Pre-formatting of a storage media having fixed-size partitions

A method of recording partition format information at index locations on a storage media, the method comprising the steps of:

• positioning the storage media at a first index location relative to a recording head;
• recording partition format information in a predetermined number of parallel tracks relative to the first index location of the storage media by alternately recording the partition format information in a first recording direction of a storage media track and then in an opposite, second recording direction in a parallel storage media track;
• moving the storage media in a first storage media direction to a next index location relative to the first index location;
• repeating the steps of recording and moving until a predetermined extent of the storage media is recorded with partition format information.

A method of recording partition format information on a linear storage media in a plurality of parallel tracks that extend lengthwise along the longitudinal dimension of the storage media, the method comprising the steps of:

• determining a storage media length from a first media index location to a second media index location relative to a recording head;
• positioning the second media index location at the recording head;
• recording format information in alternate parallel tracks relative to the second storage media index location in a first storage media direction;
• positioning the storage media toward the first media index location at the new media index location relative to the second media index location;
• recording format information in successive parallel tracks relative to the new media index location by alternately recording in the first storage media direction and then in a second storage media direction opposite that of the first storage media direction, in a parallel track, across the width of the storage media;
• repeating the steps of positioning the storage media and recording format information alternatingly in the first storage media direction and then in the second storage media direction until the storage media is positioned at the first media index location;
• and
• recording format information in alternate parallel tracks relative to the first storage media index location in the second storage media direction.

A storage device having a linear storage media on which partition format information is recorded in a plurality of parallel tracks that extend lengthwise along the longitudinal dimension of the storage media in a process comprising the steps of:

• determining a storage media length from a first media index location to a second media index location relative to a recording head;
• positioning the second media index location at the recording head;
• recording format information in alternate parallel tracks relative to the second storage media index location in a first storage media direction;
• positioning the storage media toward the first media index location at a new media index location relative to the second media index location;
• recording format information in successive parallel tracks relative to the new media index location by alternately recording in the first storage media direction and then in a second storage media direction opposite that of the first storage media direction, in a parallel track, across the width of the storage media;
• repeating the steps of positioning the storage media and recording format information alternatingly in the first storage media direction and then in the second storage media direction until the storage media is positioned at the first media index location;
• and
• recording format information in alternate parallel tracks relative to the first storage media index location in the second storage media direction.

A drive unit controller comprising:

• a controller central processing unit;
• and
• a servo controller that moves drive unit heads relative to a storage media;
• wherein the controller central processing unit is programmed to control the servo controller and perform method steps for recording partition format information on a storage media, the method steps comprising:
• recording partition format information in a first storage media track in a first media direction beginning at an index location of the storage media,
• recording partition information in a second storage media track, parallel to the first storage media track, in a second media direction opposite that of the first media direction,
• repeating the steps of recording in the first media direction and then recording in the second media direction in successive parallel tracks across the width of the storage media, and
• recording partition format information at the next index location of the storage media in alternating media directions within successive parallel tracks across the width of the storage media.

A drive unit controller comprising:

• a controller central processing unit;
• and
• a servo controller that moves drive unit heads relative to a storage media;
• wherein the controller central processing unit is programmed to control the servo controller unit and record partition format information at index locations on the storage media by performing method steps comprising:
• positioning the storage media at a first index location relative to recording heads, recording partition format information in a predetermined number of parallel tracks relative to the first index location of the storage media by alternately recording the partition format information in direct recording direction of a storage media track and then in an opposite, second recording direction in a parallel storage media track,
• moving the storage media in a first storage media direction to a next index location relative to the first index location, and
• repeating the steps of recording and moving until a predetermined extent of the storage media is recorded with partition format information.

A drive unit controller comprising:

• a controller central processing unit;
• and
• a servo controller that moves drive unit heads relative to a storage media;
• wherein the controller central processing unit is programmed to control the servo controller and record partition format information on a linear storage media in a plurality of parallel tracks that extend lengthwise along the longitudinal dimension of the storage media by performing method steps comprising:
• determining a storage media length from a first media index location to a second media index location relative to the recording heads,
• positioning the second media index location at the recording heads,
• recording format information in alternate parallel tracks relative to the second storage media index location in a first storage media direction,
• positioning the storage media toward the first media location at a new media index location relative to the second media index location,
• recording format information in successive parallel tracks relative to the new media index location by alternately recording in the first storage media direction and then in a second storage media direction opposite that of the first storage media direction, in a parallel track, across the width of the storage media,
• repeating the steps of positioning the storage media and recording format information alternatingly in the first storage media direction and then in the second storage media direction until the storage media is positioned at the first media index location, and
• recording format information in alternate parallel tracks relative to the first storage media index location in the second storage media direction.

A storage subsystem comprising:

• a host computer;
• a drive unit that receives storage media, on which it records information received from the host computer with at least one recording head;
• and
• a drive unit controller that controls movement of the drive unit recording head relative to the storage media by performing method steps for recording partition format information on the storage media, the method steps comprising:
• recording partition format information in a first storage media track in a first media direction beginning at an index location of the storage media,
• recording partition information in a second storage media track, parallel to the first storage media track, in a second media direction opposite that of the first media direction,
• repeating the steps of recording in the first media direction and then recording in the second media direction in successive parallel tracks across the width of the storage media, and
• recording partition format information at the next index location of the storage media in alternating media directions within successive parallel tracks across the width of the storage media.

A storage subsystem comprising:

• a host computer;
• a drive unit that receives storage media, on which it records information received from the host computer with at least one recording head;
• and
• a drive unit controller that controls movement of the drive unit head relative to the storage media by performing method steps that record partition format information at index locations on the storage media, the method steps comprising:
• positioning the storage media at a first index location relative to the recording head, recording partition format information in a predetermined number of parallel tracks relative to the first index location of the storage media by alternately recording the partition format information in a first recording direction of a storage media track and then in an opposite, second recording direction in a parallel storage media track,
• moving the storage media in a first storage media direction to a next index location relative to the first index location, and
• repeating the steps of recording and moving until a predetermined extent of the storage media is recorded with partition format information.

A storage subsystem comprising:

• a host computer;
• a drive unit that receives linear storage media, on which it records information received from the host computer with at least one recording head;
• and
• a drive unit controller that controls movement of the drive unit head relative to the storage media to record partition format information on the linear storage media in a plurality of parallel tracks that extend lengthwise along the longitudinal dimension of the storage media by performing method steps comprising:
• determining a storage media length from a first media index location to a second media index location relative to the recording head,
• positioning the second media index location at the recording head,
• recording format information in alternate parallel tracks relative to the second storage media index location in a first storage media direction,
• positioning the storage media toward the first media location at a new media index location relative to the second media index location,
• recording format information in successive parallel tracks relative to the new media index location by alternately recording in the first storage media direction and then in a second storage media direction opposite that of the first storage media direction, in a parallel track, across the width of the storage media,
• repeating the steps of positioning the storage media and recording format information alternatingly in the first storage media direction and then in the second storage media direction until the storage media is positioned at the first media index location, and
• recording format information in alternate parallel tracks relative to the first storage media index location in the second storage media direction.