Apparatus, system, and method for tape drive head

A tape for storing magnetically encoded data, the tape comprising a plurality of data bands organized longitudinally on the tape, each data band comprising:

• an upper servo track conforming to a specified format;
• a lower servo track conforming to the specified format;
• a mid servo track disposed between the upper servo track and the lower servo track;
• sixteen legacy sub bands conforming to the specified format and disposed between the upper servo track and the lower servo track;
• and
• at least eight incremental sub bands interleaved between the legacy sub bands so that one incremental sub band is adjacent to each legacy sub band on a side of the legacy sub band away from the mid servo track.

A method for reading magnetically encoded data, the method comprising:

• reading an upper servo track conforming to a specified format with a upper servo element;
• reading a lower servo track conforming to the specified format with a lower servo element;
• reading a mid servo track disposed between the upper data track and the lower data track with a mid servo element;
• reading legacy data tracks conforming to the specified format and disposed between the upper servo track and the lower servo track with legacy read elements;
• and
• reading at least eight incremental data tracks interleaved between the legacy data tracks so that one incremental data track is adjacent to each legacy data track on a side of the legacy data track away from the mid servo track, wherein the increment data tracks are read with incremental read elements.

A system to read data, the system comprising:

• a tape configured to store magnetically encoded data;
• a head comprising
• an upper servo element configured to read an upper servo track disposed on the tape and conforming to a specified format;
• a lower servo element configured to a read a lower servo track disposed on the tape and conforming to the specified format;
• a mid servo element configured to read a mid servo track disposed on the tape between the upper servo track and the lower servo track;
• sixteen legacy read elements disposed between the upper servo element and the lower servo element and configured to read legacy data tracks disposed on the tape and conforming to the specified format;
• and
• at least eight incremental read elements interleaved between the legacy read elements so that one incremental read element is adjacent to each legacy read element on a side of the legacy read element away from the mid servo element, the incremental read elements configured to read incremental data tracks disposed on the tape.

A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable program stored on a tangible storage device, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

• read an upper servo track conforming to a Linear Tape Open standard with an upper servo element;
• read a lower servo track conforming to the Linear Tape Open standard with a lower servo element;
• read a mid servo track with a height of ninety micrometers disposed between the upper data track and the lower data track with a mid servo element;
• read legacy data tracks conforming to the Linear Tape Open standard and disposed between the upper servo track and the lower servo track with legacy read elements;
• and
• read at least eight incremental data tracks interleaved between the legacy data tracks so that one incremental data track is adjacent to each legacy data track on a side of the legacy data track away from the mid servo track with incremental read elements.