Virtual tape library device

Abstract

A storage device system comprises interfaces connected to computers, a plurality of magnetic disks, and a control device that controls the plurality of magnetic disks. When a command from one of the computers instructing a tape library device to load a magnetic tape into a tape device is received by one of the interfaces, the control device selects a storage region that is managed as a virtual tape from among storage regions of the magnetic disks. When one of the interfaces receives an access request from the computer to the tape device, the control device controls to access the storage region selected.

1 . A storage device system comprising at least one interface connected to a computer, a plurality of magnetic disks connected to the at least one interface, and a control device that controls the plurality of magnetic disks based on instructions issued from the computer and received by at least one interface, wherein:
 the at least one interface receives a first instruction issued from the computer to instruct a tape library apparatus to load a magnetic tape on a tape drive;   the control device selects based on the first instruction a first storage region composed of a storage region of at least one of the plurality of magnetic disks;   the at least one interface receives a second instruction issued from the computer to instruct the tape library apparatus to write data in the magnetic tape; and   the control device writes the data in the first storage region based on the second instruction.   
   
   
       2 . A storage device system according to  claim 1 , wherein the control device manages a pointer that indicates a position of stored data in the first storage region, writes based on the second instruction the data in the first storage region starting at the position indicated by the pointer, and
 shifts the position of the pointer by the size of the data written.   
   
   
       3 . A storage device system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the at least one interface receives a third instruction issued from the computer to instruct the tape library apparatus to load another magnetic tape on the tape drive;   the control device selects based on the third instruction a second storage region composed of a storage region of at least one of the plurality of magnetic disks;   the at least one interface receives a fourth instruction issued from the computer to instruct the tape library apparatus to write data in the another magnetic tape; and   the control device writes the data in the second storage region based on the fourth instruction.   
   
   
       4 . A storage device system according to  claim 1 , wherein the second instruction is an instruction to instruct the tape library apparatus to obtain a backup of a file stored in the third storage region composed of the storage region of at least one of the plurality of magnetic disks, and the control device copies based on the second instruction data of the file stored in the third storage region to the first storage region. 
   
   
       5 . A storage device system according to  claim 4 , further comprising a mirror/split module that creates a copy of data stored in a storage region of the plurality of magnetic disks into another storage region of the plurality of magnetic disks, wherein the control device starts the mirror/split module to copy data of a file stored in the third storage region in the first storage region based on the second instruction. 
   
   
       6 . A storage device system according to  claim 4 , wherein the control device issues a tape end notification to the computer to notify that data has been written in the last storage region of the magnetic tape when the first storage region runs out of capacity for data to be stored, receives a third instruction from the computer to instruct the library apparatus to change the magnetic tape in response to the tape end notification, selects based on the third instruction a second storage region composed of a storage region of at least one of the magnetic disks, and copy data of a file stored in the third storage region to the second storage region. 
   
   
       7 . A storage device including at least one interface connected to a computer, a plurality of magnetic disks connected to the at least one interface, and a control device that controls the plurality of magnetic disks based on instructions issued from the computer and received by at least one interface, wherein
 the at least one interface receives a first instruction issued from the computer to instruct a tape library apparatus to load a magnetic tape on a tape drive;   the control device selects based on the first instruction a first storage region composed of a storage region of at least one of the plurality of magnetic disks;   the at least one interface receives a second instruction issued from the computer to instruct the tape drive of the tape library apparatus to read data from the magnetic tape; and   the control device reads the data from the first storage region based on the second instruction.   
   
   
       8 . A storage device system according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the at least one interface receives a third instruction issued from the computer to instruct the tape library apparatus to load another magnetic tape on the tape drive;   the control device selects based on the third instruction a second storage region composed of a storage region of at least one of the plurality of magnetic disks;   the at least one interface receives the second instruction again issued from the computer; and   the control device reads the data from the second storage region based on the second instructions.   
   
   
       9 . A storage device system according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the second instruction is an instruction to instruct the tape library apparatus to restore backup data stored in at least one magnetic tape to a storage region of the plurality of magnetic disks, and   the control device reads the backup data stored in the first storage region and the second storage region based on the second instruction, and stores the backup data in a third storage region composed of the storage region of at least one of the plurality of magnetic disks.   
   
