Determining, Displaying and Using Tape Drive Session Information

Abstract

Methods and systems for monitoring libraries and library drives. In one embodiment, a method is provided which includes polling the library to determine whether a storage media has been loaded in to, or unloaded from, a drive. When the media has been loaded, the method includes beginning a media monitoring session. The method may include determining which tape has been loaded in to which drive of the library and associating the session performance with that tape and that drive. Some embodiments include using a Read Element Status command to perform the polling. In some examples, the library is a magnetic tape library and the polling is performed out-of-band. Information regarding the media sessions can be output in order of session performance. Some embodiments include determining whether the cause of a slow session is external to the library and correcting the external cause.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A monitor appliance for a media library, the monitor appliance comprising:
 a processor; and   a computer memory electronically connected to the computer processor, the computer memory storing a set of computer instructions executable by the computer processor for:   polling the media library to determine the position of a storage media in the media library;   establishing a media session associated with the storage media corresponding to a time period in which the storage media is loaded in a drive of the media library;   polling the media drive during the media session for performance parameters representing the performance of the media drive; and   associating performance data based on the performance parameters with the media session.   
     
     
         2 . The monitor appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable for presenting the performance data to a user in a manner that allows the use to identify the media session, associated storage media and associated performance data. 
     
     
         3 . The monitor appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the polling the media library further comprises sending a Read Element Status command to the media library. 
     
     
         4 . The monitor appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the media library is a magnetic tape library and the storage media is a magnetic tape. 
     
     
         5 . The monitor appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the polling is out-of-band. 
     
     
         6 . The monitor appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable for:
 determining in to which of a plurality of media drives the storage media has been loaded;   determining which of a plurality of storage medium has been loaded in to the media drive; and   associating the performance with the storage media which has been loaded in to the media drive and with the media drive in to which the storage media was loaded.   
     
     
         7 . The monitor appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions are further executable for creating a list of media sessions sorted by performance. 
     
     
         8 . The monitor appliance of  claim 1  wherein the instructions are further executable for, when the performance is slow, determining whether the cause of the slow performance is external to the media library. 
     
     
         9 . The monitor appliance of  claim 8  wherein the instructions are further executable for correcting the external cause of the slow performance. 
     
     
         10 . A monitor system for a library, the monitor comprising:
 a processor; and   a computer memory electronically connected to the computer processor, the computer memory storing a set of computer instructions executable by the computer processor to:
 poll the library at intervals to determine a position for a storage media in the library, 
 determine from the polled positions of the media whether the media has been loaded in to, or unloaded from, a drive of the library, 
 when the media has been loaded in to the drive, begin a media session; 
 monitor the performance of the library while the media is loaded in the drive and associate performance data determined from the monitoring with the media session; 
 when the media has been unloaded from the drive, end the media session; and 
 output information associated with the media session. 
   
     
     
         11 . The monitor system of  claim 10 , wherein the computer instructions are further executable to determine in to which of a plurality of drives the media has been loaded. 
     
     
         12 . The monitor system of  claim 10 , wherein the computer instructions are further executable to determine which of a plurality of medium has been loaded in to the drive. 
     
     
         13 . The monitor system of  claim 10 , wherein polling the library comprises sending a Read Element Status command to the library. 
     
     
         14 . The monitor system of  claim 10 , wherein the library is a magnetic tape library and the media is a magnetic tape. 
     
     
         15 . The monitor system of  claim 10 , wherein the monitor system is at least a portion of an out-of-band appliance. 
     
     
         16 . The monitor system of  claim 10 , wherein the polling is out-of-band. 
     
     
         17 . The monitor system of  claim 10 , wherein the computer instructions are further executable to:
 determine in to which of a plurality of drives the media has been loaded;   determine which of a plurality of medium has been loaded in to the drive; and   associate the performance with the media which has been loaded in to the drive and the drive in to which the media was loaded.   
     
     
         18 . The monitor system of  claim 10 , wherein the computer instructions are further executable to create a list of media sessions sorted by performance.