Forced backhitch for speed matching in a multi-speed tape drive
First Claim
1. Data storage logic for controlling a magnetic tape drive for storing data on a magnetic tape data storage media in a plurality of wraps, which comprise a plurality of parallel longitudinally recorded tracks, said magnetic tape drive having at least one input and/or output, having at least one data buffer, and having a plurality of stepped operational speeds for moving said magnetic tape data storage media longitudinally with respect to at least one tape head for transferring data by reading and/or writing data with respect to said magnetic tape data storage media, said magnetic tape drive capable of conducting a backhitch of said magnetic tape data storage media, said data storage logic:
- estimates the effective data fill and/or empty rate for said at least one data buffer with respect to said input and/or said output;
estimates the drive data rate for transferring data with respect to said at least one data buffer and said magnetic tape data storage media at the current stepped operational speed of said magnetic tape drive;
estimates, from said effective data fill and/or empty rate for said at least one data buffer and said drive data rate, the time cost to continue to operate said magnetic tape drive at said current stepped operational speed from a target to substatially the next end of wrap;
estimates, from said effective data fill and/or empty rate for said at least one data buffer and a data rate for transferring data with respect to said magnetic tape data storage media of at least one higher stepped operational speed of said magnetic tape drive, together with a forced backhitch of said magnetic tape drive, the time cost to force a backhitch of said magnetic tape data storage media and change said stepped operational speed to said higher stepped operational speed and to operate said magnetic tape drive at said higher stepped operational speed from said target to substantially the next end of wrap; and
determines the lesser of said time costs.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a magnetic tape drive having a plurality of stepped operational speeds, data storage logic estimates, from the effective data fill rate for a data buffer and the drive data write rate, the time cost to continue to operate the magnetic tape drive at the current stepped operational speed from a target to the next end of wrap; estimates, the time cost to force a backhitch of the magnetic tape data storage media and change the stepped operational speed to a higher stepped operational speed and operate the magnetic tape drive at the higher stepped operational speed to the next end of wrap; and determines the lesser time cost.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. Data storage logic for controlling a magnetic tape drive for storing data on a magnetic tape data storage media in a plurality of wraps, which comprise a plurality of parallel longitudinally recorded tracks, said magnetic tape drive having at least one input and/or output, having at least one data buffer, and having a plurality of stepped operational speeds for moving said magnetic tape data storage media longitudinally with respect to at least one tape head for transferring data by reading and/or writing data with respect to said magnetic tape data storage media, said magnetic tape drive capable of conducting a backhitch of said magnetic tape data storage media, said data storage logic:
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estimates the effective data fill and/or empty rate for said at least one data buffer with respect to said input and/or said output;
estimates the drive data rate for transferring data with respect to said at least one data buffer and said magnetic tape data storage media at the current stepped operational speed of said magnetic tape drive;
estimates, from said effective data fill and/or empty rate for said at least one data buffer and said drive data rate, the time cost to continue to operate said magnetic tape drive at said current stepped operational speed from a target to substatially the next end of wrap;
estimates, from said effective data fill and/or empty rate for said at least one data buffer and a data rate for transferring data with respect to said magnetic tape data storage media of at least one higher stepped operational speed of said magnetic tape drive, together with a forced backhitch of said magnetic tape drive, the time cost to force a backhitch of said magnetic tape data storage media and change said stepped operational speed to said higher stepped operational speed and to operate said magnetic tape drive at said higher stepped operational speed from said target to substantially the next end of wrap; and
determines the lesser of said time costs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A recording system for a magnetic tape drive for storing data on a magnetic tape data storage media in a plurality of wraps, which comprise a plurality of parallel longitudinally recorded tracks, said magnetic tape drive having at least one input and/or output, having at least one tape head for transferring data by reading and/or writing data with respect to magnetic tape data storage media, and a drive system for moving said magnetic tape data storage media longitudinally with respect to said at least one tape head, said drive system having a plurality of stepped operational speeds, said magnetic tape drive capable of conducting a backhitch of said magnetic tape data storage media, said recording system comprising:
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at least one data buffer; and
data storage logic;
estimates the effective data fill and/or empty rate for said at least one data buffer with respect to said at least one input and/or output;
estimates the drive data rate for transferring data with respect to said at least one data buffer and said magnetic tape data storage media at the current stepped operational speed of said drive system;
estimates, from said effective data fill and/or empty rate for said at least one data buffer and said drive data rate, the time cost to continue to operate said drive system at said current stepped operational speed from a target to substantially the next end of wrap;
estimates, from said effective data fill and/or empty rate for said at least one data buffer and a data rate for transferring data with respect to said magnetic tape data storage media of at least one higher stepped operational speed of said drive system, together with a forced backhitch of said drive system, the time cost to force a backhitch of said magnetic tape data storage media and change said stepped operational speed to said higher stepped operational speed and to operate said drive system at said higher stepped operational speed from said target substantially to the next end of wrap; and
