Methods, systems and apparatus for reducing the effects of tape dimensional stability
View Patent ↗A method, system, apparatus, and computer readable medium storing instructions for recording data tracks and a method and system for reading data tracks. For recording data tracks, virtual boundary of a first data track recorded on the storage medium is determined. The recording element is positioned based on the determined virtual boundary of the first track and a second data track is recorded by the positioned recording element. For reading data tracks, a first virtual boundary of a first data track and a second virtual boundary of the first data track are determined and a reading element is positioned at a center of the first data track based on the determined virtual boundaries. In the system of reading recorded data tracks, a number of forward reading elements and backward reading elements are provided. The forward reading elements have different pitches.
1. A tape drive system comprising at least one tape drive, each tape drive comprising:
a head comprising a recording element, a forward read element, and a backward read element; and
a controller configured to:
determine a boundary of a first data track recorded on a storage medium;
position the recording element of the head based on the determined boundary of the first data track;
record a second data track on the storage medium by the positioned recording element;
determine a first virtual boundary of the first data track recorded on the storage medium;
determine a second virtual boundary of the first data track recorded on the storage medium;
calculate a virtual track width associated with the head from a virtual margin and a predetermined virtual read element; and
position at least one of the forward read element and the backward read element of the head at a center of the first data track based on the determined virtual boundaries.
2. The tape drive system of claim 1 , wherein a virtual track corresponds to a logical track comprising a physical track for each of the recording elements.
3. The tape drive system of claim 1 , wherein the second data track partially overwrites the first data track to define the virtual track.
4. The tape drive system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual margin comprises a distance from a starting position in which each of the forward read elements reading respective data tracks to a last position in which each of the forward read elements reading respective data tracks.
5. The tape drive system of claim 1 , wherein to record a second data track on the storage medium by the positioned recording element, the controller is further configured to record the second data track at a beginning portion of the storage medium.
6. The tape drive system of claim 1 , wherein the storage medium is a magnetic tape.
7. A method comprising, by a tape drive system comprising at least one tape drive comprising at least one head comprising a recording element, a forward read element, and a backward read element:
determining a boundary of a first data track recorded on a storage medium;
positioning the recording element of the head based on the determined boundary of the first data track;
recording a second data track on the storage medium by the positioned recording element;
determining a first virtual boundary of the first data track recorded on the storage medium;
determining a second virtual boundary of the first data track recorded on the storage medium;
calculating a virtual track width associated with the head from a virtual margin and a predetermined virtual read element; and
positioning at least one of the forward read element and the backward read element of the head at a center of the first data track based on the determined virtual boundaries.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein a virtual track corresponds to a logical track comprising a physical track for the recording element.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second data track partially overwrites the first data track to define the virtual track.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the virtual margin comprises a distance from a starting position in which the forward read element reading data tracks to a last position in which the forward read element reading data tracks.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the recording a second data track on the storage medium by the positioned recording element further comprises recording the second data track at a beginning portion of the storage medium.