Header decoding mechanism for tape storage

A tape drive, comprising:

• a controller;
• and
• a tape head coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to perform operations, the operations comprising:
• receiving encoded header information stored on a tape of a tape drive, wherein the encoded header information has been generated by:
• generating, for a plurality of tracks of the tape of the tape drive, a header information in a plurality of symbols, wherein the plurality of symbols is comprised of a first set of symbols and a second set of symbols, wherein the first set of symbols include identical information across all tracks of the plurality of tracks, and wherein the second set of symbols are configurable to include different information across all tracks of the plurality of tracks;
• and
• modifying, for writing to the tape of the tape drive, the first set of symbols of the plurality of tracks to include parity information corresponding to information included in the second set of symbols of the plurality of tracks;
• and
• decoding the received encoded header information.

A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code configured to perform operations in a device, the operations comprising:

• receiving encoded header information stored on a tape of a tape drive, wherein the encoded header information has been generated by:
• generating, for a plurality of tracks of the tape of the tape drive, a header information in a plurality of symbols, wherein the plurality of symbols is comprised of a first set of symbols and a second set of symbols, wherein the first set of symbols include identical information across all tracks of the plurality of tracks, and wherein the second set of symbols are configurable to include different information across all tracks of the plurality of tracks;
• and
• modifying, for writing to the tape of the tape drive, the first set of symbols of the plurality of tracks to include parity information corresponding to information included in the second set of symbols of the plurality of tracks;
• and
• decoding the received encoded header information.