Virtual tape using a logical data container

A computer-implemented method for managing a virtual tape, comprising:

• under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,
• receiving a request to initialize a virtual tape;
• and
• initializing a logical data container from a storage service for use as storage for the virtual tape, comprising storing a tape header comprising global record metadata that identifies record locations in the logical data container and global file mark metadata that identifies file mark locations in the logical data container.

A computer system for providing a virtual tape, comprising:

• one or more computing resources having one or more processors and memory including executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to implement at least a virtual tape comprising:
• a storage logical data container of a storage service provisioning storage logical data containers upon request, the storage logical data container comprising:
• a tape header, comprising:
• a journal that identifies current data blocks within the storage logical data container that are loaded in memory;
• a set of global record flags that identify start locations of records;
• a set of global file mark flags that identify start locations of a group of records;
• one or more data block groups comprising:
• a set of data blocks comprising data;
• and
• a data header comprising:
• a set of data group metadata entries that correspond to the set of data blocks in a data block group, each data group metadata entry of the set of data group metadata entries comprising a file mark flag, a record flag and a size of record.

One or more computer-readable storage media having collectively stored thereon executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to at least:

• determine that a logical data container error event has occurred to a logical data container that represents a data structure of a virtual tape;
• retrieve journal information from a tape header that identifies global metadata of one or more megablocks, each megablock comprising a set of data block groups;
• and
• restore the global record flags and global file mark flags using record flags and file mark flags associated with data blocks in each data group metadata entry of each identified megablock.