Write protection for storage cartridges

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11960414-B2
Application number	US-202017001934-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2020
Priority date	Aug 25, 2020
Publication date	Apr 16, 2024
Grant date	Apr 16, 2024

Abstract

In some examples, a controller for a storage system separate from a host system checks whether a storage cartridge in a storage system is associated with an indication set, in an electronic memory, during a configuration operation in the storage system to indicate write protection is enabled for the storage cartridge. In response to determining that the storage cartridge is associated with the indication, the controller triggers the write protection for the storage cartridge to prevent writing of data to the storage cartridge if the storage cartridge already contains previously written data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that upon execution cause a controller for a storage system, separate from a host system, to:
check whether a storage cartridge in the storage system is associated with an indication set, in an electronic memory of the storage system, during a configuration operation in the storage system for a partition of the storage system to indicate that write protection is enabled for a plurality of storage cartridges mounted in the partition, wherein the plurality of storage cartridges include the storage cartridge, the electronic memory of the storage system is separate from the storage cartridge, and wherein the checking comprises reading, by the controller, the indication from the electronic memory of the storage system, and
in response to determining, based on reading the indication from the electronic memory of the storage system, that the write protection is enabled for the plurality of storage cartridges, enable the write protection for the plurality of storage cartridges in the partition, including triggering the write protection for the storage cartridge to prevent writing of data to the storage cartridge if the storage cartridge already contains previously written data.

2. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the configuration operation is responsive to access by an entity through a management interface of the storage system, the management interface being separate from a second interface of the storage system, the second interface for communicating with the host system.

3. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions upon execution cause the controller to:
load a further storage cartridge of the plurality of storage cartridges mounted in the partition into a storage drive, wherein the write protection is enabled for the further storage cartridge based on the indication set in the electronic memory; and
enable writing of data to the further storage cartridge if the further storage cartridge does not store more than a specified amount of data.

4. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 3 , wherein the instructions upon execution cause the controller to:
receive information from the storage drive indicating that the further storage cartridge does not store more than the specified amount of data,
wherein the enabling of the writing of data to the further storage cartridge is based on the information and comprises configuring the storage drive to disable the write protection for the further storage cartridge.

5. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions upon execution cause the controller to:
receive a command to transport the storage cartridge from a storage slot in the storage system to a storage drive in the storage system,
wherein the reading of the indication from the electronic memory that is separate from the storage cartridge is performed in response to the command to transport.

6. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions upon execution cause the controller to:
in response to detecting the indication set in the electronic memory, cause partial loading of the storage cartridge in a storage drive;
while the storage cartridge is partially loaded in the storage drive, read information in a cartridge memory of the storage cartridge;
determine, based on the information read from the cartridge memory, whether an amount of data stored in the storage cartridge exceeds a threshold; and
in response to determining based on the information read from the cartridge memory while the cartridge memory is partially loaded in the storage drive that the amount of data stored in the storage cartridge exceeds the threshold, trigger the write protection for the storage cartridge.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions upon execution cause the controller to:
disable a write protection mode for the storage cartridge during a write operation for writing the previously written data to the storage cartridge when the storage cartridge is loaded in a storage drive in the storage system; and
activate the write protection mode responsive to the storage cartridge being unloaded from the storage drive for greater than a specified time duration.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions upon execution cause the controller to:
determine a presence of the previously written data in the storage cartridge based on reading information in a memory of the storage cartridge,
wherein the triggering of the write protection is based on the information indicating the presence of the previously written data in the storage cartridge.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions upon execution cause the controller to:
write a value to a memory of the storage cartridge, the value indicating that the storage cartridge is write protected.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions upon execution cause the controller to:
after the triggering of the write protection for the storage cartridge, disable the write protection after passage of a specified amount of time.

11. A controller for a storage system separate from a host system, comprising:
a processor; and
a non-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable on the processor to:
check whether a storage cartridge in the storage system is associated with an indication set, in an electronic memory of the storage system, during a configuration operation in the storage system for a partition of the storage system to indicate that write protection is enabled for a plurality of storage cartridges mounted in the partition, wherein the plurality of storage cartridges include the storage cartridge, the electronic memory of the storage system is separate from the storage cartridge, and wherein the checking comprises reading, by the controller, the indication from the electronic memory of the storage system; and
in response to determining, based on reading the indication from the electronic memory of the storage system, that the write protection is enabled for the plurality of storage cartridges, enable the write protection for the plurality of storage cartridges in the partition, including triggering the write protection for the storage cartridge to prevent writing of data to the storage cartridge if the storage cartridge already contains previously written data.

12. The controller of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are executable on the processor to:
read information in a memory of the storage cartridge to determine an amount of data that was previously written to the storage cartridge; and
trigger the write protection for the storage cartridge based on comparing the determined amount of data to a threshold amount of data.

13. The controller of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are executable on the processor to:
in response to determining that the write protection is enabled for a further storage cartridge of the plurality of storage cartridges and determining that a threshold amount of data is not stored in the further storage cartridge, allow writing of data to the further storage cartridge.

14. The controller of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are executable on the processor to:
load a further storage cartridge of the plurality of storage cartridges in the partition into a storage drive; and
enable writing

Assignees

• Bickers Richard Arthur
• Ballard Curtis C
• Hewlett Packard Entpr Dev Lp

Inventors

• Bickers Richard Arthur
• Ballard Curtis C

Classifications

• G06F12/1433 Primary

  for a module or a part of a module · CPC title

• G06F3/0619

  in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors · CPC title

• G06F3/0637

  Permissions · CPC title

• G06F3/0686

  Libraries, e.g. tape libraries, jukebox · CPC title

• G06F3/0673

  Single storage device · CPC title