DATA SECURITY ARRANGEMENT FOR AN AUTOMATED MAGNETIC TAPE CARTRIDGE LIBRARY SYSTEM

摘要

DATA SECURITY ARRANGEMENT FOR AN AUTOMATED MAGNETIC TAPE CARTRIDGE LIBRARY SYSTEM This data security arrangement provides a significant level of data security in an automatic magnetic tape cartridge library by isolating the actual data from the control of the data retrieval process. This isolation is accomplished by the use of a plurality of architectural devices that dissociate control and data. The data written on the magnetic tape cartridges cannot be accessed by the library modules. The library modules are not electrically connected to the tape drives or the data bus that connects the tape drives to the host computer. In addition, library software on the host computer emulates an operator's console and intercepts all tape mount commands generated by the host computer. The library software translates these commands into control signals to activate the library module to retrieve a designated magnetic tape cartridge and load this cartridge into a tape drive. Thus, the data retrieval apparatus is separate from the library control apparatus. The library module is unaware of the identity of the data stored on the magnetic tape cartridges and the host computer is unaware of the existence of the automated magnetic tape cartridge library.