Magnetic recording control apparatus
First Claim
1. A magnetic recording control apparatus for controlling a magnetic recording device dealing with a large capacity type magnetic recording medium having a capacity of a plurality of normal capacity type magnetic recording media, said apparatus being connected to a host computer, comprising:
- a data buffer for storing data;
a processor;
a memory for storing control data; and
a transmitter for transmitting data stored in said buffer to the magnetic recording device as a virtual volume, and transmitting control data to identify the virtual volume wherein said control data is recorded at either one of a head or a tail of the virtual volume on the magnetic recording medium,wherein a plurality of virtual volumes are stored in the magnetic recording medium and said processor stores information for identifying the virtual volume as said control data in said memory.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A magnetic recording control apparatus includes conventional magnetic recording media, a large capacity type magnetic recording medium having a memory capacity corresponding to the sum of the capacities of a plurality of conventional magnetic recording media, recording unit for recording data of a plurality of conventional magnetic recording media to the large capacity type magnetic recording medium using a virtual volume corresponding to the recording capacity of one conventional magnetic recording medium and control data relating to the virtual volume as one recording unit, and/or division unit for dividing a data buffer for temporarily storing the data of the large capacity type magnetic recording medium into logical devices corresponding to the conventional magnetic recording media.
47 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A magnetic recording control apparatus for controlling a magnetic recording device dealing with a large capacity type magnetic recording medium having a capacity of a plurality of normal capacity type magnetic recording media, said apparatus being connected to a host computer, comprising:
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a data buffer for storing data; a processor; a memory for storing control data; and a transmitter for transmitting data stored in said buffer to the magnetic recording device as a virtual volume, and transmitting control data to identify the virtual volume wherein said control data is recorded at either one of a head or a tail of the virtual volume on the magnetic recording medium, wherein a plurality of virtual volumes are stored in the magnetic recording medium and said processor stores information for identifying the virtual volume as said control data in said memory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A magnetic recording control apparatus for controlling a magnetic recording device dealing with a large capacity type magnetic recording medium having a capacity of a plurality of normal capacity type magnetic recording media, said apparatus being connected to a host computer, comprising:
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a data buffer for storing data, said data buffer being divided into a plurality of logical devices; a processor; a memory for storing control data; and a transmitter for transmitting data stored in said each of logical devices to the magnetic recording device as a virtual volume, and transmitting control data to identify the virtual volume such that the control data is recorded at either one of a head or a tail of said each virtual volume on the magnetic recording medium, wherein capacity of each logical device is equal to a capacity of a virtual volume, a plurality of virtual volumes are stored in the magnetic recording medium and said processor stores information for identifying the virtual volume as said control data in said memory. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. In a magnetic recording control apparatus for controlling a magnetic recording device dealing with a large capacity type magnetic recording medium having a capacity of a plurality of normal capacity type magnetic recording media, connected to a host device, and said magnetic recording control apparatus comprising a data buffer, and a transmitter, a method for using a large capacity type magnetic recording medium as a plurality of normal capacity type magnetic recording media in parallel comprising the steps of:
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defining a plurality of virtual volumes on the large capacity type magnetic recording medium; storing control data in memory to identify the virtual volume in the magnetic recording device; defining a plurality of logical devices, each logical device corresponding to a virtual volume; assigning the logical devices to the data buffer; receiving data from the host device and storing the data temporarily in the logical devices which the host device designates; and transmitting data in the logical device with said control data to the corresponding virtual volume in the large capacity type magnetic recording medium.
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Specification