System and method employing buffering mechanism with interface for providing compatibility between recording formats
OwnerMichael L. Leonhardt, Charles A. Milliganinventors
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for achieving compatibility between data storage devices having differing read-write capabilities is disclosed. A track imaging buffer is provided where data can be re-sequenced for optimization of performance of the data storage device into which a recorded medium is loaded. The track imaging buffer is employed whenever a medium bearing data in a format other than the native read-write format of the data storage device is loaded into the device or whenever it is desired to generate a medium for use by a storage device having a native format different from the device in which the medium is to be generated.
Claims27
An apparatus, adapted for use with a data processing means, for reading and writing data for said data processing means on a removable recording medium in accordance with a predetermined data format having a given data rate level of performance, comprising:
- a. drive means for transferring data to and from said medium;
- b. controller means, operatively connected to said drive means, for controlling operation of said drive means;
- c. interface means, operatively connected to said controller means, for connecting said apparatus to said data processing means and for allowing data flow between said controller means and said data processing means;
- and
- d. buffering means, operatively connected to said controller means, for imaging data in a format other than said predetermined data format such that data is selectively imaged in said buffering means during said transferring of data having a higher performance data reading and writing format with a data rate level of performance greater than said predetermined data format to said medium and a lower performance data reading and writing format with a data rate level of performance lesser than said predetermined data format from said medium.
A data storage device, adapted to use removable recording media for storage and retrieval of data generated by a data processing apparatus, comprising:
- a. transport means, selectively engageable with at least one recording medium, for moving said medium, and having a read-write means for transferring data to and from said medium during said motion;
- b. channel means, connected to said read-write means, for selectively controlling functionality of said read-write means;
- c. controller means, operatively connected to said channel means and said transport means, for controlling functionality of said transport means and for formatting data in accordance with a predetermined read-write data format having a given data rate level of performance;
- d. buffer means, connected to said controller means, for imaging data in accordance with higher level performance data read-write formats having data rate levels of performance greater than said predetermined read-write data format;
- and
- e. interface means, connected to said controller means, for connecting said data storage device to said data processing data storage device.
A method for writing data on a removable medium to restructure said data from a low performance data recording format having a low data rate level of performance of a low performance data read-write apparatus adapted to use said removable medium to a high performance data recording format having a high data rate level of performance of a high performance data read-write apparatus adapted to use said removable medium, comprising:
- receiving said data in accordance with the low performance data recording format;
- providing a buffering means for storing said data;
- restructuring said data from said low performance data recording format to said high performance data recording format using said buffering means;
- and
- writing said restructured data from said buffering means to said medium in accordance with said high performance data recording format.
In a read-write apparatus for the storage and retrieval of data on a removable mass storage medium, said apparatus having a first native format mode for recording data including a first transfer rate, a method for writing data on said medium in a second native format mode for recording data including a second transfer rate, comprising the steps of:
- a. determining whether said second native format mode is a format of a higher or lower level performance recording format mode than said first native format mode;
- b. if said second native format mode is a lower level performance recording format mode than said first native format mode:
- (1) transferring said data to a track image buffer,
- (2) re-sequencing said data in said track image buffer in accordance with said second native format mode, and
- (3) transferring said re-sequenced data from said track image buffer to said medium according to said second native format mode at said first transfer rate;
- or
- c. if said second native format mode is a higher level performance recording format mode than said first native format mode:
- (1) transferring said data to a track image buffer,
- (2) re-sequencing said data in said track image buffer in accordance with said second native format mode,
- (3) writing said re-sequenced data to said medium such that said data is written in said second native format mode such that said data can be transferred at said second transfer rate when said medium is used with an apparatus operational at said second native format mode.
A method of reading data on a removable medium using a low performance data read-write apparatus having a low performance native mode format wherein said data is stored on said medium in accordance with a high performance native mode format of a high performance data read-write apparatus wherein said high performance native mode format has a data rate level of performance greater than said low performance native mode format, comprising:
- retrieving said data from said recording medium into a buffering means with said low performance data read-write apparatus in accordance with said high performance native mode format;
- restructuring said data from said high performance native mode format to said low performance native mode format using said buffering means;
- and
- reading said restructured data from said buffering means in accordance with said low performance native mode format with said low performance data read-write apparatus.
In a read-write apparatus for the storage and retrieval of data on a removable medium, said apparatus having a first native format mode with a data rate level of performance for reading data, a method for reading data from a medium recorded with data in a second native format mode having a data rate level of performance different from said first native format mode of said apparatus, comprising the steps of:
- a. determining whether said second native format mode has a higher or lower data rate level of performance than said first native format mode;
- b. transferring said data in parallel simultaneously from said medium to a track image buffer in accordance with said second native format mode if said second native format mode has a lower data rate level of performance than said first native format mode;
- c. transferring said data from said medium to said track image buffer in accordance with said second native format mode if said second native format mode has a higher data rate level of performance than said first native format mode;
- d. re-sequencing said data in accordance with said first native format mode;
- and
- e. reading said re-sequenced data from said track image buffer in accordance with said first native format mode.
A method for data format restructuring between low and high performance formats having respective low and high data rate levels of performance in a mass storage medium drive having a read-write head device, a transport device for receiving a media and transporting said media across said head device, a controller device for controlling operation of said head device and said transport device and having an interface device for connecting said drive to a communication bus of a host system, said controller device being adapted to transfer data to and from said media, comprising:
- providing a track imaging buffer, connected to said controller device;
- and
- restructuring data in said track imaging buffer to said high performance format when data is transferred by said controller device to the track imaging buffer in said low performance format.
A magnetic tape drive for reading and writing data to at least one removable magnetic recording tape for a host device connected to a data bus, said drive being adapted to read and write data in accordance with a native data format mode of operation having a given data rate level of performance that uses all read-write functionality capability of said drive, comprising:
- a read-write head having a plurality of read-write elements;
- a tape transport for receiving said magnetic recording tape and transporting said tape across said read-write head such that said read-write head elements interface with said magnetic recording tape;
- a recording channel device connected to said read-write head elements;
- a controller-formatter device connected to said recording channel device;
- a bus interface device connected to said controller-formatter and said data bus;
- and
- a track image buffer connected to said controller-formatter such that data to and from said bus can be imaged in a sequence other than said native data format mode and transferred by said controller to and from said tape via said channel device in said sequence other than said native data format mode,
- whereby said drive is adapted to read and write magnetic recording tapes having either one of a higher level performance format with a data rate level of performance greater than said native data format and a lower level performance format with a data rate level of performance lesser than said native data format mode using all or a subset of said read-write functionality capability of said drive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.