An HRTD stored in the volatile memory of a tape drive is communicated for storage in an off-tape non-volatile memory prior to unloading a tape cartridge. In response to the tape cartridge being loaded into the tape drive, the HRTD is received from the off-tape non-volatile memory.

Migrating virtual tapes between different virtual tape storages without host involvement is described herein. A system as described herein can include a local tape library comprising respective storage devices; a memory that stores executable components; and a processor that executes the executable components stored in the memory. The executable components can comprise a connection component that establishes a first connection to a host system and a second connection to an external tape library; a request processing component that receives an access request for a requested storage device from the host system via the first connection; and a proxy component that accesses the requested storage device at the outside tape library via the second connection and enables access to the requested storage device by the host system via the first connection in response to the requested storage device being determined to be absent from the local tape library.

An information processing apparatus executes processing of making sizes of a plurality of pieces of data the same by adding dummy data to data other than data having a maximum size among the plurality of pieces of data, generates parity data based on the plurality of pieces of data to which the dummy data is added, and selects the magnetic tapes as recording destinations of the plurality of pieces of data and the parity data from the plurality of magnetic tapes such that a difference in a size of at least one of the dummy data or the parity data to be recorded on each of the plurality of magnetic tapes is minimized.

A method for implementing an object store using removable storage media includes the steps of receiving a request to retrieve first data; determining a first data object in which at least a portion of the first data is stored; determining a removable storage medium on which the first data object is stored, the removable storage medium including a value store partition into which one or more data objects including at least the first data object are stored and a key store partition into which one or more keys identifying the one or more data objects are stored; retrieving the first data object from the value store partition; and retrieving the at least a portion of the first data from the first data object. The method can further be performed using a data management system and/or one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media.

A method for copying a plurality of files from a first file system to a tape-based file system, includes the steps of ingesting the plurality of files into the first file system, the first file system including a first system controller including a processor; assigning each of the plurality of files within the file system to a group with a file system application to create at least one file group; defining a desired order of the files in each of the at least one file group with the file system application to create at least one ordered file group; indicating when the at least one ordered file group is ready to be written to tape with the file system application to create at least one ready, ordered file group; and copying each of the at least one ordered file group with the first system controller to be written to the tape-based file system.

Accessing additional storage space of a storage system includes reading a physical data fragment that is an incremental subset of a physical storage unit of the storage system, accessing metadata corresponding to logical blocks stored on the physical data fragment to determine a sidebar storage portion of the physical data fragment that is unused by the logical blocks, and accessing data of the sidebar storage portion. Accessing data of the sidebar storage portion may include providing data from the sidebar storage portion to a calling process. Accessing data of the sidebar storage portion may include modifying a portion of data from the physical data fragment and writing the physical data fragment back to the physical storage device. The physical data fragment may be locked prior to reading the physical data fragment and the physical data fragment may be unlocked after writing the physical data fragment.

Presented herein are systems and methods for backing up and restoring data from a client computing system to a provider's virtual tape library using a proxy. The proxy emulates a physical tape library that interfaces with a client's system and allowing the use of client's native tape backup commands to initiate the backup data process. The backup data is transferred into files that represent tapes in the proxy and further processed into extents in the provider's object store. The processed backup data is stored in the local cache in the object store where it is retained for future access. The backup data may also be transferred to long-term storage via a media agent that facilitate movement of the data from the local cache to secondary storage. The present disclosure also provides for creating auxiliary copies of the backed-up data using a second VTL at a second site.

Techniques for generating action recommendations for a data tape system based on a media drive calibration are disclosed. A system receives a request to perform an operation including an exchange between a data tape and a media drive. If the system determines that the operation is a data tape validation operation, the system determines whether the media drive is calibrated. If the calibration value of the media drive does not meet a threshold, the system performs a calibration procedure. The system may calibrate the media drive or replace the media drive with a calibrated media drive. The system performs the validation operation. Based on a validation result, a data tape quality value, and the media drive calibration value, the system generates a recommended action for a data tape.

A data storage library system includes a data storage library, at least one environmental conditioning unit, at least one data storage drive retained within the data storage library, and at least one access door for providing access to an interior portion of the data storage library. The system also includes a library controller, wherein the library controller is configured to initiate a service mode prior to and during a service procedure performed within the data storage library, and further wherein at least one operational state within the at least one data storage drive is changed during the service mode. The change in the at least one operational state may be, for example, an increase in temperature within the at least one data storage drive, or the insertion of a data storage cartridge into the at least one data storage drive during the service mode.

A computer-implemented method for migrating file data in a hierarchical storage environment includes: detecting that a file recalled from a magnetic tape to a primary storage device was modified; determining whether the magnetic tape from which the file was recalled is loaded in a tape drive upon detecting that the file was modified; responsive to determining that the magnetic tape from which the file was recalled is loaded in the tape drive upon detecting that the file was modified, appending only a modified portion of the file to the magnetic tape; and responsive to determining that the magnetic tape from which the file was recalled is not loaded in the tape drive upon detecting that the file was modified, appending the file in its entirety, including the modified portion of the file and any unmodified portions of the file, to a different magnetic tape.