Magnetic tape unit equipment and storage system

Abstract

The invention discloses magnetic tape unit equipment and a storage system, and relates to the technical field of magnetic tapes. The tape winding assembly is used for temporarily storing the tape bodies between the different positioning pieces, even if the tape crosses the target tape area aligned with the magnetic head, the tape winding assembly can be used for controlling the tape length between the different positioning pieces, so that the moved magnetic head can access the target tape area, and the tape length can be controlled. According to the invention, the problem of relatively high time delay caused by frequent turning of the motor-driven tape in the tape unit equipment is solved, the IO time delay in the tape unit equipment is reduced, and the data read-write efficiency in the tape unit equipment is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of magnetic tape technology, and more particularly to a magnetic tape drive and storage system. Background Technology

[0002] Magnetic tape is a strip of material containing a magnetic layer used to record sound, images, digital data, or other signals. Magnetic media, such as magnetic powder, are attached to the tape for data storage. In storage technology, magnetic tape is the best choice for backup, archiving, and other storage scenarios due to its low cost, high reliability, and security. Taking a tape drive as an example, a tape drive is a single-drive product consisting of a tape drive and a magnetic tape. A tape drive typically reads and writes data by sliding the magnetic tape along a read / write head within the tape drive.

[0003] In tape drives, the read / write bandwidth of input / output (I / O) data is limited by the number of bits that the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and digital-to-analog converter (DAC) can convert per unit time. The tape drive's motor winding speed needs to match the number of bits that the ADC / DAC can convert per unit time to enable the tape drive to access the tape. During the tape drive's read / write process, the efficiency of the ADC / DAC is limited, and the read / write head will glide across the tape due to inertia. Tape drives typically control the tape to turn around, allowing the read / write head to re-access the data gaps. Each tape turning has a relatively high latency, resulting in a large I / O latency for the tape drive. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a magnetic tape drive and storage system that solves the problem of high latency caused by frequent head reversal in magnetic tape drives, reduces IO latency in magnetic tape drives, and helps improve data read and write efficiency in magnetic tape drives.

[0005] The technical solution adopted in this application is as follows.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a magnetic tape drive device. The magnetic tape drive device includes: a base, a first reel, a second reel, a magnetic tape, a fixing assembly, a magnetic head, and a tape reel assembly. The first reel and the second reel are rotatably connected to the base. A first end of the magnetic tape is wound around the first reel, and a second end of the magnetic tape is wound around the second reel. The fixing assembly includes a first positioning member and a second positioning member, both of which are used to press against a portion of the magnetic tape located between the first and second reels. The magnetic head is slidably connected to the base. The tape reel assembly is used to temporarily store the portion of the magnetic tape located between the first and second positioning members. When the tape reel assembly is in a first state, the magnetic head is aligned with a first region in the magnetic tape. When the tape reel assembly is in a second state, the magnetic head is used to access a second region in the magnetic tape, and the portion of the tape temporarily stored by the tape reel assembly includes part or all of the portion in the first region, wherein, along the tape reel direction, the second region precedes the first region.

[0007] In the first aspect of this application, by using a tape reel assembly to temporarily store the tape body between different positioning components, even after the tape has passed the target tape area aligned with the read / write head, the tape length between different positioning components can be controlled by the tape reel assembly, so that the moved read / write head can access the target tape area. This solves the problem of high latency caused by the motor driving the tape to frequently turn around in the tape drive, reduces the IO latency in the tape drive, and helps to improve the data read / write efficiency in the tape drive.

[0008] In conjunction with the tape drive device provided in the first aspect, in one optional implementation, in a first state, the tape portion located between the first and second positioning members has a first length. In a second state, the tape portion located between the first and second positioning members has a second length, and the second length is greater than the first length. In the first aspect of this application, a tape rewind assembly is used to control the tape length between different positioning members, so that even without the motor rotating in the reverse direction, the unread / unwritten tape area of ​​the magnetic head can be reverse-wound, and the magnetic head can realign and access the unread / unwritten tape area, avoiding the problem of write interruption / read interruption, which helps to reduce the number of tape rewinds in the tape drive device and improve the data read / write efficiency of the tape drive device.

[0009] In conjunction with the tape drive device provided in the first aspect, in one alternative implementation, the tape reel assembly includes: a first slide bar slidably connected to the base.

[0010] In a first alternative example, in a first state, the first slide bar is not in contact with the belt of a first length; in a second state, the first slide bar presses against the belt of a second length.

