In one general embodiment, a method includes receiving a request for a write operation to be performed in a tape drive, determining an expected transaction size of a next write operation, comparing the expected transaction size of the next write operation to each of a first transaction size threshold and a second transaction size threshold in response to receiving the request, determining an optimum a write procedure based at least in part on the comparison, and invoking the optimum write procedure in response to determining the optimum write procedure, wherein the first transaction size threshold is greater than the second transaction size threshold, and wherein the optimum write procedure is selected from the group consisting of: a backhitch write procedure, a same wrap backhitchless flush (SWBF) write procedure, and a recursively accumulating backhitchless flush (RABF) write procedure.

The magnetic recording medium includes a non-magnetic support; a magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic powder on one surface of the non-magnetic support; and a back coating layer including a non-magnetic powder on the other surface of the non-magnetic support, in which a difference (S.sub.after−S.sub.before) between a spacing S.sub.after measured by optical interferometry regarding a surface of the back coating layer after ethanol cleaning and a spacing S.sub.before measured by optical interferometry regarding the surface of the back coating layer before ethanol cleaning is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 15.0 nm, and the non-magnetic support is an aromatic polyester support having a moisture absorption of 0.3% or less.

A product according to one embodiment includes a magnetic recording tape having opposite ends and at least one servo track, a longitudinal axis of the magnetic recording tape being defined between the ends. The at least one servo track has a plurality of straight first magnetic bars, and a plurality of straight second magnetic bars spaced from the first magnetic bars. A width of each of the at least one servo track is defined in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the magnetic recording tape between sides of the servo track. Lengths of the second magnetic bars between outermost ends thereof are less than 80% of the width of the associated servo track, straight portions of the second magnetic bars each having a longitudinal axis oriented substantially 90 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the magnetic recording tape.

A method according to one embodiment includes instructing a drive to detect a written signal burst on a magnetic tape and stop movement of the tape in response to detecting the written signal burst. A search for a defect is conducted in a location proximate to the written signal burst. An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a plurality of detector structures positioned in an array. Each of the detector structures includes a pair of conductive layers separated by an insulating material. A write transducer is aligned with each of the detector structures. A controller is configured to cause one of the write transducers to write a signal burst in response to the associated detector structure encountering a defect.

A cartridge is provided and includes tape-shaped magnetic recording medium; and cartridge memory; wherein cartridge memory includes communication unit that communicates with recording/reproducing device in state where cartridge is loaded on recording/reproducing device; storage unit; and control unit that stores, reads, and transmits information, wherein information includes manufacturing information of cartridge and adjustment information for adjusting a tension applied to the tape-shaped magnetic recording medium in a longitudinal direction of tape-shaped magnetic recording medium thereof, tape-shaped magnetic recording medium has a plurality of servo bands, and wherein a temperature expansion coefficient α of the tape-shaped magnetic recording medium satisfies 6 ppm/° C.≤α≤8 ppm/° C.

A magnetic recording medium that can exhibit good traveling performance during use is provided. This magnetic recording medium is a tape-shaped magnetic recording medium, and includes a substrate, a base layer disposed on the substrate, and a magnetic layer disposed on the base layer. On the surface of the magnetic layer, recesses having a depth of 20% or more of the average thickness of the magnetic layer are formed at a ratio of 20 or more and 200 or less per 1600 μm.sup.2. On the surface of the magnetic layer, a logarithmic decay rate determined by a pendulum viscoelasticity test at a temperature of 10° C. or higher and 45° C. or lower is 0.025 or more and 0.040 or less. A difference between a maximum value of the logarithmic decay rate and a minimum value of the logarithmic decay rate is 0 or more and 0.020 or less. The squareness ratio in the perpendicular direction is 65% or more. The average thickness of the magnetic layer is 80 nm or less. The average thickness of the magnetic recording medium is 5.6 μm or less.

A recording device including at least one processor, wherein the processor is configured to: acquire, for attached information attached to each of a plurality of recording target data recorded on a recording medium, a first relevance degree according to a frequency at which data other than the recording target data attached with information having the same contents as the attached information is read out within a period determined in advance; derive, for each combination of a plurality of recording target data, a second relevance degree representing a possibility that the plurality of recording target data included in the combination is read out within the period based on the first relevance degree; and classify the plurality of recording target data into groups based on the second relevance degree and perform control of recording the classified data on the recording medium for each group.

Provided are a magnetic tape comprising a magnetic layer containing a ferromagnetic powder and a binding agent on a non-magnetic support, in which the magnetic layer contains an oxide abrasive, an average particle diameter of the oxide abrasive obtained from a secondary ion image acquired by irradiating a surface of the magnetic layer with a focused ion beam is 0.04 μm to 0.08 μm, and an absolute value ΔN of a difference between a refractive index Nxy measured with respect to an in-plane direction of the magnetic layer and a refractive index Nz measured with respect to a thickness direction of the magnetic layer is 0.25 to 0.40, and a magnetic recording and reproducing device including the magnetic tape.

An apparatus according to one approach includes an array of skew detection transducers. An array of write transducers is spaced from the array of skew detection transducers along an intended direction of tape travel thereacross. An array of read transducers is aligned with the array of write transducers in the intended direction of tape travel. The apparatus also includes a first actuator configured to operatively exert a force on the array of skew detection transducers for orienting a longitudinal axis of the array of skew detection transducers substantially orthogonal to the actual direction of tape travel across the array of skew detection transducers. A magnetic recording medium according to one approach includes a magnetic recording tape having a longitudinal axis extending between distal ends thereof, the magnetic recording tape having vertical bars written in servo-skew patterns thereof, the vertical bars being oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tape.

The magnetic tape includes: a non-magnetic support; a magnetic layer that includes ferromagnetic powder on one surface side of the non-magnetic support; and a back coating layer that includes non-magnetic powder on the other surface side of the non-magnetic support, in which the ferromagnetic powder is ferromagnetic powder selected from the group consisting of hexagonal strontium ferrite powder and ε-iron oxide powder, and the number of protrusions having a height of 50 nm or more and less than 75 nm on a surface of the back coating layer is 700 pieces/6400 μm.sup.2 or less.