Write performance by enabling host data transfer immediately after a reposition command

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11823709-B2
Application number	US-202117400170-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2021
Priority date	Aug 12, 2021
Publication date	Nov 21, 2023
Grant date	Nov 21, 2023

Abstract

In an approach to improving write performance by enabling host data transfer immediately after a reposition command, responsive to receiving on a tape drive a reposition command from a host, a ready response is returned to the host. Write data from the host is accumulated in a write buffer, where the write data is accumulated in the write buffer while simultaneously moving a tape media in the tape drive to a target location. The write data from the write buffer is written to the tape media immediately after the target location is reached on the tape drive.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
responsive to receiving on a tape drive a reposition command from a host, returning, by one or more computer processors, a ready response to the host;
accumulating, by the one or more computer processors, a write data from the host in a write buffer, wherein the write data is accumulated in the write buffer while simultaneously moving a tape media in the tape drive to a target location, wherein the target location is a location of an end of data (EOD); and
writing, by the one or more computer processors, the write data from the write buffer to the tape media immediately after the target location is reached on the tape drive.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein responsive to receiving on the tape drive the reposition command from the host, returning the ready response to the host comprises:
responsive to responsive to receiving on the tape drive the reposition command from the host, confirming, by the one or more computer processors, that an end of data (EOD) is present on the tape media in the tape drive; and
responsive to confirming that the EOD is present on the tape media, returning, by the one or more computer processors, the ready response to the host.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein whether the EOD is present is based on information stored in a cartridge memory in the tape media.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein responsive to receiving on the tape drive the reposition command from the host, returning the ready response to the host further comprises:
dividing, by the one or more computer processors, a memory buffer in the tape drive into a first area and a second area, wherein the first area is the write buffer and the second area is a reposition buffer.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein accumulating the write data from the host in the write buffer, wherein the write data is accumulated in the write buffer while simultaneously moving the tape media in the tape drive to the target location further comprises:
reading, by the one or more computer processors, read data from the tape media, wherein the read data is read from the tape media during moving the tape media to the target location; and
writing, by the one or more computer processors, the read data in the reposition buffer.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the target location is a target record specified in the reposition command.

7. A computer program product comprising one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions including instructions to:
responsive to receiving on a tape drive a reposition command from a host, returning, by one or more computer processors, a ready response to the host;
accumulating, by the one or more computer processors, a write data from the host in a write buffer, wherein the write data is accumulated in the write buffer while simultaneously moving a tape media in the tape drive to a target location, wherein the target location is a location of an end of data (EOD); and
writing, by the one or more computer processors, the write data from the write buffer to the tape media immediately after the target location is reached on the tape drive.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein responsive to receiving on the tape drive the reposition command from the host, return the ready response to the host comprises program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to:
responsive to responsive to receiving on the tape drive the reposition command from the host, confirm that an end of data (EOD) is present on the tape media in the tape drive; and
responsive to confirming that the EOD is present on the tape media, return the ready response to the host.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein whether the EOD is present is based on information stored in a cartridge memory in the tape media.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein responsive to receiving on the tape drive the reposition command from the host, return a ready response to the host further comprises program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to:
divide a memory buffer in the tape drive into a first area and a second area, wherein the first area is the write buffer and the second area is a reposition buffer.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein accumulate the write data from the host in the write buffer, wherein the write data is accumulated in the write buffer while simultaneously moving the tape media in the tape drive to the target location further comprises program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to:
read a read data from the tape media, wherein the read data is read from the tape media during moving the tape media to the target location; and
write the read data in the reposition buffer.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the target location is a target record specified in the reposition command.

13. A computer system comprising:
one or more computer processors;
one or more computer readable storage media; and
program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more computer processors, the stored program instructions including instructions to:
responsive to receiving on a tape drive a reposition command from a host, returning, by one or more computer processors, a ready response to the host;
accumulating, by the one or more computer processors, a write data from the host in a write buffer, wherein the write data is accumulated in the write buffer while simultaneously moving a tape media in the tape drive to a target location, wherein the target location is a location of an end of data (EOD); and
writing, by the one or more computer processors, the write data from the write buffer to the tape media immediately after the target location is reached on the tape drive.

14. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein responsive to receiving on the tape drive the reposition command from the host, return the ready response to the host comprises program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to:
responsive to responsive to receiving on the tape drive the reposition command from the host, confirm that an end of data (EOD) is present on the tape media in the tape drive; and
responsive to confirming that the EOD is present on the tape media, return the ready response to the host.

15. The computer system of claim 14 , wherein whether the EOD is present is based on information stored in a cartridge memory in the tape media.

16. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein responsive to receiving on the tape drive the reposition command from the host, return a ready response to the host further comprises program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to:
divide a memory buffer in the tape drive into a first area and a second area, wherein the first area is the write buffer and the second area is a reposition buffer.

17. The computer system of claim 16 , wherein accumulate the write data from the host in the write buffer, wherein the write data is accumulated in the write buffer while simultaneously moving the tape media in the tape drive to the target location further comprises program instructions stored on the one or more computer readabl

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Miyamura Tsuyoshi
• Yamamoto Noriko
• Abe Atsushi
• Mitsuma Shinsuke
• Itagaki Hiroshi
• Hasegawa Tohru

Classifications

• G11B15/06 Primary

  by sensing auxiliary features on record carriers or containers, e.g. to stop machine near the end of a tape · CPC title

• G11B15/093

  by sensing driving condition of record carrier, e.g. travel, tape tension · CPC title