Method of detecting tampering of data in tape drive, and file system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9406334-B2
Application number	US-201214347183-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2012
Priority date	Oct 14, 2011
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

A method of detecting whether data in a tape drive used in a file system is tampered is described according to one embodiment. The method includes: (a) preparing a first tape cartridge including a tape on which multiple files and archival records of index information are stored in a WORM partition, and index information is stored in the R/W partition; (b) reading and comparing the index information of the R/W partition and the last index information of the WORM partition; and (c) when these two pieces of index information do not match, determining that the index information of the R/W partition is tampered when these two pieces of index information do not match.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of detecting whether data in a tape drive used in a file system is tampered, the method comprising:
preparing a first tape cartridge including a tape having at least two or more partitions, where at least one partition is a Write Once Read Many (WORM) partition, at least any other one partition is an R/W partition, a plurality of files and archival records of index information are stored in the WORM partition, and index information is stored in the R/W partition;
reading the index information of the R/W partition and last index information of the WORM partition from the tape drive in which the first tape cartridge is inserted, and comparing both pieces of index information; and
determining that the index information of the R/W partition is tampered when the index information of the R/W partition and the last index information of the WORM partition do not match.

2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising determining whether a file in the WORM partition is updated or deleted, based on the archival records of index information of the WORM partition.

3. The method according to claim 1 comprising:
preparing a second tape cartridge including a tape having at least two or more partitions, where at least one partition one the tape of the second tape cartridge is a WORM partition, at least any other one partition on the tape of the second tape cartridge is an R/W partition, index information is stored in the WORM partition, and a file is stored in the R/W partition; and
reading the index information of the WORM partition from the tape drive in which the second tape cartridge is inserted, and determining, based on the index information, at least one of whether the file in the R/W partition is updated or deleted.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the R/W partition is a first partition in a longitudinal direction of the tape.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein information indicating which partitions of the at least two or more partitions are the WORM partition and the R/W partition is recorded in an FID or a servo band of the tape, or stored in a memory of the second tape cartridge.

6. A file system comprising:
a computer;
a tape drive communicable with the computer; and
wherein the tape drive is configured to read a tape of a first tape cartridge inserted in the tape drive, the tape having at least two or more partitions, where at least one partition is a WORM partition, at least any other one partition is an R/W partition, a plurality of files and archival records of index information are stored in the WORM partition, and index information is stored in the R/W partition,
wherein the computer is configured to read the index information of the R/W partition and last index information of the WORM partition from the tape drive in which the first tape cartridge is inserted, and to determine that the index information of the R/W partition is tampered when both pieces of index information to not match.

7. The file system according to claim 6 , wherein the tape drive is configured to read a tape of a second tape cartridge inserted in the tape drive, the tape having at least two or more partitions, where at least one partition is a WORM partition, at least any other one partition is an R/W partition, index information is stored in the WORM partition, and a file is stored in the R/W partition, and
wherein the computer is configured to read the index information of the WORM partition from the tape drive in which the second tape cartridge is inserted, and to determine, based on the index information, whether the file in the R/W partition is updated or deleted.

8. The file system according to claim 6 , wherein the R/W partition is a first partition in a longitudinal direction of the tape.

9. The file system according to claim 7 , wherein information indicating which partitions of the at least two or more partitions are the WORM partition and the R/W partition is recorded in an FID or a servo band of the tape, or stored in a memory of the second tape cartridge.

Assignees

• Hasegawa Tohru
• Hirata Takamasa
• Imai Naoki
• Kamiya Masanori
• Oishi Yutaka
• IBM

Inventors

• Hasegawa Tohru
• Hirata Takamasa
• Imai Naoki
• Kamiya Masanori
• Oishi Yutaka

Classifications

• G06F3/0643

  Management of files · CPC title

• G11B5/00813

  magnetic tapes · CPC title

• G11B2220/956

  Linear tape open [LTO] format · CPC title

• G06F3/0682

  Tape device · CPC title

• G06F3/0623 Primary

  in relation to content · CPC title