   
       10 . A storage device system according to  claim 9 , further comprising a mirror/split module that creates a copy of data stored in a storage region of the plurality of magnetic disks into another storage region of the plurality of magnetic disks, wherein the control device starts the mirror/split module based on the second instruction, and the mirror/split module creates a copy of data stored in the first storage region and a copy of data stored in the second storage region to the third storage region. 
   
   
       11 . A storage device system according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the control device issues a tape end notification to the computer to notify that a restore processing is completed up to the end of the magnetic tape, when the copy of data stored in the first storage region has been created in the third storage region, and   the at least one interface receives the third instruction from the computer in response to the tape end notification.   
   
   
       12 . A storage device system according to  claim 11 , wherein the control device controls to copy data stored in the second storage region to the third storage region, when the at least one interface receives the second instruction after receiving the third instruction. 
   
   
       13 . A storage device system including at least one interface connected to a computer, a plurality of magnetic disks connected to the at least one interface, and a control device that controls storage regions of the plurality of magnetic disks based on instructions received through at least one interface, wherein
 the plurality of magnetic disks include at least one first storage region belonging to a first storage region group and at least one second storage region belong to a second storage region group;   the control device selects the at least one first storage region when the at least one interface receives a command issued to a tape library apparatus, selects the at least one second storage region when the at least one interface receives a command issued to the plurality of magnetic disks, and executes a processing for one of the first storage region and the second storage region selected according to the corresponding command received.   
   
   
       14 . A storage device system according to  claim 13 , wherein the control device performs one of a control to change the at least one first storage region belonging to the first storage region group to a storage region belonging to the second storage region group and manage the storage region as the least one second storage region, and a control to change the at least one second storage region belonging to the second storage region group to a storage region belonging to the first storage region group and manage the storage region as the at least one first storage region. 
   
   
       15 . A storage device system according to  claim 14 , wherein
 the plurality of magnetic disks include a third storage region belonging to a third storage region group; and   the control device performs one of a control to change the third storage region belonging to the third storage region group to a storage region belonging to the first storage region group and mange the storage region as the at least one first storage region, and a control to change the third storage region belonging to the third storage region group to a storage region belonging to the second storage region group and manage the storage region as the at least one second storage region.   
   
   
       16 . A storage device system according to  claim 13 , wherein the control device selects the at least one storage region when the at least one interface receives a command to instruct the tape library apparatus to load a magnetic tape in a tape drive, and then when the at least one interface receives an access request to access the tape drive, the control device accesses the at least one first storage region. 
   
   
       17 . A storage device system according to  claim 16 , wherein, when the at least one interface receives a command to instruct the tape library apparatus to load another magnetic tape in the tape drive, the control device selects another first storage region belonging to the first storage region group; and then when the at least one interface receives an access request to access the tape drive, the control device accesses the another first storage region. 
   
   
       18 . A storage device system according to  claim 13  wherein
 the control device selects the at least one first storage region when the at least one interface receives a command to instruct the tape library apparatus to load a magnetic tape in a tape drive; and   when the at least one interface receives a restore request to instruct the tape library apparatus to restore data stored in the magnetic tape, the control device changes the at least one first storage region to a storage region belonging to the second storage region group and manages the storage region.   
   
   
       19 . A storage device system according to  claim 18 , wherein, when the data to be restored in response to the restore request is not stored in another first storage region other than the at least one first storage region, the control device changes the at least one first storage region to a storage region belonging to the at least one second storage region, and manages the storage region. 
   
   
       20 . A storage system according to  claim 18 , wherein, when the data to be stored in response to the restore request is stored in another first storage region other than the at least one first storage region, the control device copies data stored in the at least one first storage region and data stored in the another first storage region to the second storage region belonging to the second storage region group. 
   
   
       21 . A virtual tape library system comprising:
 a storage device system connected to a host computer, wherein the storage device system includes:
 a plurality of logical disks, each of which is configured by storage devices of a single type, said single type of storage device being a magnetic disk type storage device; and a controller which is configured to control the plurality of logical disks, 
   wherein the plurality of logical disks includes plural first type logical disks, each of which is categorized in a first type group and controlled by the controller to emulate a magnetic tape and be thus provided to the host computer for access thereto as a magnetic tape, and plural second type logical disks, each of which is categorized in a second type group and not controlled by the controller to emulate a magnetic tape.