Avoiding debris accumulation on tape drive

A method for controlling a tape drive head comprising:

• recording, by use of a processor, a position error signal (PES) value and cumulative head turnaround count for each region of a plurality of regions of a magnetic tape;
• selecting a first region in which to reverse travel of the magnetic tape relative to a tape head;
• in response to determining one of the PES value for the first region does not exceed a PES threshold and the cumulative head turnaround count for the first region does not exceed a count threshold, reversing travel of the magnetic tape at the first region and determining a turnaround position within the first region as a function of the cumulative head turnaround count for the first region;
• and
• in response to determining the PES value for the first region exceeds the PES threshold and the cumulative head turnaround count for the first region exceeds the count threshold, selecting a second region at which to reverse travel of the magnetic tape.

A computer program product for avoiding debris accumulation, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions readable/executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

• record a position error signal (PES) value and cumulative head turnaround count for each region of a plurality of regions of a magnetic tape;
• select a first region in which to reverse travel of the magnetic tape relative to a tape head;
• in response to determining one of the PES value for the first region does not exceed a PES threshold and the cumulative head turnaround count for the first region does not exceed a count threshold, reverse travel of the magnetic tape at the first region and determining a turnaround position within the first region as a function of the cumulative head turnaround count for the first region;
• and
• in response to determining the PES value for the first region exceeds the PES threshold and the cumulative head turnaround count for the first region exceeds the count threshold, select a second region at which to reverse travel of the magnetic tape.