Tamper resistant write once recording of a data storage cartridge having rewritable media
View Patent ↗A cartridge handling system and method initialize a data storage cartridge having rewritable media and a cartridge memory for tamper resistant write once recording. A write-once flag is written to a lockable section of the cartridge memory also having a cartridge memory serial number, and the section locked to read-only. A write-once flag and the serial number are written to a required data set of the rewritable media, both thereby appearing in both locations of the cartridge.
1. A cartridge handling system for initializing a data storage cartridge for tamper resistant write-once recording, the data storage cartridge having (i) a memory circuit, (ii) a recording medium, and (iii) a cartridge shell which contains the memory circuit and the recording medium, the cartridge handling system comprising:
a memory circuit interface to exchange information with the memory circuit of the data storage cartridge;
a recording medium interface to exchange information with the recording medium of the data storage cartridge; and
a controller coupled to the memory circuit interface and the recording medium interface, the controller being configured to:
direct the memory circuit interface to write a memory circuit write-once flag to a section of the memory circuit,
direct the memory circuit interface to read a cartridge identifier from the memory circuit, and
direct the recording medium interface to write a recording medium write-once flag and the cartridge identifier to the recording medium to provide write-once flags and the cartridge identifier at multiple locations within the cartridge shell for tamper resistant write-once recording.
2. The cartridge handling system of claim 1 wherein the recording medium of the data storage cartridge stores a Format Identification Data Set, and wherein the recording medium interface is configured to write the recording medium write-once flag and the cartridge identifier to respective locations within the Format Identification Data Set when the controller directs the recording medium interface to write the recording medium write-once flag and the cartridge identifier to the recording medium.
3. The cartridge handling system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to:
direct the recording medium interface to read a prerecorded media identifier from the recording medium; and
direct the memory circuit interface to write the prerecorded media identifier to the section of the memory circuit.
4. The cartridge handling system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to:
lock the section of the memory circuit to a read-only state.
5. The cartridge handling system of claim 1 wherein the memory circuit interface is configured to communicate with contactless hardware memory circuitry of the memory circuit, and wherein the recording medium interface is configured to communicate with magnetic tape memory of the recording medium.
6. The cartridge handling system of claim 2 wherein the controller is configured to identify tampering and prevent data rewriting when the cartridge identifier from the memory circuit is not the same as the cartridge identifier written to the respective locations within the Format Identification Data Set stored by the recording medium.
7. A data storage cartridge, comprising:
a memory circuit having a section that stores a cartridge identifier and a memory circuit write-once flag;
a recording medium that stores the cartridge identifier and a recording medium write-once flag; and
a cartridge shell which contains the memory circuit and the recording medium to provide write-once flags and the cartridge identifier at multiple locations within the cartridge shell for tamper resistant write once recording.
8. The data storage cartridge of claim 7 wherein the recording medium stores a Format Identification Data Set which includes the recording medium write-once flag and the cartridge identifier.
9. The data storage cartridge of claim 7 wherein the recording medium further stores a prerecorded media identifier which is prerecorded on the recording medium, and wherein the section of the memory circuit further stores the prerecorded media identifier.
10. The data storage cartridge of claim 7 wherein the section of the memory circuit is locked to a read-only state.
11. The data storage cartridge of claim 7 wherein the memory circuit includes contactless hardware memory circuitry that stores the cartridge identifier and the memory circuit write-once flag; and wherein the recording medium includes magnetic tape memory that stores the cartridge identifier and the recording medium write-once flag.
12. The data storage cartridge of claim 8 wherein a difference between (i) the cartridge identifier stored by the section of the memory circuit and (ii) the cartridge identifier of the Format Identification Data Set stored by the recording medium identifies tampering and prevents data rewriting.
13. A method for initializing a data storage cartridge for tamper resistant write-once recording, the data storage cartridge having (i) a memory circuit, (ii) a recording medium, and (iii) a cartridge shell which contains the memory circuit and the recording medium, the method comprising:
writing a memory circuit write-once flag to a section of the memory circuit;
reading a cartridge identifier from the memory circuit; and
writing a recording medium write-once flag and the cartridge identifier to the recording medium to provide write-once flags and the cartridge identifier at multiple locations within the cartridge shell for tamper resistant write-once recording.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the recording medium of the data storage cartridge stores a Format Identification Data Set, and wherein writing the recording medium write-once flag and the cartridge identifier to the recording medium includes:
storing the recording medium write-once flag and the cartridge identifier to respective locations within the Format Identification Data Set.
