Distributing tape drive abrasion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10600433-B2
Application number	US-201916441112-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2019
Priority date	Dec 28, 2017
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

Some embodiments are directed to computer program products for use with tape drives that oscillate the relative transverse position of a tape and magnetic head during seek operations (for example, by moving the magnetic head in the transverse direction). Some embodiments are directed to methods and computer program products for use with tape drives that select relative transverse position of the tape and magnetic head to counter uneven wear (for example, observed uneven wear, uneven wear predicted based on historical tape and drive usage data).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for use with a magnetic tape data storage system including a plurality of tape drives, with each tape drive including a magnetic head with a tape facing surface, the method comprising:
receiving a drive head wear profile data set including information indicative of an observed and/or estimated wear profile of the tape facing surface of the magnetic head of each tape drive of a plurality of tape drives available to the magnetic tape data storage system;
receiving an incoming data writing operation including information indicative of a target magnetic tape medium;
receiving a target magnetic tape medium including a historical data set indicative of unused portions of the target magnetic tape medium based on historical data operations using the target magnetic tape medium;
determining a target tape drive based, at least in part, on: (i) the drive head wear profile data set, and (ii) the historical data set of the target magnetic tape medium; and
performing the received incoming data writing operation on the target magnetic tape medium using the target tape drive.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
updating the drive head wear profile data set based on the performed received incoming data writing operation.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drive head wear profile is based on recorded historical data operations performed using the plurality of tape drives of the magnetic tape data storage system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:
at least some of the target magnetic tape medium is used by recorded data from historical data writing operations; and
the target magnetic tape medium is defined by a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the target magnetic tape medium is partitioned in the transverse direction into a plurality of bands.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein:
the incoming data writing operation includes information indicative of how much data is to be written; and
the historical data set includes information indicative of which bands the incoming data writing operation will be performed on based, at least in part, on how much data is to be written during the incoming data writing operation.

7. A computer program product (CPP) comprising:
a magnetic tape data storage system including a plurality of tape drives, with each tape drive including a magnetic head with a tape facing surface;
a machine readable storage device; and
computer code stored on the machine readable storage device, with the computer code including instructions for causing a processor(s) set to perform operations including the following:
receiving a drive head wear profile data set including information indicative of an observed and/or estimated wear profile of the tape facing surface of the magnetic head of each tape drive of a plurality of tape drives available to the magnetic tape data storage system,
receiving an incoming data writing operation including information indicative of a target magnetic tape medium,
receiving a target magnetic tape medium including a historical data set indicative of unused portions of the target magnetic tape medium based on historical data operations using the target magnetic tape medium,
determining a target tape drive based, at least in part, on: (i) the drive head wear profile data set, and (ii) the historical data set of the target magnetic tape medium, and
performing the received incoming data writing operation on the target magnetic tape medium using the target tape drive.

8. The CPP of claim 7 , wherein the computer code further includes instructions for causing the processor(s) set to perform the following operations:
updating the drive head wear profile data set based on the performed received incoming data writing operation.

9. The CPP of claim 7 , wherein the drive head wear profile is based on recorded historical data operations performed using the plurality of tape drives of the magnetic tape data storage system.

10. The CPP of claim 7 wherein:
at least some of the target magnetic tape medium is used by recorded data from historical data writing operations; and
the target magnetic tape medium is defined by a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction.

11. The CPP of claim 10 , wherein the target magnetic tape medium is partitioned in the transverse direction into a plurality of bands.

12. The CPP of claim 11 , wherein:
the incoming data writing operation includes information indicative of how much data is to be written; and
the historical data set includes information indicative of which bands the incoming data writing operation will be performed on based, at least in part, on how much data is to be written during the incoming data writing operation.

13. A computer system (CS) comprising:
a magnetic tape data storage system including a plurality of tape drives, with each tape drive including a magnetic head with a tape facing surface;
a processor(s) set;
a machine readable storage device; and
computer code stored on the machine readable storage device, with the computer code including instructions for causing the processor(s) set to perform operations including the following:
receiving a drive head wear profile data set including information indicative of an observed and/or estimated wear profile of the tape facing surface of the magnetic head of each tape drive of a plurality of tape drives available to the magnetic tape data storage system,
receiving an incoming data writing operation including information indicative of a target magnetic tape medium,
receiving a target magnetic tape medium including a historical data set indicative of unused portions of the target magnetic tape medium based on historical data operations using the target magnetic tape medium,
determining a target tape drive based, at least in part, on: (i) the drive head wear profile data set, and (ii) the historical data set of the target magnetic tape medium, and
performing the received incoming data writing operation on the target magnetic tape medium using the target tape drive.

14. The CS of claim 13 , wherein the computer code further includes instructions for causing the processor(s) set to perform the following operations:
updating the drive head wear profile data set based on the performed received incoming data writing operation.

15. The CS of claim 13 , wherein the drive head wear profile is based on recorded historical data operations performed using the plurality of tape drives of the magnetic tape data storage system.

16. The CS of claim 13 wherein:
at least some of the target magnetic tape medium is used by recorded data from historical data writing operations; and
the target magnetic tape medium is defined by a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction.

17. The CS of claim 16 , wherein the target magnetic tape medium is partitioned in the transverse direction into a plurality of bands.

18. The CS of claim 17 , wherein:
the incoming data writing operation includes information indicative of how much data is to be written; and
the historical data set includes information indicative of which bands the incoming data writing operation will be performed on based, at least in part, on how much data is to be written during the incoming data writing operation.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Breuer Marcus
• Freitag Bernd
• Krick Frank
• Oswald Tim

Classifications

• G11B5/3106

  where the integrated or assembled structure comprises means for conditioning against physical detrimental influence, e.g. wear, contamination (G11B5/3133 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G11B5/40 Primary

  Protective measures on heads, e.g. against excessive temperature  (G11B5/31 takes precedence; protection against wear G11B5/255  {; protective structure of the head: see under structures, e.g. G11B5/3106}) · CPC title

• G11B5/52

  with simultaneous movement of head and record carrier, e.g. rotation of head (G11B5/588 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G11B5/1871 Primary

  Shaping or contouring of the transducing or guiding surface · CPC title