An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a controller configured to control writing operations to a magnetic recording tape, and logic integrated with and/or executable by the controller for causing the controller to receive a plurality of records, store datasets associated with the plurality of records in a buffer memory, and write the datasets stored in the buffer memory to the magnetic recording tape in response to a predetermined number of datasets being stored in the buffer memory. For each of the datasets being written, an end longitudinal position indicative of a physical position where the dataset is physically written to the magnetic recording tape is determined. Moreover, for each determined end longitudinal position, the end longitudinal position and an identifier of the associated dataset are stored to a table of a dataset that is to be subsequently written to the magnetic recording tape.

Systems and methods that substantially or fully remove a commanding server from a data path (e.g., as part of a data migration, disaster recovery, and/or the like) to improve data movement performance and make additional bandwidth available for other system processes and the like. Broadly, a network interface card (e.g., host bus adapter (HBA)) of a tape drive may be configured in both a target mode to allow the tape drive to be a recipient of control commands from a server to request and/or otherwise obtain data from one or more source tape drives, and in an initiator mode to allow the tape drive to send commands to the one or more tape drives specified in the commands received from the server to request/read data from and/or write data to such one or more tape drives.

A system includes memory and one or more processors programmed to operate a logical layer, a media link layer, and a slot layer. The logical layer is configured to send and receive object data to a host according to an object storage protocol. The media link layer is configured to map the object data to virtual media addresses. The slot layer is configured to map the virtual media addresses to physical addresses of data storage devices.

A computer-implemented method can include obtaining tape data for one or more tapes. The tape data can include pointer data corresponding to a first file. The method can further include determining, based on the tape data, that the first file is stored on a first tape of the one or more tapes. The first tape can have an export status. The method can further include determining that the pointer data includes a pointer to the first tape and a pointer to a second tape. The second tape can have a non-export status. The method can further include storing at least a portion of the tape data. The method can further include initiating, based on the first tape having the export status, a deactivation of the pointer to the first tape.

Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems, methods, and computer-readable media to implement an object store with removable storage media. In a particular embodiment, a method provides identifying first data for storage on a first removable storage medium and designating at least a portion of the first data to a first data object. The method further provides determining a first location where to store the first data object in a first value store partition of the first removable storage medium and writing the first data object to the first location. Also, the method provides writing a first key that identifies the first data object and indicates the first location to a first key store partition of the first removable storage medium.

A computer-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: determining whether a first amount of time associated with performing a locate operation to advance a magnetic tape from a current position to a beginning of the requested data is less than a second amount of time associated with performing a number of read operations to advance the magnetic tape from the current position to the beginning of the requested data. In response to determining that the first amount of time is less than the second amount of time, a tape drive is instructed to perform the locate operation. In response to determining that the first amount of time is not less than the second amount of time, the tape drive is instructed to perform the number of read operations. The tape drive is also instructed to discard data read from the magnetic tape while performing the number of read operations.

A computer-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: receiving a read request for data stored on a magnetic tape, the data having multiple portions. For each portion of the requested data determined as not being located in a cache, a determination is made as to whether performing a locate command or performing a read command a plurality of times will retrieve the portions of the requested data that are not located in the cache in a shorter amount of time. The command determined to retrieve the portions of the requested data that are not located in the cache in the shorter amount of time are issued to a tape drive. Moreover, the portions of the requested data that are not located in the cache are combined with portions of the requested data that are located in the cache. Furthermore, the combined portions are used to satisfy the read request.

A computer-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: receiving a read request for data stored on a magnetic tape. For each portion of the requested data, an iterative process is performed. In preferred approaches, the iterative process includes: instructing a tape drive to read the portion of the requested data from the magnetic tape, and determining whether a copy of the portion of the requested data is located in a cache. In response to determining that a copy of the portion of the requested data is located in the cache, the tape drive is instructed to discard the portion of the requested data read from the magnetic tape. However, in response to determining that a copy of the portion of the requested data is not located in the cache, the portion of the requested data read from the magnetic tape is received from the tape drive.

A dynamic premigration protocol is implemented in response to a secondary tier returning to an operational state and an amount of data associated with a premigration queue of a primary tier exceeding a first threshold. The dynamic premigration protocol can comprise at least a temporary premigration throttling level. An original premigration protocol is implemented in response to an amount of data associated with the premigration queue decreasing below the first threshold.

A tape drive that can select one or more wraps from any available wraps on a tape medium for writing temporary data upon detecting a flush condition. The one or more wraps selected for writing temporary data can be selected from wraps otherwise reserved for normal writing operations. Selection of the one or more wraps for temporary writing may be based on multiple considerations, including proximity to the wrap of current data writing operations and tape medium degradation. The one or more wraps selected for writing temporary data may be selected with or without regard of their assigned read/write direction. Assigning wraps based on proximity and/or degradation can lead to certain operational advantages including reducing tape write head movement in the transverse direction and spreading tape medium wear more evenly across the surface of the tape medium.