End-to-end fixity check for archival storage based on high-performance integrity test with data quality using self-describing tape format

A data quality integrity testing system for ensuring data quality integrity on a magnetic tape, the data quality integrity testing system comprising:

• a tape drive that is configured to write object data to the magnetic tape, the tape drive including a drive controller that is configured to perform the steps of:
• dividing the object data into a plurality of data chunks;
• generating a hash tree from the plurality of data chunks, the hash tree being formed in a plurality of levels, the hash tree including (i) a plurality of chunk hashes wherein a separate chunk hash is generated for each of the plurality of data chunks, and (ii) at least one second level hash that is generated from concatenation of at least two of the plurality of chunk hashes;
• and
• checking integrity of a first data chunk of the plurality of data chunks by evaluating at least one of the plurality of chunk hashes and the at least one second level hash.