A design to increase media-independent data integrity and availability through the use of robotic media management systems

Summary form only given. This paper presents the concept design for an automated data archive system that will provide the sustained data integrity and media accessibility necessary for long term data archival. The use of near-line data storage systems with robotic media-handling capability (eg. juke boxes) provides the basis for this self-managing data archive. In addition to supporting user requests for data access, it can be programmed, either through modification of internal inventory systems or through external CPU control, to perform a range of self-initiated media management actions on all resident media. Any one of several different strategies may represent an appropriate level of effort and resource expenditure, depending upon the technology available to the archive, the volume of data for which it is responsible, and data integrity requirements