US 5,081,548 AGranted

Data storage apparatus and method

AssigneesHewlett-Packard Company, Sony Corporation

InventorsYoshizumi Inazawa, Brian A. Milthorp

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Abstract

Data storage apparatus is known in which data is stored on a tape medium in at least two different longitudinally spaced sections (Partitions I and 0) with data recordal in each section being effected in accordance with a predetermined format. This format will generally be of the type in which tape-usage information is recorded in a system log (82) located upstream of the main data area (37). It is also known to record tape usage information relating to each tape section (Partition 1,0) in the system log (82) of that section. The present apparatus provides not only for the recording of usage information from which section-specific information can be derived, but also for the recording of aggregated tape usage information. This latter information is stored in the system log (82) of the first tape section (Partition 1) so as to be readily accessible upon tape loading.

Claims11

Dependent claims

Data storage apparatus for storing data on a tape medium, said apparatus comprising:

recording means for recording said data on a tape medium in accordance with a predetermined format, said format specifying a plurality of recording sections arranged one after another along the tape medium and including both a log area for storing tape-usage information and a data area for storing said data, the recording means being operative to record the accumulated tape-usage information in the said log areas associated with the said tape sections;
control means operative to cause the recording means to record data in at least two different longitudinally spaced sections of the tape medium with data recordal in each section being respectively effected in accordance with said format;
a tape-usage monitor operative to accumulate tape-usage information relating to data recordal on the tape medium, the form of said accumulated-tape usage information being such as to enable tape-usage information relating to each said tape section to be derived therefrom;
said accumulated tape-usage information including aggregated data formed by aggregating tape-usage information across all said tape sections;
said recording means being operative to record the aggregated data in the said log area of the first said tape section encountered from the beginning of the tape.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/485,239Filed 26 Feb 1990
Priority: GB 89054359 Mar 1989
Granted: 14 Jan 1992
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

G11B 27/328
Table of contents: on a tape [TTOC]
G11B 5/00813
Recording on, or reproducing or erasing from, magnetic tapes, sheets, e.g. cards, or wires: magnetic tapes
G11B 20/10
Signal processing not specific to the method of recording or reproducing; Circuits therefor: digital recording or reproducing
G11B 20/1209
With transverse tracks only: for discontinuous data, e.g. digital information signals or computer program data