System and Method for Archive Verification Using Multiple Attempts

Abstract

Systems, methods and apparatus for archive verification including the verification of media in a library, are disclosed. More specifically, a method of archive verification may include performing an initial verification on a first media in a first drive and performing a subsequent verification on the first media in a second drive not used for the initial verification, and comparing the results of the initial verification and the subsequent verification. Embodiments may further perform an initial verification of the readability of a second tape media and subsequent verification of the readability for the second tape media, and compare the results of the initial verification to the results of the subsequent verification to determine the tape drive health, the efficacy of the first tape media or the second tape media, the efficacy of the first tape drive or the second tape drive, or whether to replace a tape media.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for archive verification, comprising:
 a library including a drive and a set of media coupled to a network;   a monitoring appliance coupled to the network and configured to:
 perform an initial verification of the set of media; 
 obtain an initial result for each of the set of media; 
 determine a subsequent set of media based on the initial result associated with each of the set of media and a verification rule; 
 perform a subsequent verification for each of the subsequent set of media; 
 obtain a subsequent result for each of the subsequent set of media; and 
 determine a result for the verification of the set of media based upon the initial result for each of the set of media and each of the subsequent result for each of the subsequent set of media. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the initial verification and the subsequent verification are performed according to a set of verification policies. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the verification rule specifies that if the initial result associated with one of the set of media verification is PASS then it is not in the subsequent set of media. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the verification rule specifics that a subsequent verification is to be performed on one of the set of media until one value of result is associated with that one of the set of media more often than any other result. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the initial verification of each of the set of media was performed in a corresponding one of the drives and the subsequent verification for each of the subsequent set of media is performed in a second drive different from the corresponding one of the drives. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring appliance is further configured to repeat the steps of determination of the subsequent of media and the performing of subsequent verification until there is no subsequent set of media. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring appliance is further configured to generate a report comprising results, a number of verifications, the date of verifications and the drive in which verification was performed for each of the set of media. 
     
     
         8 . A method for performing verification on a set of media in a library including a drives and the set of media coupled to a monitoring appliance in a network, comprising:
 on the monitoring appliance:   performing an initial verification of the set of media;   obtaining an initial result for each of the set of media;   determining a subsequent set of media based on the initial result associated with each of the set of media and a verification rule;   performing a subsequent verification for each of the subsequent set of media;   obtaining a subsequent result for each of the subsequent set of media; and   determining a result for the verification of the set of media based upon the initial result for each of the set of media and each of the subsequent result for each of the subsequent set of media.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the initial verification and the subsequent verification are performed according to a set of verification policies. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the verification rule specifies that if the initial result associated with one of the set of media verification is PASS then it is not in the subsequent set of media. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the verification rule specifics that a subsequent verification is to be performed on one of the set of media until one value of result is associated with that one of the set of media more often than any other result. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the initial verification of each of the set of media was performed in a corresponding one of the drives and the subsequent verification for each of the subsequent set of media is performed in a second drive different from the corresponding one of the drives. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising repeating the steps of determination of the subsequent of media and the performing of subsequent verification until there is no subsequent set of media. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising generating a report comprising results, a number of verifications, the date of verifications and the drive in which verification was performed for each of the set of media. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions for:
 performing an initial verification of the set of media;   obtaining an initial result for each of the set of media;   determining a subsequent set of media based on the initial result associated with each of the set of media and a verification rule;   performing a subsequent verification for each of the subsequent set of media;   obtaining a subsequent result for each of the subsequent set of media; and   determining a result for the verification of the set of media based upon the initial result for each of the set of media and each of the subsequent result for each of the subsequent set of media.   
     
     
         16 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the initial verification and the subsequent verification are performed according to a set of verification policies. 
     
     
         17 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the verification rule specifies that if the initial result associated with one of the set of media verification is PASS then it is not in the subsequent set of media. 
     
     
         18 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the verification rule specifics that a subsequent verification is to be performed on one of the set of media until one value of result is associated with that one of the set of media more often than any other result. 
     
     
         19 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the initial verification of each of the set of media was performed in a corresponding one of the drives and the subsequent verification for each of the subsequent set of media is performed in a second drive different from the corresponding one of the drives. 
     
     
         20 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , further comprising instructions for repeating the steps of determination of the subsequent of media and the performing of subsequent verification until there is no subsequent set of media. 
     
     
         21 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , further comprising instructions for generating a report comprising results, a number of verifications, the date of verifications and the drive in which verification was performed for each of the set of media.