A modular data storage tape library includes a modular frame having a form factor similar to other types of computing racks. The modular data storage tape library includes a hermetically sealed enclosure within the modular frame and a cooling portion within the modular frame. Data storage tapes, data storage drives and robotics for moving the data storage tapes are included within the hermetically sealed enclosure. A heat exchanger transfers heat from the hermetically sealed enclosure to the cooling portion outside of the sealed enclosure through a boundary of the hermetically sealed enclosure without introducing air from the data center into the hermetically sealed enclosure. Because air is neither introduced nor removed from the hermetically sealed enclosure, humidity fluctuations are minimal, if existent, and contaminants are prevented from entering the hermetically sealed enclosure, thus increasing the life spans of the data storage tapes included in the hermetically sealed enclosure.

A data storage disk cartridge library includes a media drive having a clean internal environment, a disk cartridge bay positioned adjacent to the media drive, and a disk cartridge positioned in the disk cartridge bay and having clean compartments for housing a clean disk trays supporting clean magnetic recording disk media. The media drive has a disk tray extractor including a seal plate positioned at times flush with a surrounding shroud, and a set of pins for extending through the seal plate and a disk tray and for moving to a tray locking position. The seal plate covers a disk tray faceplate to physically isolate the faceplate from the clean portion of the disk tray, the corresponding clean compartment, and the clean environment of the media drive. The shroud is configured to cover surfaces of the disk cartridge adjacent to the faceplate.

A deep slot cell configured to house a plurality of tape cartridges. The deep slot cell includes a front side of the deep slot cell configured to allow insertion and removal of a locking tape cartridge of the plurality of tape cartridges by a robotic mechanism. The deep slot cell includes a depth side of the deep slot cell configured with an opening to engage a locking mechanism that prevents a biasing spring mechanism of the deep slot cell from advancing a rearmost tape cartridge of the plurality of tape cartridges forward toward the front side of the deep slot cell. The deep slot cell includes a front air gap at the front side of the deep slot cell that prevents the robotic mechanism from reaching a front-most tape cartridge of the plurality of tape cartridges after the robotic mechanism removes the locking tape cartridge from the deep slot cell.

A deep slot cell for providing data storage protection. The deep slot cell includes a front side of the deep slot cell to allow insertion and removal of the plurality of tape cartridges by a robotic mechanism. The data slot cell includes a front air gap at the front side of the deep slot cell that prevents the robotic mechanism from reaching a front-most tape cartridge of the plurality of tape cartridges without manual interaction. The deep slot cell includes a depth side of the deep slot cell with an opening at the depth side of the deep slot cell to accept a pushing tool for manually advancing the rear-most tape cartridge of the plurality of tape cartridges forward toward the front side of the deep slot cell to enable the robotic mechanism to remove the front-most tape cartridge of the plurality of tape cartridges from the deep slot cell.

An apparatus includes a housing that is configured to receive and retain a plurality of removable storage media, and a shuffler that is positioned at least partially within the housing. The housing includes an open first end, an opposed, closed second end, a first channel that receives and retains a first subset of the plurality of removable storage media, and a second channel that receives and retains a second subset of the plurality of removable storage media. The first channel and the second channel are shaped to receive and retain the plurality of removable storage media in respective single-file rows via the open first end. The shuffler is movable between a resting position and a second position wherein the shuffler has been moved away from the resting position. The shuffler includes a rake that protrudes into the first channel to contact and move a first removable storage medium of the first subset of the plurality of removable storage media toward the open first end when the shuffler is moved from the resting position to the second position.

A tape library having a robot zone and a robot on the robot zone, movable in the robot zone of the tape rack in at least a first direction and a second direction. A tape drive, which has an opening to receive cartridges, is positioned so that the robot nears the tape drive when the robot moves in a second direction. A width of the tape drive is wider than a width of the robot zone. This tape drive design is called the “Sideways Format Path for 19″ Rack Libraries.” It is achieved by using unique dimensions for a new tape drive that uses blind spaces existing in tape libraries unreachable by the robot to provide a bigger space to design longer tape paths, resulting in higher cartridge density with longer tape path without requiring bigger overall library dimensions for a library of tape cartridges.

A device includes a recording medium housed in each of cells; an optically readable ID display part provided on a surface of the recording medium; an accessor that is movable to a position, which faces the ID display part, in an arrangement direction of the cells, and has an optical reading unit which optically reads an ID displayed in the ID display part; and a control unit that controls the optical reading unit. If the ID has not been read while the reading is tried a predetermined number of times, the control unit replaces the exposure value with another value to retry the reading. If the ID has not been read even though the exposure value was replaced a predetermined number of times, the control unit relatively moves the optical reading unit and the target cell and makes the optical reading unit read the ID again.

An apparatus is disclosed to ensure positive latching of tape cartridges in tape library magazines. In one embodiment, such an apparatus includes a tape library defining a channel to receive a tape library magazine accommodating one or more tape cartridges. A protruding member is provided within the channel to urge the one or more tape cartridges into the tape library magazine as the tape library magazine slides into the channel. The protruding member may include a cam-like member, an arm, a roller, or other suitable structures to urge the one or more tape cartridges into the tape library magazine. The protruding member ensures engagement of a latching mechanism configured to retain the one or more tape cartridges within the tape library magazine. A corresponding system and method are also disclosed.

Utilities (e.g., systems, apparatuses, methods) that reduce robotic assembly contention in media element storage libraries by translating (e.g., displacing) a robot arm of a first robotic assembly mounted over a first storage array of a storage library away from a central reference plane as the robot arm is being pivoted into a first position adjacent the first storage array to allow a robot arm of a second robotic assembly to slide or otherwise move past the robot arm of the first robotic assembly, even when the robot arms of the first and second robot arms are disposed at the same height (e.g., along a z-axis) within the storage library. For instance, a pivot member of the robot arm may be mounted on a carriage that is configured to translate between the first and second storage arrays in response to the pivot member being pivoted about a pivot axis.

An apparatus for tape library management. The apparatus includes a storage slot that includes a plurality of mirrors integrated into the storage slot for reading a barcode affixed to each of a plurality of tape cartridges stored in a tiered orientation within the storage slot. The apparatus further includes wherein each of the plurality of mirrors are located directly below the barcode affixed to each of the plurality of tape cartridges stored in the storage slot. The apparatus further includes wherein each of the plurality of mirrors projects a reflection of the barcode affixed to each of the plurality of tape cartridges outward towards a front side of the storage slot.