IBM Assigned Ten Patents

Storage beyond threshold tape position
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (11,195,546) developed by Masuda, Setsuko, Tokyo, Japan, Abe, Atsushi, Ebina, Japan, and Miyamura, Tsuyoshi, Yokohama, Japan, for a “data storage beyond a threshold tape position.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A method can include obtaining write information corresponding to an index to be written to a tape. The write information can include a target write position on the tape for the index. The method can include making a first determination that the target write position is beyond a threshold position on the tape. The method can include obtaining index information comprising a size of a full index stored on the tape. The method can include making a second determination that the size of the full index exceeds a size of one dataset. The method can include writing, in response to making the first determination and the second determination, the index to the tape. The writing can be in a first position beyond the threshold position. The index can be an incremental index.”

The patent application was filed on May 26, 2021 (17/330,460).

Adaptive tape calibration criteria by number of stop writes
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (11,189,316) developed by Miyamura, Tsuyoshi, Yokohama, Japan, Tanaka, Keisuke, Tokyo, Japan, and Gale, Ernest Stewart, Tucson, AZ, for an “adaptive tape calibration criteria by number of stop writes.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “In an approach to adaptive tape calibration criteria based on the number of stop writes, the number of rewrite occurrences caused by a stop write is determined for each specific tape drive type. Responsive to detecting a stop write during a write operation, the total number of stop writes is stored on the tape drive. A rewrite calibration threshold is determined, where the rewrite calibration threshold includes the total number of stop writes on the tape drive and a calibration reference value for the specific tape drive type. Responsive to the number of rewrite occurrences caused by the stop write exceeding the rewrite calibration threshold while writing a data set on the tape drive, a calibration of the tape drive is performed.”

The patent application was filed on February 11, 2021 (17/173,590).

Reduced-stress tape head module
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (11,189,306) developed by Biskeborn, Robert, Hollister, CA, Lo, Calvin Shyhjong, Saratoga, CA, and Hamidi, Hoodin, San Francisco, CA, for a “reduced-stress tape head module.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “An apparatus, according to one embodiment, includes at least one reading die coupled to a pedestal of an associated read beam, each reading die having an array of read transducers extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the reading die. At least one writing die is coupled to a pedestal of an associated write beam, each writing die having an array of write transducers extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the writing die. The read and write beams are coupled together thereby forming a head. At least one region of at least one of the dice is cantilevered over the associated beam. Widths of the reading and writing dice measured in a direction of tape travel thereover are substantially the same. Widths of the pedestals of the read and write beams measured in the direction of tape travel thereover are substantially the same.”

The patent application was filed on December 8, 2020 (17/115,627).

Media import and export in storage management
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (11,188,455) developed by Araki, Hiroshi, Yokohama, Japan, and Miyoshi, Hiroyuki, Kawasaki, Japan, for “media import and export in storage management systems.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A computer-implemented method can include obtaining tape data for one or more tapes. The tape data can include pointer data corresponding to a first file. The method can further include determining, based on the tape data, that the first file is stored on a first tape of the one or more tapes. The first tape can have an export status. The method can further include determining that the pointer data includes a pointer to the first tape and a pointer to a second tape. The second tape can have a non-export status. The method can further include storing at least a portion of the tape data. The method can further include initiating, based on the first tape having the export status, a deactivation of the pointer to the first tape.”

The patent application was filed on April 17, 2020 (16/851,143).

Buffered writing of datasets and end longitudinal positions (end LPOSs) on magnetic recording tape
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (11,176,968) developed by Miyamura, Tsuyoshi, Yokohama, Japan, and Masuda, Setsuko, Tokyo, Japan, for “buffered writing of datasets and end longitudinal positions (end LPOSs) on a magnetic recording tape and validating the end LPOSs during reading of a later dataset thereafter.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “An apparatus according to one embodiment includes a controller configured to control writing operations to a magnetic recording tape, and logic integrated with and/or executable by the controller for causing the controller to receive a plurality of records, store datasets associated with the plurality of records in a buffer memory, and write the datasets stored in the buffer memory to the magnetic recording tape in response to a predetermined number of datasets being stored in the buffer memory. For each of the datasets being written, an end longitudinal position indicative of a physical position where the dataset is physically written to the magnetic recording tape is determined. Moreover, for each determined end longitudinal position, the end longitudinal position and an identifier of the associated dataset are stored to a table of a dataset that is to be subsequently written to the magnetic recording tape.”

The patent application was filed on October 22, 2019 (16/660,612).

