Data recording method and apparatus
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsPaul David Franklin, Mark R. Sieklucki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tape drive allows for an increased track density by partially overlapping adjacent tracks as each successive track is written. Each successive track overwrites a portion of the width of the previous track, thereby reducing the width of the previous track. This process can be applied repeatedly thereby producing an arrangement of shingled data tracks across the width of the tape. In an embodiment, single-pass verification of data written in this manner is accomplished using a head assembly with two read heads per track. A first read head positioned behind the write head verifies that the data written is correct, and a second read head positioned over the previous track verifies that data on the previous track remains intact after being partially overwritten.
Claims20
A computer-implemented method, comprising:
- in a pass of a magnetic tape through a tape drive,
- writing first data to a location on a first data track of the magnetic tape, the first data track partially overlapping a portion of an adjacent data track on the magnetic tape;
- verifying that the first data is correctly written to the magnetic tape by reading second data from the location on the first data track and verifying that the first data matches the second data;
- and
- verifying that data on a non-overlapped portion of the adjacent track is recoverable by reading third data from the non-overlapped portion of the adjacent data track.
A tape drive, comprising:
- a head assembly that includes a first head, a second head, and the first head in line with the second head;
- one or more processors;
- and
- memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, if executed, cause the tape drive to:
- in a pass of a magnetic tape over the head assembly,
- write first data to a first track of the magnetic tape with the first head, the first data track overlapping at least a portion of a second track on the magnetic tape;
- read second data from the first track with the second head and verify that the first data matches the second data;
- and
- after writing the data to the first track, verify that original data on the second track is readable by reading the original data from a non-overlapped portion of the second track.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon executable instructions that, as a result of being executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to at least:
- in a pass of a magnetic tape through a tape drive,
- write first data to a first data track of the magnetic tape, the first data track partially overlapping a portion of the width of a second data track on the magnetic tape, and the width of the written first data track is greater than a non-overlapped portion of the second data track;
- and
- verify that the first data is correctly written to the magnetic tape by reading second data from the first data track and verifying that the first data matches the second data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.