determines the lesser of said time costs. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A magnetic tape drive for storing data on a magnetic tape data storage media in a plurality of wraps, which comprise a plurality of parallel longitudinally recorded tracks, comprising:
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at least one input and/or output;
at least one tape head for transferring data by reading and/or writing data with respect to magnetic tape data storage media;
a drive system for moving said magnetic tape data storage media longitudinally with respect to said at least one tape head, said drive system having a plurality of stepped operational speeds, said magnetic tape drive capable of conducting a backhitch of said magnetic tape data storage media;
at least one data buffer; and
data storage logic;
estimates the effective data fill and/or empty rate for said at least one data buffer with respect to said at least one input and/or output;
estimates the drive data rate for transferring data with respect to said at least one data buffer and said magnetic tape data storage media at the current stepped operational speed of said drive system;
estimates, from said effective data fill and/or empty rate for said at least one data buffer and said drive data rate, the time cost to continue to operate said drive system at said current stepped operational speed from a target to substantially the next end of wrap;
estimates, from said effective data fill and/or empty rate for said at least one data buffer and a data rate for transferring data with respect to said magnetic tape data storage media of at least one higher stepped operational speed of said drive system, together with a forced backhitch of said drive system, the time cost to force a backhitch of said magnetic tape data storage media and change said stepped operational speed to said higher stepped operational speed and operate said drive system at said higher stepped operational speed from said target to substantially the next end of wrap; and
determines the lesser of said time costs. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for operating a magnetic tape drive for storing data on a magnetic tape data storage media in a plurality of wraps, which comprise a plurality of parallel longitudinally recorded tracks, said magnetic tape drive having at least one input and/or output;
- having at least one tape head for transferring data by reading and/or writing data with respect to magnetic tape data storage media;
having a drive system for moving said magnetic tape data storage media longitudinally with respect to said at least one tape head, said drive system having a plurality of stepped operational speeds, said magnetic tape drive capable of conducting a backhitch of said magnetic tape data storage media;
arid having at least one data buffer;
comprising the steps of;estimating the effective data fill and/or empty rate for said at least one data buffer with respect to said at least one input and/or output;
estimating the drive data rate for transferring data with respect to said at least one data buffer and said magnetic tape data storage media at the current stepped operational speed of said drive system;
estimating, from said effective data fill and/or empty rate for said at least one data buffer and said drive data rate, the time cost to continue to operate said drive system at said current stepped operational speed from a target to substantially the next end of wrap;
estimating, from said effective data fill and/or empty rate for said at least one data buffer and a data rate for transferring data with respect to said magnetic tape data storage media of at least one higher stepped operational speed of said drive system, together with a forced backhitch of said drive system, the time cost to force a backhitch of said magnetic tape data storage media and change said stepped operational speed to said higher stepped operational speed and to operate said drive system at said higher stepped operational speed from said target to substantially the next end of wrap; and
determining the lesser of said time costs. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
- having at least one tape head for transferring data by reading and/or writing data with respect to magnetic tape data storage media;
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25. A computer program product embodied on a computer-readable medium usable with at least one programmable computer processor having computer readable code embodied therein, said at least one programmable computer processor for controlling a magnetic tape drive for storing data on a magnetic tape data storage media in a plurality of wraps, which comprise a plurality of parallel longitudinally recorded tracks, said magnetic tape drive having at least one input and/or output, having at least one data buffer, and having a plurality of stepped operational speeds for moving magnetic tape data storage media longitudinally with respect to at least one tape head for transferring data by reading and/or writing data with respect to said magnetic tape data storage media, said magnetic tape drive capable of conducting a backhitch of said magnetic tape data storage media, said computer program product comprising:
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computer readable program code causing said at least one programmable computer processor to estimate the effective data fill and/or empty rate for said at least one data buffer with respect to said at least one input and/or output;
computer readable program code causing said at least one programmable computer processor to estimate the drive data rate for transferring data with respect to said at least one data buffer and said magnetic tape data storage media at the current stepped operational speed of said magnetic tape drive;
computer readable program code causing said at least one programmable computer processor to estimate, from said effective data fill and/or empty rate for said at least one data buffer and said drive data rate, the time cost to continue to operate said magnetic tape drive at said current stepped operational speed from a target to substantially the next end of wrap;
computer readable program code causing said at least one programmable computer processor to estimate, from said effective data fill and/or empty rate for said at least one data buffer and a data rate for transferring data with respect to said magnetic tape data storage media of at least one higher stepped operational speed of said magnetic tape drive, together with a forced backhitch of said magnetic tape drive, the time cost to force a backhitch of said magnetic tape data storage media and change said stepped operational speed to said higher stepped operational speed and to operate said magnetic tape drive at said higher stepped operational speed from said target to substantially the next end of wrap; and
computer readable program code causing said at least one programmable computer processor to determine the lesser of said time costs. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification