Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval – Automatic control of a recorder mechanism – Synchronizing moving-head moving-record recorders
Patent
1982-03-22
1985-01-08
Wolff, John H.
Dynamic magnetic information storage or retrieval
Automatic control of a recorder mechanism
Synchronizing moving-head moving-record recorders
360 62, 360 744, 360101, G11B 2104
Patent
active
044929919
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for controlling the stepping feed of an information medium such as a magnetic tape used in a mass storage system (which is called an MSS).
In recent years, as data processing systems have developed, the amount of data to be processed has increased rapidly. This data is usually stored on magnetic disks or magnetic tapes during and after processing. These magnetic disks or magnetic tapes are often kept in a storehouse or the like due to the limited size of the installation space. However, it is necessary to have access to large amounts of data for on-line operations. Therefore, as occasion demands, the magnetic disks or magnetic tapes on which the data is stored must be taken out of the storehouse or the like and mounted on a data access device. Accordingly, there are many problems regarding the custody and mounting of the magnetic disks or tapes.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an MSS by which large amounts of data can be under the control of the system has been developed. The information medium used in the MSS is called a data cartridge which is comprised of a magnetic tape approximately 7 cm wide and 20 m long housed in a cylindrical shell approximately 5 cm in diameter and 9 cm long. The data cartridge storage capacity is, for example, 50M bytes, and 706 to 9440 data cartridges can be stored in one MSS. When a data cartridge is needed by the data processing system, the data cartridge is carried by an accessor from the storage area to the data accessing device, and then data processing is performed on the data cartridge. Recording tracks on the magnetic tape are stripes which run diagonally across the tape. Track positioning of a magnetic head is performed by a servo mechanism. The present invention relates to a method for controlling the stepping feed of such a magnetic tape by the amount of one stripe.
One conventional method for controlling the stepping feed of a magnetic tape comprises the steps of: recording or reading data on a recording track; checking the recorded or read data on the recording track; if no error is detected as a result of the checking, feeding the magnetic tape by the amount of one stripe so as to record or read data on the next recording track; and if an error is detected as a result of such checking, recording or reading the data again on the recording track. However, in this conventional method, since the feed operation of the magnetic tape cannot be started until the checking of recorded or read data is completed, it takes a substantial amount of time to feed the magnetic tape; in other words, there is a disadvantage in that the the data transfer rate is slow.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for controlling the stepping feed of an information medium on which recording tracks are formed by stripes which run diagonally or vertically across the information medium, whereby the delay caused by the feed operation of the information medium can be substantially reduced and, accordingly, the transfer rate for data can be increased.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling the stepping feed of an information medium on which recording tracks are formed by stripes which run diagonally or perpendicularly across said information medium, comprising the steps of: recording or reading data on a first recording track; checking the recorded or read data on the first recording track; feeding the information medium in preparation for recording or reading data on a second recording track next to the first recording track, after the recording or reading of the first recording track is completed and before the checking is completed; and determining whether the feeding is to be forwarded or reversed in accordance with the result of said checking of the first recording track at a time when the checking is completed.
The present invention will be more clearly understood from the following description, contrasting the present
REFERENCES:
patent: 3274574 (1966-09-01), Miller
patent: 3771125 (1973-11-01), Nagahori et al.
patent: 3932894 (1976-01-01), Arter et al.
IBM/TDB, vol. 22, No. 11, Apr. '80, pp. 5101-5102, "Error Recovery in Rotating Head Digital Recorders", by Arter et al.
Horie Hideo
Kanamori Akira
Kimura Takashi
Moroto Seiro
Osada Noboru
Fujitsu Limited
Wolff John H.
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