Single data band data storage
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsIcko E. T. Iben, David Lee Swanson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided are a computer program product, device, system, and method for single data band data storage. In one embodiment, a tape head module has an array of four servo transducer elements for each servo band of a tape and an array of reader/writer transducer elements extending over most of the width of the tape. In another embodiment, a data storage tape has a top servo band positioned adjacent a top edge guard band of the tape, a bottom servo band positioned adjacent a bottom edge guard band of the tape, and a single data band positioned between the top and bottom servo bands and configured to receive tracks of data written by a tape head wherein the single data band width extends over most of the tape width.
Claims17
A tape head for writing tracks of data on magnetic tape having a plurality of servo bands and a tape width WTape extending between longitudinal edges of the tape, comprising:
- a module having a substrate, an array of NE transducer elements carried on the substrate and configured to one of 1) write to, and 2) read from a single band of data on the tape having a single data band width WDB wherein the NE transducer element array and the single data band width WDB each extend over most of the tape width WTape, wherein the NE transducer element array is an array of NE writer transducer elements configured to write NE sub data bands in the single data band, and wherein each writer transducer element of the array of NE writer transducer elements is configured to write data in an associated sub data band in four write region quadrants by writing data in two of the write region quadrants in a first longitudinal direction and writing data in two of the write region quadrants in a second longitudinal direction opposite to that of the first longitudinal direction;
- and
- an array of four servo transducer elements carried on the substrate for each servo band of the tape for a total of eight servo transducer elements on a tape head module.
A method, comprising:
- transferring data between a first tape head module and a single data band of a magnetic tape having a tape width WTape extending between longitudinal edges of the tape, wherein the transferring data includes one of writing to and reading from the single data band which extends over most of the tape width WTape, using an array of NE transducer elements of the first tape head module wherein the array of NE transducer elements extends over most of the tape width WTape,
- wherein the NE transducer element array is an array of NE writer transducer elements configured to write data in the single data band, and wherein the transferring data between the tape head module and the single data band includes writing to NE sub data bands in the single data band, which includes each writer transducer element of the array of NE writer transducer elements writing data in an associated sub data band in four write region quadrants by writing data in two of the write region quadrants of the associated sub data band in a first longitudinal direction and writing data in two of the write region quadrants of the associated sub data band in a second longitudinal direction opposite to that of the first longitudinal direction, and
- further including controlling the lateral position of the first tape head module relative to the magnetic tape using an array of four servo transducer elements on the first tape head module for each servo band of the tape for a total of eight servo transducer elements on the first tape head module.
A data storage system for a magnetic tape having a plurality of servo bands and having a tape width WTape extending between longitudinal edges of the tape, comprising:
- a first tape head module having an array of NE transducer elements and an array of four servo transducer elements for each servo band of the tape for a total of eight servo transducer elements on the first tape head module wherein the array of NE transducer elements extends over most of the tape width WTape;
- a processor;
- and
- a computer readable storage medium, implemented in the data storage system, having computer readable program code embodied therein that when executed performs operations, the operations comprising:
- transferring data between the first tape head module and a single data band of the tape, wherein the transferring data includes one of writing to and reading from the single data band, wherein the NE transducer element array is an array of NE writer transducer elements configured to write data in the single data band, and wherein the transferring data between the first tape head module and the single data band includes writing to NE sub data bands in the single data band, which includes each writer transducer element of the array of NE writer transducer elements writing data in an associated sub data band in four write region quadrants by writing data in two of the write region quadrants of the associated sub data band in a first longitudinal direction and writing data in two of the write region quadrants of the associated sub data band in a second longitudinal direction opposite to that of the first longitudinal direction;
- and
- controlling the lateral position of the first tape head module relative to the magnetic tape using the servo transducer elements on the first tape head module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.