Optimized tape unmount operation
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (11,176,964) developed by Hasegawa, Tohru, Tokyo, Japan, Miyamura, Tsuyoshi, Yokohama, Japan, Abe, Atsushi, Ebina, Japan, Mitsuma, Shinsuke, Machida, Japan, Itagaki, Hiroshi, Yokohama, Japan, Yamamoto, Noriko, and Matsui, Sosuke, Tokyo, Japan, for an “optimized tape unmount operation.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A method for indexing a tape for unmounting from a tape drive is discussed. The method can determine that an update has been made to the tape since it was last mounted. The method can identify a tape head position with respect to the tape, the tape including a data partition and an index partition. The method can identify first position and a second position on the tape. The method can determine first distance, a length of tape between first position and tape head position. The method can determine second distance, a length of tape between first position and second position. The method can determine that first distance is less than second distance. The method can reposition the tape to a primary section and write the metadata index. The method can reposition tape to the second position write a data index beginning at the second position of the data partition.”

The patent application was filed on October 29, 2020 (17/083,355).

Storage with generation rollback control
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (11,175,843) developed by Miyamura, Tsuyoshi, Yokohama, Japan, Hasegawa, Tohru, Tokyo, Japan, Itagaki, Hiroshi, Yokohama, Japan, Yamamoto, Noriko, Tokyo, Japan, and Mitsuma, Shinsuke, Machida, Japan, for a “data storage system with generation rollback control.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A linear tape file system (LTFS) maintains a series of indexes, and an incremental change dataset, that records incremental changes that have taken place in each new index over the previous one, as each new index of the series is created. Upon receiving a command to roll back the file system from a current generation to a target previous generation, a generation control module applies information in the incremental change dataset to the current index. In this way, the current index is restored, at least functionally, to the state it was in when the target generation was created, thereby effectuating the rollback of the file system to the target generation.”

The patent application was filed on November 21, 2018 (16/197,475).

Determining in-plane bow of tape drive head module
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (11,170,810) developed by Liang, Jason, Campbell, CA, and Biskeborn, Robert, Hollister, CA, for “determining in-plane bow of a tape drive head module.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Embodiments are disclosed for a method. The method includes determining a reference plane for a tape drive read-write array. The tape drive read-write array includes a first array element, a predetermined array element, and a last array element. Further, determining the reference plane is based on a first array position of the first array element and a last array position of the last array element. The method also includes capturing a position of a predetermined array element using an imaging device. The method further includes determining a deviation of the captured position from the reference plane. Additionally, the method includes generating a plot of an in-plane bow based on the deviation.”

The patent application was filed on February 8, 2021 (17/169,957).

Multi-band multichannel magnetic recording head
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (11,170,801) developed by Biskeborn, Robert G., Hollister, CA, for a “multi-band multichannel magnetic recording head.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “An apparatus, according to one approach, includes two arrays of data transducers on a module, the two arrays being aligned along a common axis extending between distal ends of the module. Outer servo readers are positioned toward outer ends of the two arrays. An inner servo reader is positioned between the two arrays. The servo readers are positioned to each reside above a unique servo track on a magnetic recording tape. A method according to one approach includes passing a magnetic recording tape having a plurality of data bands over a module as described above. Data is simultaneously transduced on the two data bands using the data transducers. Advantageously, the number of simultaneously-usable channels on the module is dramatically increased, thereby also dramatically increasing the data rate per unit of tape speed, while backward compatibility may be preserved.”

The patent application was filed on December 21, 2020 (17/129,530).

Tape cartridge having tape media having synergistic magnetic recording layer and underlayer
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, has been assigned a patent (11,158,337) developed by Bradshaw, Richard, Tucson, AZ, for a “tape cartridge having tape media having synergistic magnetic recording layer and underlayer.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A tape cartridge, according to one approach, includes a housing, and a magnetic recording tape at least partially stored in the housing. The magnetic recording tape including a recording layer having encapsulated nanoparticles each comprising a magnetic nanoparticle encapsulated by an encapsulating layer, and a polymeric binder binding the encapsulated nanoparticles. A tape cartridge, according to another approach, includes a housing, and a magnetic recording tape at least partially stored in the housing. The magnetic recording tape include an underlayer having encapsulated nanoparticles each comprising a magnetic nanoparticle encapsulated by an aromatic polymer, and a polymeric binder binding the encapsulated nanoparticles.”

The patent application was filed on August 20, 2019 (16/545,923).