatus in the library apparatus employing the LTO technology according to the present invention. In  FIG. 11  and  FIG. 12 , the server  100  issues a medium insertion request (command) (a) to the library control unit  70  (D 1 ). The library control unit  70  issues a medium insertion instruction ((b)-(d)) to the medium carrying mechanism unit  20  (D 2 ). The medium carrying mechanism unit  20  performs medium carrying processing (D 3 ). In the medium carrying processing, medium management information is obtained from the CM cartridge memory of the tape cartridge  30  (D 31 ), and the encryption key information is written in the CM cartridge memory of the tape cartridge  30  from the key managing unit  78  via the CM write/read unit  24  ((x), (e′)) (D 32 ). Additionally, the medium management information is updated and stored (f) in the library control unit  70  (D 33 ). Meanwhile, the tape drive  50  loads (n) a medium (D 4 ). The tape drive  50 , next, obtains the medium management information in the CM write/read unit  57  and obtains the encryption key information ((g′), (h′)) at the same time (D 5 ). An input/output unit  84  of the encryption apparatus  80  obtains the encryption key from the tape drive  50  ((r), (y)), and retains the key (D 6 ).  
         [0053]     Afterward, the server  100  instructs the encryption apparatus  80  to write data (j) (E 1 ). Although the example in the drawing describes a data writing instruction, it is obvious that the instruction can be a data reading instruction. The encryption apparatus  80  obtains the key information from the key input/output unit  84  (z), and performs data encryption (q) (E 2 ). In the tape drive  50 , writing of the encrypted data is written in the magnetic tape unit of the tape cartridge  30  ((r), (s), (t)) (E 3 ).  
         [0054]     In response to the writing of the encrypted data in the tape cartridge  30  ((r), (m), (j)), the server  100  issues a medium ejection request (command) ((j), (m), (n)) to the tape drive  50  (F 1 ). The tape drive  50  updates the medium management information (g′) in the CM write/read unit  57  (F 2 ). The tape drive  50  ejects (n) the medium (F 3 ). Meanwhile, the medium ejection request (command) from the server  100  (F 1 ) is also issued to the library control unit  70  at the same time ((a), (b)), and when the medium ejection ends in the tape drive  50  ((n), (m), (j), (a), (b)), the library control unit  10  issues a medium ejection instruction ((c), (d)) to the medium carrying mechanism unit  20  (F 4 ). The medium carrying mechanism unit  20  performs the medium carrying processing (F 5 ). In the medium carrying processing, the medium management information is obtained from the CM cartridge memory of the tape cartridge  30  (F 51 ), and encryption key information stored in the CM cartridge memory of the tape cartridge  30  is deleted (overwritten) ((x), (e′)) via the CM write/read unit  24  (F 52 ). Afterwards, the medium management information is updated and stored (f) in the library control unit  70  (F 53 ).  
         [0055]     The key managing apparatus in the library apparatus employing the LTO technology according to the present invention, as described above, has an effect such that even in a library apparatus using a great number of tape drives (in general, a library apparatus employing the LTO technology can comprise 30-40 tape drives), any complication such as managing a great number of hardware keys (antitheft protection of the key) can be eliminated because a key managing unit manages all of the encryption key information.  
         [0056]     There is another effect such that even when using an empty tape drive without specifying the tape drive for each job by backup software and when taking out the ejected tape medium and using it with other computers, because the all of the encryption key information is managed by a key managing unit, identification of a hardware key is no longer required.  
         [0057]     The present invention, because an encryption key is transferred to and from a free usage area of a non-contact type IC memory (CM: Cartridge Memory) that stores the mounting history of the tape cartridge, recording data volume, and statistical information such as error information of a tape cartridge, is significantly useful for the utilization of backup software in a computer system using an OS whose specifications have been released to the public, such as Windows™ and UNIX™) and for the antitheft protection of the key.