Diagnostic method and apparatus for a tape storage system
View Patent ↗A diagnostic method and system comprising writing to a tape location of a tape medium using a first tape head as the tape medium is transported in a first direction, reading from the tape location using a second tape head as the tape medium is transported in the first direction, detecting an occurrence of a tape system failure, performing a diagnostic tape operation selected from a group consisting of writing to the tape location using the second tape head as the tape medium is transported in the first direction and reading from the tape location using the first tape head as the tape medium is transported in the first direction, differentially diagnosing a tape medium failure or a tape head failure depending on whether the tape operation failure is observed in response to performing the diagnostic tape operation, and posting a corresponding error code.
1. A method comprising:
performing a tape operation at a tape location using a first tape head, the tape operation selected from a group consisting of writing and reading;
detecting an occurrence of a tape operation failure;
changing a second operational mode of a second tape head to match a first operational mode of the first tape head, wherein the first operational mode is selected from a group consisting of a write mode and a read mode in accordance with the tape operation;
performing a second tape operation at the tape location using the second tape head in the first operational mode;
determining if the tape operation failure is observed in response to performing the second tape operation;
when the tape operation failure is observed in response to performing the second tape operation, determining that the tape operation failure is due to a faulty tape medium and posting a media failure error code representative of a media failure; and
when the tape operation failure is not observed in response to performing the second tape operation, determining that the tape operation failure is due to a faulty tape head and posting a media failure error code representative of a head failure.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tape operation is writing and the first operational mode is the write mode, the method further comprising:
configuring the first tape head to be in the read mode while the second tape operation is performed.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tape operation is writing and the first operational mode is the write mode, the method further comprising:
configuring the first tape head to be in the write mode while the second tape operation is performed.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tape operation is reading and the first operational mode is the read mode, the method further comprising:
configuring the first tape head to be in the write mode while the second tape operation is performed.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tape operation is reading and the first operational mode is the read mode, the method further comprising:
configuring the first tape head to be in the read mode while the second tape operation is performed.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining if the tape operation failure is observed in response to performing the second tape operation comprises:
comparing data read from the tape location to data for which an attempt to write to the data location was made.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining if the tape operation failure is observed in response to performing the second tape operation:
comparing error rates obtained using the first tape head and the second tape head.
8. An information handling system comprising:
a tape drive including a first tape head and a second tape head in the first operational mode, the first tape head and the second tape head configured to perform tape operations with respect to a tape medium; and
a tape controller comprising a memory configured to store firmware, the firmware configured, when executed by the tape controller, to cause the tape drive to perform a tape operation of the tape operations at a tape location using the first tape head, the tape operation selected from a group consisting of writing and reading, to cause the tape controller to detect an occurrence of a tape operation failure, to cause the tape drive to change a second operational mode of the second tape head to match a first operational mode of the first tape head, wherein the first operational mode is selected from a group consisting of a write mode and a read mode in accordance with the tape operation, to cause the tape drive to perform a second tape operation at the tape location using the second tape head, to determine if the tape operation failure is observed in response to performing the second tape operation, to determine, when the tape operation failure is observed in response to performing the second tape operation, that the tape operation failure is due to a faulty tape medium and posting a media failure error code representative of a media failure, and to determine, when the tape operation failure is not observed in response to performing the second tape operation, that the tape operation failure is due to a faulty tape head and posting a media failure error code representative of a head failure.
9. The information handling system of claim 8 , wherein the tape operation is writing and the first operational mode is the write mode, wherein the first tape head is configured to be in the read mode while the second tape operation is performed.
10. The information handling system of claim 8 , wherein the tape operation is writing and the first operational mode is the write mode, wherein the first tape head is configured to be in the write mode while the second tape operation is performed.
11. The information handling system of claim 8 , wherein the tape operation is reading and the first operational mode is the read mode, the first tape head is configured to be in the write mode while the second tape operation is performed.
12. The information handling system of claim 8 , wherein the tape operation is reading and the first operational mode is the read mode, the first tape head is configured to be in the read mode while the second tape operation is performed.
13. The information handling system of claim 8 , wherein, to determine if the tape operation failure is observed in response to performing the second tape operation, data read from the tape location is compared to data for which an attempt to write to the data location was made.
14. The information handling system of claim 8 , wherein, to determine if the tape operation failure is observed in response to performing the second tape operation, error rates obtained using the first tape head and the second tape head are compared.
15. A method comprising:
writing to a tape location of a tape medium using a first tape head as the tape medium is transported in a first direction;
reading from the tape location using a second tape head as the tape medium is transported in the first direction;
detecting an occurrence of a tape system failure;
performing a diagnostic tape operation selected from a group consisting of writing to the tape location using the second tape head as the tape medium is transported in the first direction and reading from the tape location using the first tape head as the tape medium is transported in the first direction;
determining if the tape system failure is observed in response to performing the diagnostic tape operation;
when the tape operation failure is observed in response to performing the diagnostic tape operation, determining that the tape system failure is due to a faulty tape medium and posting a media failure error code representative of a media failure; and
when the tape operation failure is not observed in response to performing the diagnostic tape operation, determining that the tape system failure is due to a faulty tape head and posting a media failure error code representative of a head failure.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein, when the diagnostic tape operation is writing to the tape location using the second tape head as the tape medium is transported in the first direction, further performing a second reading from the tape location using the second tape head as the tape medium is transported in the first direction.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein, when the diagnostic tape operation is writing to the tape location using the second tape head as the tape medium is transported in the first direction, further performing a second reading from the tape location using the first tape head as the tape medium is transported in the first direction.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the determining if the tape system failure is observed in response to performing the diagnostic tape operation comprises:
comparing data read from the tape location to data for which an attempt to write to the data location was made.
19. The method of claim 15 , wherein, the determining if the tape system failure is observed in response to performing the diagnostic tape operation comprises:
comparing error rates obtained using the first tape head and the second tape head.
20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the performing the diagnostic tape operation is performed automatically in response to the detecting the occurrence of the tape system failure.