15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
reading a prerecorded media identifier from the recording medium; and
writing the prerecorded media identifier to the section of the memory circuit.
16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
after writing the memory circuit write-once flag to the section of the memory circuit, locking the section of the memory circuit to a read-only state.
17. The method of claim 13 wherein reading the cartridge identifier includes obtaining the cartridge identifier from contactless hardware memory circuitry of the memory circuit; and wherein writing the recording medium write-once flag and the cartridge identifier to the recording medium includes storing the recording medium write-once flag and the cartridge identifier on magnetic tape memory of the recording medium.
18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
identifying tampering and prevent data rewriting when the cartridge identifier from the memory circuit is not the same as the cartridge identifier written to the respective locations within the Format Identification Data Set stored by the recording medium.
19. A data storage drive for exchanging information with a data storage cartridge having (i) a memory circuit, (ii) a recording medium, and (iii) a cartridge shell which contains the memory circuit and the recording medium, the data storage drive comprising:
a memory circuit interface to interface with the memory circuit of the data storage cartridge;
a recording medium interface to interface with the recording medium of the data storage cartridge; and
a controller coupled to the memory circuit interface and the recording medium interface, the controller being configured to:
direct the memory circuit interface to read a section of the memory circuit,
direct the recording medium interface to read a portion of the recording medium,
enable normal information exchange with the data storage cartridge when the section of the memory circuit includes a memory circuit write-once flag and a cartridge identifier and when the portion of the recording medium includes a recording medium write-once flag and the cartridge identifier, and
reject normal information exchange with the data storage cartridge when at least one of (i) the section of the memory circuit does not include both the memory circuit write-once flag and the cartridge identifier, and (ii) the portion of the recording medium does not include both the recording medium write-once flag and the cartridge identifier.
20. The data storage drive of claim 19 wherein the recording medium of the data storage cartridge stores a Format Identification Data Set, and wherein the recording medium interface is configured to access at least a portion of the Format Identification Data Set when the controller directs the recording medium interface to read the portion of the recording medium.
21. The data storage drive of claim 19 wherein the controller is further configured to selectively read information from the recording medium and write information to previously non-written portions of the recording medium when the controller enables normal information exchange with the data storage cartridge.
22. The data storage drive of claim 19 wherein the controller, when enabling normal information exchange with the data storage cartridge, is configured to confirm that the memory circuit further includes a prerecorded media identifier and that the portion of the recording medium further includes the prerecorded media identifier; and wherein the controller, when rejecting normal information exchange with the data storage cartridge, is configured to confirm at least one of (i) that the memory circuit does not include the prerecorded media identifier and (ii) that the portion of the recording medium does not include the prerecorded media identifier.
23. The data storage drive of claim 19 wherein the memory circuit interface is configured to communicate with contactless hardware memory circuitry of the memory circuit, and wherein the recording medium interface is configured to communicate with magnetic tape memory of the recording medium.
24. The data storage drive of claim 20 wherein the controller, when rejecting normal information exchange, is configured to identify tampering and prevent data rewriting in response to a detected difference between (i) the cartridge identifier of the section of the memory circuit and (ii) a cartridge identifier of the Format Identification Data Set stored by the recording medium.
25. A computer program product that includes a computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for initializing a data storage cartridge for tamper resistant write-once recording, such that the instructions, when carried out by a computerized circuit, cause the computerized circuit to:
direct a memory circuit interface to write a memory circuit write-once flag to a section of a memory circuit of a data storage cartridge,
direct the memory circuit interface to read a cartridge identifier from the memory circuit of the data storage cartridge, and
direct a recording medium interface to write a recording medium write-once flag and the cartridge identifier to a recording medium of the data storage cartridge to provide write-once flags and the cartridge identifier at multiple locations within the data storage cartridge for tamper resistant write-once recording.
26. The computer program product of claim 25 wherein the recording medium of the data storage cartridge stores a Format Identification Data Set, and wherein the instructions of the computer readable medium cause the computerized circuit to direct the recording medium interface to write the recording medium write-once flag and the cartridge identifier to respective locations within the Format Identification Data Set when writing the recording medium write-once flag and the cartridge identifier to the recording medium.
27. The computer program product of claim 26 wherein the instructions, when carried out by the computerized circuit, further cause the computerized circuit to identify tampering and prevent data rewriting when the cartridge identifier from the memory circuit is not the same as the cartridge identifier written to the respective locations within the Format Identification Data Set stored by the recording medium.