Alternate tape repositioning method during data recovery

A method of repositioning a tape for data recovery following a failure to transfer data, the method comprising:

• continuing a first linear tape travel direction to a first ramp-up point;
• changing the first linear tape travel direction to a second linear tape travel direction;
• continuing the second linear tape travel direction to a target data block;
• invoking a first error recovery procedure at the target data block;
• and
• determining if the first error recovery procedure was successful recovering data at the target data block.

A method of repositioning a tape for data recovery following a failure to transfer data, the method comprising:

• continuing a first linear tape travel direction to a first ramp-up point;
• changing the first linear tape travel direction to a second linear tape travel direction;
• continuing the second linear tape travel direction to a target data block;
• invoking a first error recovery procedure at the target data block, the first error recovery procedure including a tape head cleaning operation;
• and
• determining if the first error recovery procedure was successful recovering data at the target data block.

A method of repositioning a tape for data recovery following a failure to transfer data, the method comprising:

• continuing a first linear tape travel direction to a first ramp-up point;
• changing the first linear tape travel direction to a second linear tape travel direction;
• continuing the second linear tape travel direction to a target data block;
• invoking a first error recovery procedure at the target data block, the first error recovery procedure selected from a group of error recovery procedures including multiple attempts to read or write the data, re-tensioning the tape followed by an attempt to reread the data, changing channel filter parameters and tape head cleaning operation;
• and
• determining if the first error recovery procedure was successful recovering data at the target data block.

A method of error recovery including repositioning a tape following a failure to transfer data, the method comprising:

• failing to transfer data at a data block of a tape traveling in a first direction;
• continuing the tape in the first direction to a first point beyond the data block;
• reversing the tape to travel in a second direction;
• performing a first error recovery procedure at the data block while the tape travels in the second direction;
• continuing the tape in the second direction to a second point beyond the data block;
• reversing the tape to travel in the first direction;
• determining if the first error recovery procedure was successful in recovering data at the target data block;
• and
• performing a second error recovery procedure at the data block while the tape travels in the first direction.