A computer-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: receiving a read request for data stored on a magnetic tape, determining whether a copy of a portion of the requested data is located in a cache, instructing a tape drive to access portions of the requested data determined to not be located in the cache, for each of the portions of the requested data that are not located in the cache, determine whether performing a locate command or performing a read command a plurality of times will retrieve the portions of the requested data in a shorter amount of time, issuing the command determined to retrieve the portions of the requested data in the shorter amount of time, combining the portions of the requested data that are not located in the cache with the portion of the requested data located in the cache, and satisfying the read request.

Communicating data with a medium is provided. A cache is provided for storing target data of a file identified by an access request from an application of a host. The cache is divided into a read cache, a write cache, and an index cache. Responsive to receiving the access request: the medium is loaded onto a drive using a file system; target data is stored to the write cache and to the read cache; and the index file stored in the index cache is updated to reflect position metadata about the target data stored in the write cache. Responsive to initiating unloading of the medium from the drive: the updated index file stored in the index cache is written to the index partition of the medium; and the target data stored in the write cache is written onto a data partition of the medium without using the file system.

A computer-implemented method includes identifying a source data object of a distributed computing environment. The distributed computing environment includes two or more storage nodes. The source data object exists as two or more slices. At least one of the slices is replicated on at least two storage nodes. The computer-implemented method further includes associating the source data object with a tape. The tape is written by a tape drive controlled from the distributed computing environment. The computer-implemented method further includes copying the source data object to the tape by, for each source slice of the two or more slices, in sequence: selecting a source node of the two or more storage nodes whereon the source slice is replicated, mounting the tape drive to the source node, appending the source slice to the tape, and unmounting the tape drive.

Communicating data with a medium is provided. A cache is provided for storing target data of a file identified by an access request from an application of a host. The cache is divided into a read cache, a write cache, and an index cache. Responsive to receiving the access request: the medium is loaded onto a drive using a file system; target data is stored to the write cache and to the read cache; and the index file stored in the index cache is updated to reflect position metadata about the target data stored in the write cache. Responsive to initiating unloading of the medium from the drive: the updated index file stored in the index cache is written to the index partition of the medium; and the target data stored in the write cache is written onto a data partition of the medium without using the file system.

A tape drive-implemented method for encrypting metadata on a magnetic tape, the tape drive-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: writing an index to a magnetic tape. The index includes: metadata corresponding to a file stored on the magnetic tape, and metadata corresponding to a directory structure of the file. The tape drive-implemented method additionally includes: using a first key to encrypt a first portion of the metadata in the index corresponding to the file, and using a second key to encrypt a first portion of the metadata in the index corresponding to the directory structure of the file. Other systems, methods, and computer program products are described in additional embodiments.

A computer-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: receiving a read request for data stored on a magnetic tape, determining whether a copy of a portion of the requested data is located in a cache, instructing a tape drive to access portions of the requested data determined to not be located in the cache, for each of the portions of the requested data that are not located in the cache, determine whether performing a locate command or performing a read command a plurality of times will retrieve the portions of the requested data in a shorter amount of time, issuing the command determined to retrieve the portions of the requested data in the shorter amount of time, combining the portions of the requested data that are not located in the cache with the portion of the requested data located in the cache, and satisfying the read request.

Provided is a system, method, and computer program product for minimizing high resolution tape directory (HRTD) recovery time when a HRTD is invalid. A tape drive may load a tape in the tape drive. In response to receiving a write command or a read command at a beginning of tape (BOT) position, the tape drive may execute the write command or the read command without performing HRTD recovery. In response to receiving the write command or the read command at a position other than the BOT position, the tape drive may determine if the HRTD is valid. In response to determining the HRTD is not valid, the tape drive may clear a timer.

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 system according to one embodiment includes a processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor. The logic is configured to cause the processor to store hierarchically-organized global configuration information for each node and each tape library resource in a storage cluster to at least one memory accessible by each node of the storage cluster. The storage cluster includes at least one tape library. Also, the logic is configured to cause the processor to migrate data to and/or recall data from a tape cartridge pool within a tape library, using the hierarchically-organized global configuration information and via a node which has access to the tape cartridge pool, in response to receiving a migration and/or recall request at any node of the storage cluster. Other systems, methods, and computer program products for management of data and resources in a tiered data storage system are described in more embodiments.

Data is relocated, based on an intelligent data placement algorithm, from a first storage location to a second storage location in a disk storage system. A data placement record is generated including a virtual disk location associated with the data, the second storage location, and a first sequence value. The first sequence value indicates relative sequence when compared to other sequence values. The data placement record is written to a first record location on a first tape cartridge loaded in a tape drive. The data placement records are used with data records to restore data to disk storage from tape backup.