System for allocating worm optical medium file storage in groups of fixed size addressable areas while tracking unrecorded areas and end of volume

A machine-effected method of recording status of a data storage medium having a plurality of addressable data storage areas and addressing means for addressing said data storage areas, including the machine-executed steps of:

• recording a plurality of files on the data storage medium respectively in a plurality of continuation chains, recording each said continuation chain as a linked list of file-related ones of said data storage areas, sequentially recording said data in each of said continuation chains being from one end toward a last-recorded end of each said continuation chain;
• establishing first and second control ones of said plurality of continuation chains as an addressable control area on the storage medium;
• automatically generating a file-indicating token for each of said continuation chains in a predetermined sequence of numbers such that each of said continuation chain is identified on the data-storing medium by respective ones of said file-indicating tokens;
• recording each of said file-indicating tokens in said first one of said control ones of said continuation chains for identifying the respective continuation chains;
• automatically finding one of said file-indicating tokens having a highest file number, then establishing a maximum value token for the data storing medium and generating a value in said maximum value token greater than said highest file number by a predetermined value;
• automatically repeatedly generating said file-indicating tokens having successively greater values in said predetermined sequence of numbers for assigning said generated numbers respectively to respectively indicate respective ones of said files sequentially recorded on the data storing medium, storing each of said generated file-indicating tokens in said first one of said control ones of said continuation chains;
• automatically comparing each of the assigned greater values with the maximum value token;
• if the assigned file-indicating token value is greater than the maximum value token value, then establishing a new maximum value token having a value greater than the compared greater value by said predetermined value and recording the new maximum value token on the medium in said second one of said control ones of said continuation chains for indicating that all of said file-indicating tokens recorded in said first one of said control ones of said continuation chains have a value less than said new maximum value token.

In apparatus for storing and retrieving data to and from an optical medium including, in combination:

• optical data storage means in an operative optical data-transferring relationship with the optical medium for storing and retrieving data on and from the optical medium, the optical medium having a multiplicity of addressable data storing areas;
• computer means connected to the optical data storage means and having operating indicia means for enabling the computer means to actuate the optical data storage means to access said addressable data storing areas for effecting said storing and retrieving;
• allocation program indicia in the computer means for enabling the computer means to allocate groups of said addressable data storing areas for receiving predetermined data including control or user data;
• file token indicia means in the computer means for enabling the computer means to establish and record on the optical record medium file tokens respectively having predetermined values for indicating files stored on the optical medium, further token indicia for enabling the computer means to serially assign said values in a predetermined sequence of said values and for changing the successive token values by a first predetermined value for each successive ones of the files wherein a last assigned one of the values is a current file token value;
• max token indicia means in the computer means for enabling the computer means to generate a new max token having a value greater than a current max token value by a second predetermined value wherein the second predetermined value is an integer substantially greater in value than the first predetermined value, including new indicia means to establish the new max token value as a current max token value such that there is only one current max token value at any instant;
• comparison indicia means in the computer means for enabling the file manager to compare the current token value with the current max token value, including result program indicia for enabling the computer means to respond to the comparison of the current values indicating a predetermined near equality to actuate the max token indicia means to generate a new max token value;
• and
• control recording indicia means in the operating program indicia for enabling the computer means to record each new max token value as a current max token value on the optical medium.

Data storage apparatus having receiver means for receiving an optical medium having a plurality of addressable data storing areas for recording and reading data on and from the received medium, an improvement including, in combination:

• token means for generating a predetermined sequence of file token values to be assigned to data files being stored on the received medium;
• allocation means for allocating a plurality of groups of said addressable data storing areas of the medium such that each said group has a predetermined number of contiguous ones of said plurality of addressable data storage areas for storing data and allocating a control one of said groups for storing control indicia including a current max token value;
• max token means for generating a new max token value having a value substantially greater than a current max token value;
• recording means connected to the allocation means and to the max token means for recording the new max token value in the control one of said groups of allocated areas of the optical medium;
• current max token means for reading the current max token value from the medium;
• and
• comparison means connected to the token means and to the current max token means for comparing the values of the last generated file token with the current max token and having actuating means connected to the max token means and being responsive to the comparison indicating a predetermined numerical relationship between the file token and max token values to generate a new max token value.