Tape library rack module with environmentally isolated interior

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10813252-B2
Application number	US-201916389792-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2019
Priority date	Dec 22, 2016
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

A data center may include a tape library rack module along with rack computer systems. The rack computer systems may be configured to provide computing capacity within a data center environment. In some embodiments, the tape library rack module may include an enclosure encompassing an interior of the tape library rack module, a rack within the interior, and a tape library unit mounted on the rack. The tape library rack unit may include tape cartridges configured to store data within a tape environment that is different than the data center environment. The tape library rack unit may be within a portion of the interior that is enclosed such that it is environmentally isolated from the data center environment. In some examples, the tape library rack module may include a cooling unit and/or a humidifier unit, which may provide the tape environment to the environmentally isolated portion of the interior of the tape library rack module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A data center, comprising:
a rack computer system configured to provide computing capacity within a data center climate inside the data center;
a tape library rack module placed at a different position in the data center than the rack computer system, the tape library rack module including:
an enclosure;
a partition structure that partitions the enclosure into a tape library unit interior portion and a support unit interior portion, such that a tape library unit climate within the tape library unit interior portion is isolated from a support unit climate within the support unit interior portion;
a tape library unit within the tape library unit interior portion;
a support unit within the support unit interior portion, the support unit to provide support to the tape library unit; and

one or more controllers to:
maintain, within the tape library unit interior portion, a tape library unit climate that is different than the data center climate and the support unit climate.

2. The data center of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more controllers maintain the tape library unit climate within at least one of:
a tape library unit temperature range that is different than a data center temperature range to which the data center climate is maintained; or
a tape library unit relative humidity range that is different than a data center relative humidity range to which the data center climate is maintained.

3. The data center of claim 1 , wherein:
the tape library rack module further comprises:
one or more sensors to detect climate parameters within at least one of the tape library unit interior portion or the support unit interior portion; and

the one or more controllers are further to:
receive climate data from the one or more sensors; and
maintain the tape library unit climate based at least in part on the climate data.

4. The data center of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers maintain the tape library unit climate based at least in part on at least one of:
weather forecast data;
historical information associated with climate parameters detected within the data center; or
historical information associated with climate parameters detected within the tape library rack module.

5. The data center of claim 1 , wherein:
the tape library rack module further comprises:
a tape library rack within the tape library unit interior portion;

the tape library unit is mounted on the tape library rack; and
the tape library unit comprises tape cartridges configured to store data within the tape library unit climate.

6. The data center of claim 1 , wherein:
the tape library unit comprises:
a control unit comprising a robot to transport tape cartridges between their respective storage locations and one or more tape drives; and

the support unit comprises:
a server to provide control information to the control unit.

7. The data center of claim 1 , wherein:
the tape library rack module further comprises:
a cooling unit; and
a humidifier unit; and

to maintain the tape library unit climate, the one or more controllers control at least one of the cooling unit or the humidifier unit to:
maintain, within the tape library unit interior portion, a tape library unit temperature range that is different than a data center temperature range to which the data center climate is maintained; and
maintain, within the tape library unit interior portion, a tape library unit relative humidity range that is different than a data center relative humidity range to which the data center climate is maintained;
a tape library unit temperature range that is different than a data center temperature range to which the data center climate is maintained or
a tape library unit relative humidity range that is different than a data center relative humidity range to which the data center climate is maintained.

8. An apparatus, comprising:
an enclosure;
a partition structure that partitions the enclosure into a tape library unit interior portion and a support unit interior portion, such that a tape library unit climate within the tape library unit interior portion is isolated from a support unit climate within the support unit interior portion;
a tape library unit within the tape library unit interior portion, wherein the tape library unit interior portion is enclosed such that it is environmentally isolated from a data center environment external to the apparatus;
a support unit within the support unit interior portion, the support unit to provide support to the tape library unit; and
at least a portion of a climate control system, wherein:
the at least a portion of the climate control system comprises at least one of a cooling unit or a humidifier unit; and
the climate control system is configured to maintain, within the tape library unit interior portion, a tape library unit climate that is different than the support unit climate and a data center climate inside the data center.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
the climate control system maintains the tape library unit climate within:
a tape library unit temperature range that is different than a data center temperature range to which the data center climate is maintained; and

a tape library unit relative humidity that is different than a data center relative humidity range to which the data center climate is maintained.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
one or more sensors to detect climate parameters within at least one of the tape library unit interior portion or the support unit interior portion;
wherein the climate control system maintains the tape library unit climate based at least in part on climate data received from the one or more sensors.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
a tape library rack within the tape library unit interior portion;
wherein:
the tape library unit is mounted on the tape library rack; and
the tape library unit comprises tape cartridges configured to store data within the tape library unit climate.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
the apparatus is configured to be located in a same rack row, in the data center, as a rack computer system module configured to provide computing capacity within the data center climate.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
the tape library unit comprises:
a control unit comprising a robot to transport tape cartridges between their respective storage locations and one or more tape drives; and

the support unit comprises:
a server to provide control information to the control unit.

14. A method, comprising:
maintaining, within a tape library unit interior portion of a tape library rack module and using a climate control system, a tape library unit climate that is (i) different than a data center climate to which a data center is maintained and (ii) different than a support unit climate of a support unit interior portion of the tape library rack module, wherein:
the tape library rack module is located within the data center and comprises:
an enclosure that encompasses an interior of the tape library rack module, wherein the interior of the tape library rack module comprises the tape library unit interior portion and the support unit interior portion;
a partition structure that partitions the enclosure into the tape library unit interior portion and the support unit interior portion, such that the tape library unit climate within the tape library unit interior portion is isolated from the support unit climate within the support unit interior portion;
a tape library unit within the tape library unit interior po

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Frink Darin Lee
• Bailey Kevin
• Ross Peter George
• Donlan Bryan James
• Kirschner James Caleb
• Calansingin Mary Crys
• Franklin Paul David
• Kubo Masataka

Classifications

• G11B15/68

  Automatic cassette changing arrangements; {automatic tape changing arrangements} · CPC title

• G11B33/1406

  Reducing the influence of the temperature · CPC title

• G11B33/144

  by detection, control, regulation of the temperature · CPC title

• G11B33/04

  modified to store record carriers {(containers, storing means adapted for cooperation with the recording or reproducing apparatus G11B23/02)} · CPC title

• H05K7/1498

  Resource management, Optimisation arrangements, e.g. configuration, identification, tracking, physical location (thermal management H05K7/20836) · CPC title