(19) United States
(12) Patent Application Publication (io) Pub. No.: US 2005/0246484 Al
Lantry et al. (43) Pub. Date: Nov. 3,2005
(54) ROBOTIC DATA STORAGE LIBRARY COMPRISING A VIRTUAL PORT
(75) Inventors: Mark L. Lantry, Fort Collins, CO
(US); Matthew T. Starr, Lalayette, CO
(US); Larry A. Fenske, Loveland, CO
(US); Michael G. Goberis, Broomfield,
CO (US); Joshua D. Carter, Lalayette,
CO (US)
Correspondence Address:
WALL MARJAMA & BILINSKI
101 SOUTH SALINA STREET
SUITE 400
SYRACUSE, NY 13202 (US)
(73) Assignee: Spectra Logic Corporation, Boulder, CO
(21) Appl. No.: 11/174,799
(22) Filed: Jul. 5, 2005
Related U.S. Application Data
(62) Division ol application No. 10/604,970, filed on Aug. 28, 2003.
A robotic data storage library comprising a virtual port and a method lor providing a virtual port lor a robotic data storage library are disclosed. The virtual exit port, for example, comprises one or more storage locations ol the library that are defined as a virtual port. In one embodiment, for example, the virtual port comprises a virtual exit port for holding a data storage element that is to be exported from the library. In this embodiment, for example, the virtual exit port is defined prior to the library receiving a command to export a data storage element. In another embodiment, the virtual port comprises an entry port, an exit port or an entry/exit port. In yet another embodiment, a method for translerring a data storage element directly between an actual port (entry and/or exit) ol a robotic data storage library and another location within the robotic data storage library not defined as the virtual port is disclosed.
