Multi-mode, multi-channel magnetic recording head and apparatus

1. A drive-implemented method, comprising:

determining, by a tape drive, that a magnetic recording tape is compatible with a first format, the tape drive having an array of transducers including an inner transducer and subarrays of the transducers positioned on opposite sides of the inner transducer;

reading from or writing to the magnetic recording tape, by the tape drive, using the array of transducers in a first mode of operation corresponding to the first format; and

processing data, by the tape drive, using only the transducers in the subarrays in the first mode of operation.

2. The drive-implemented method of claim 1 , comprising,

processing data, by the tape drive, using only a portion of the transducers in each of the subarrays in a second mode of operation corresponding to a second format.

3. A drive-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the tape drive has at least two servo readers positioned external to an outermost transducer of the array of transducers and on a same side thereof.

4. The drive-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the at least two servo readers are configured to read a combination of servo tracks.

5. The drive-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein a first of the servo readers is configured to read a first servo track having a first servo format,

wherein a second of the servo readers is configured to read a second servo track having a second servo format,

wherein the first servo format and the second servo format are different.

6. A computer program product for writing and/or reading a first format and a second format in an apparatus, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause a tape drive to:

determine, by the tape drive, that a magnetic recording tape is compatible with the first format, the tape drive having an array of transducers including an inner transducer and subarrays of the transducers positioned on opposite sides of the inner transducer;

read from or write to the magnetic recording tape, by the tape drive, using the array of transducers in a first mode of operation corresponding to the first format; and

process data, by the tape drive, using only the transducers in the subarrays in the first mode of operation.

7. A computer program product of claim 6 , comprising:

process data, by the tape drive, using only a portion of the transducers in each of the subarrays in a second mode of operation corresponding to the second format.

8. A drive-implemented method, comprising

determining, by a tape drive, that a magnetic recording tape is compatible with a first format, the tape drive having an array of transducers including an inner transducer and subarrays of the transducers positioned on opposite sides of the inner transducer;

reading from or writing to the magnetic recording tape, by the tape drive, using the array of transducers in a first mode of operation corresponding to the first format;

processing data, by the tape drive, using only the transducers in the subarrays in the first mode of operation; and

processing data, by the tape drive, using at least a portion of the transducers in each of the subarrays and the inner transducer in a second mode of operation.

9. The drive-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the tape drive has at least two servo readers positioned external to an outermost transducer of the array of transducers and on a same side thereof.

10. The drive-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the at least two servo readers are configured to read a combination of servo tracks.

11. The drive-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein a first of the servo readers is configured to read a first servo track having a first servo format,

wherein a second of the servo readers is configured to read a second servo track having a second servo format,

wherein the first servo format and the second servo format are different.