Apparatus, system, and method for utilizing tape media segmentation

• US 8,041,921 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2008
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Noel, Michael Ray, Ashton, Lyn Lequam, Dawson, Erika Marianna, Gundy, Lisa Joan, Kissinger, Stanley Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): RUTZ, JARED IAN
• Application Number:
  US12/139,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20080244171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 711/111, 711/173, 360/134
• US Class Current: 711/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0644 Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0686 Libraries, e.g. tape libraries, jukebox
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/95 Serpentine format, wherein a single track or group of tracks traverses the tape plural times from one end to the other
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/032 on tapes G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/107 of operating tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3027 used signal is digitally coded

Abstract

An apparatus and system are presented for utilizing tape storage media segmentation to improve data access performance. A segmented tape storage medium within a tape cartridge having a first and second segment is utilized. A selection module allows a user to select a user-defined capacity of the tape storage medium that is less than the usable capacity of the tape storage medium. The user-defined capacity allows the user to prefer improved data access over tape storage capacity. Data, when written to the tape, is written only within the user-defined capacity. Data may be written exclusively on the first segment or written on both the first segment and second segment allowing data access to be improved. In addition, the user-defined capacity may correspond to the full capacity of the tape storage media.

Claims

1. An apparatus for utilizing tape storage media segmentation to improve data access performance, the apparatus comprising:

a tape storage medium configured to store data, the tape storage medium formatted with a serpentine recording path and divided into sixteen head index positions, each head index position including thirty-two tracks;

a segmentation module configured to access a first segment and a second segment on the tape storage medium;

a selection module configured to allow a user to select a user-defined capacity of the tape storage medium that is equivalent to the capacity of the first segment of the tape storage medium and that is less than a usable capacity of the tape storage medium; and

an identification module configured to identify a tape storage medium as full when the user-defined capacity of the tape storage medium has been used to store the data and to mark the tape storage medium as full.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selection module is further configured to allow the user to select the user-defined capacity of the tape storage medium before the data has been stored on the tape storage medium.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selection module is further configured to allow the user to select the user-defined capacity of the tape storage medium after the data has been stored on the tape storage medium.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a mapping module configured to associate the user-defined capacity with a tape storage device on which the tape storage medium is provided.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a write module that is configured to write data to the tape storage medium within the user-defined capacity.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first segment and the second segment are configured with different storage capacities.

7. A system for utilizing tape storage media segmentation to improve data access performance, the system comprising:

a tape storage device having a tape storage medium that is configured to store data, the tape storage medium having a first segment and a second segment, is formatted with a serpentine recording path, and divided into sixteen head index positions, each head index position including thirty-two tracks;

a host that is configured to communicate with the tape storage device;

a segmentation module configured to access the first segment and the second segment on the tape storage medium;

a selection module that is configured to allow a user to select a user-defined capacity of the tape storage medium that is equivalent to the capacity of the first segment of the tape storage medium and that is less than a usable capacity of the tape storage medium;

a mapping module configured to associate the user-defined capacity of the tape storage medium with the tape storage device;

a write module that is configured to write data to the tape storage medium within the user-defined capacity;

an identification module that is configured to identify a tape storage device as full when the user-defined capacity of the storage medium is used to store the data and to mark the tape storage medium as full; and

a read module that is configured to read data from the tape storage medium.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the segmentation module is further configured to use the tape storage medium according to a segmentation layout.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the segmentation layout defines a plurality of segments on the tape storage medium, each segment having a user-defined size.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the selection module is further configured to allow the user to select the user-defined capacity of the tape storage medium before the data has been stored on the tape storage medium.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the selection module is further configured to allow the user to select the user-defined capacity of the tape storage medium after the data has been stored on the tape storage medium.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the first segment and the second segment have different storage capacities.

13. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable code executable by a processor to:

provide a tape storage device having a tape storage medium, the tape storage medium formatted with a serpentine recording path and divided into sixteen head index positions, each head index position including thirty-two tracks;

access at least one of a first segment and a second segment on the tape storage medium;

allow a user to select a user-defined capacity of the tape storage medium that is equivalent to the capacity of the first segment of the tape storage medium and that is less than a usable capacity of the tape storage medium; and

identify a tape storage device as full when the user-defined capacity of the tape storage medium is used to store the data and to mark the tape storage medium as full.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, the computer readable code further allowing the user to select the user-defined capacity of the tape storage medium before the data has been stored on the tape storage medium.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, the computer readable code further allowing the user to select the user-defined capacity of the tape storage medium after the data has been stored on the tape storage medium.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, the computer readable code further associating the user-defined capacity with a tape storage device on which the tape storage medium is provided.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, the computer readable code further writing the data to the tape storage medium within the user-defined capacity.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the first segment and the second segment have different storage capacities.