A storage control apparatus controls a tape apparatus including a plurality of tape drives. The storage control apparatus is configured to calculate, when causing the tape apparatus to execute write processing of dividing write data into a predetermined size and writing to a plurality of magnetic tapes, a write start position of the write data for each of the plurality of magnetic tapes where the write start position being different in each of the plurality of magnetic tapes and instruct the tape apparatus with the write start positions, and specify, when a reading range is designated, a read start position indicating a head of data in the reading range for each magnetic tape, and instruct the tape apparatus to read data in the reading range in an order from a magnetic tape of which the read start position is closer to an end of the magnetic tape.

A storage control apparatus controls a tape apparatus including a plurality of tape drives. The storage control apparatus is configured to calculate, when causing the tape apparatus to execute write processing of dividing write data into a predetermined size and writing to a plurality of magnetic tapes, a write start position of the write data for each of the plurality of magnetic tapes where the write start position being different in each of the plurality of magnetic tapes and instruct the tape apparatus with the write start positions, and specify, when a reading range is designated, a read start position indicating a head of data in the reading range for each magnetic tape, and instruct the tape apparatus to read data in the reading range in an order from a magnetic tape of which the read start position is closer to an end of the magnetic tape.

In one embodiment, a method includes writing a file into a data partition of a tape medium, writing a pointer of the written file in an index partition and creating a high resolution tape directory (HRTD) including detailed location information of data in a data partition. The method also includes storing the HRTD as part of end of data (EOD) of the index partition in response to a tape cartridge housing the tape medium being unloaded. The storing the HRTD as part of the EOD of the index partition includes requesting movement of the tape medium to the index partition in order to update an index file after changes have occurred to data in the data partition, writing an updated index file into the index partition concurrent to writing an updated HRTD into the EOD of the index partition, and requesting for the tape cartridge to be unloaded.

A capability to store meta-information related to file access histories on tape recording systems is provided. Base meta-information is stored on a tape. The base meta-information is meta-information that is associated with one or more files that are stored on the tape and is based, at least in part, on a tape access operation history. A first quantity of differentiated meta-information is stored on the tape at a predetermined time interval after storing the base meta-information, wherein the first quantity of differentiated meta-information is based, at least in part, on the tape access operation history and reflects a history of at least one file of the one or more files that are associated with the base meta-information.

[Object] To provide a technology capable of further improving the recording density of data.

[Solving Means] A magnetic recording medium according to the present technology is a tape-shaped magnetic recording medium including: a base material; and a magnetic layer, the tape-shaped magnetic recording medium being long in a longitudinal direction and short in a width direction, in which the magnetic layer includes a data band long in the longitudinal direction and a servo band long in the longitudinal direction, a data signal being written to the data band, a servo signal being written to the servo band, the degree of perpendicular orientation of the magnetic layer being 65% or more, a full width at half maximum of an isolated waveform in a reproduced waveform of the data signal is 185 nm or less, a thickness of the magnetic layer is 90 nm or less, and a thickness of the base material is 4.2 μm or less.

A magnetic recording medium according to the present technology is a tape-shaped magnetic recording medium including: a base material; and a magnetic layer, the tape-shaped magnetic recording medium being long in a longitudinal direction and short in a width direction, in which the magnetic layer includes a data band long in the longitudinal direction and a servo band long in the longitudinal direction, a data signal being written to the data band, a servo signal being written to the servo band, the degree of perpendicular orientation of the magnetic layer being 65% or more, a full width at half maximum of an isolated waveform in a reproduced waveform of the data signal is 185 nm or less, a thickness of the magnetic layer is 90 nm or less, and a thickness of the base material is 4.2 μm or less.

A computer-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: receiving, from a tape drive, a first error location on a magnetic tape where a first error occurred, in addition to determining one or more areas on the magnetic tape to be examined based on the first error location. Independent of a read and/or write operation, the tape drive is instructed to induce relative motion between a tape head and the magnetic tape such that the tape head is positioned adjacent to each of the respective one or more areas in turn. Moreover, each of the one or more areas having a respective number of measured servo errors which exceeds a threshold value is identified as a damaged area of the magnetic tape.

A computer program product, according to one embodiment, includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. The program instructions are readable and/or executable by a processor to cause the processor to: determine, by the processor, a first error location on a magnetic tape where a first error occurred. One or more areas on the magnetic tape to be examined are also determined, by the processor, based on the first error location. Independent of a read and/or write operation, relative motion between a tape head and the magnetic tape is induced by the processor, such that the tape head is positioned adjacent to each of the one or more areas in turn. Moreover, each of the one or more areas having a respective number of measured servo errors which exceeds a threshold value are identified, by the processor, as a damaged area of the magnetic tape.

An apparatus according to one approach includes a module having an array of transducers having at least two transducers. The apparatus also includes a persistent memory having stored therein data of a span of the array of transducers at a particular temperature. An apparatus according to another approach includes a module having fiducials at known positions relative to an array of transducers. The apparatus also includes a persistent memory having stored therein data of a span between the fiducials at a particular temperature. The fiducial span may be used in conjunction with the known locations of the fiducials relative to the array to characterize the span of the array.

An apparatus according to one approach includes a module having an array of transducers having at least two transducers. The apparatus also includes a persistent memory having stored therein data of a span of the array of transducers at a particular temperature. An apparatus according to another approach includes a module having fiducials at known positions relative to an array of transducers. The apparatus also includes a persistent memory having stored therein data of a span between the fiducials at a particular temperature. The fiducial span may be used in conjunction with the known locations of the fiducials relative to the array to characterize the span of the array.