[0011] In a second alternative example, in the first state, the first slide bar presses against a belt of a first length; in the second state, the first slide bar presses against a belt of a second length.

[0012] In an optional implementation of the tape drive device provided in the first aspect, the tape reel assembly further includes a drive member disposed on a base. The drive member is connected to a third end of a first slide bar along its axial direction. The drive member is used to control the first slide bar to slide along a first direction or a second direction opposite to the first direction, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the tape reel direction of a portion of the tape, and the second direction is perpendicular to the tape reel direction of a portion of the tape.

[0013] In conjunction with the tape drive device provided in the first aspect, in one optional implementation, the fixing assembly further includes a third positioning member located between the first and second positioning members, the third positioning member being used to press against the tape body located between the first and second reels in the tape. The tape reel assembly provided in this application also includes a second slide rod slidably connected to the base.

[0014] In a first alternative example: in a first state, the second slide bar does not contact the first length of the belt; in a second state, the first slide bar is used to press against the belt in the second length located between the first positioning member and the third positioning member, and / or, the second slide bar is used to press against the belt in the second length located between the third positioning member and the second positioning member.

[0015] In a second alternative example: in the first state, the first slide bar is used to: press against the belt body of the first length located between the first positioning member and the third positioning member, and / or, the second slide bar is used to: press against the belt body of the first length located between the third positioning member and the second positioning member; in the second state, the first slide bar is used to press against: the belt body of the second length located between the first positioning member and the third positioning member, and / or, the second slide bar is used to press against: the belt body of the second length located between the third positioning member and the second positioning member.

[0016] In the first aspect of this application, different sliders in the tape reel assembly are used to control the tape length between different positioning elements. This allows the unread / unwritten tape area to be reverse-wound, and the head to realign with and access that area, avoiding write / read interruptions. Furthermore, by further subdividing the tape portion between the first and second positioning elements, the tape drive can repeatedly adjust the relative position of this portion of the tape with the head. This facilitates head alignment with the unread / unwritten tape area, further reducing the number of tape rewinds and improving the data read / write efficiency of the tape drive.

[0017] In an optional implementation of the tape drive device provided in the first aspect, the tape reel assembly includes a drive member and a rotating structure. The drive member is mounted on a base. The rotating structure includes a first connecting portion, a second connecting portion, and a tape reel roller. One end of the tape reel roller is rotatably connected to the drive member via the first connecting portion, and the other end of the tape reel roller is rotatably connected to the base via the second connecting portion. In a first state, a portion or all of a tape body of a first length is wound circumferentially around the tape reel roller. In a second state, a portion or all of a tape body of a second length is wound circumferentially around the tape reel roller.

[0018] In one optional implementation of the tape drive device provided in the first aspect, both the first positioning element and the second positioning element are rollers.

[0019] In conjunction with the tape drive device provided in the first aspect, in one optional implementation, the tape drive device further includes a processor. The processor is configured to: receive an I / O request, wherein the I / O request carries an address indicating a second region. The processor is also configured to: send a first control command to the magnetic head and a second control command to the tape reel assembly. The first control command instructs the magnetic head to read / write the second region. The second control command instructs the tape reel assembly to adjust the tape length located between a first positioning member and a second positioning member, wherein the adjusted tape length includes part or all of the first region.

[0020] In conjunction with the tape drive device provided in the first aspect, in one optional implementation, the tape drive device further includes: a head driver and a tape driver. The head driver is connected to the processor and the head, respectively, and is used to: respond to a first control command to control the head to move along the tape winding direction. The tape driver is connected to the processor and the tape, respectively, and is used to: respond to a second control command to drive the first drum and the second drum, causing the tape wound on the first drum to be wound onto the second drum.

[0021] In conjunction with the tape drive device provided in the first aspect, in one optional implementation, the time taken for the magnetic head to align from the first region to the second region is a first duration, and the time taken for the tape reel assembly to change from the first state to the second state is a second duration, wherein the first duration is less than or equal to the second duration.

[0022] Secondly, this application provides a storage system. The storage system includes: a controller, and one or more tape drive devices as described in the first aspect or any optional implementation of the first aspect. The controller is configured to receive I / O requests and manage target tape drive devices among the one or more tape drive devices according to the I / O requests.

[0023] Based on the implementation methods provided above, this application can be further combined to provide more implementation methods. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a data access system provided in this application.

[0025] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application Figure 1 .

[0026] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application Figure 2 .

[0027] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first reel 201a and magnetic tape 210 provided in this application.

[0028] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application Figure 3 .

[0029] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application Figure 4 .

[0030] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application Figure 5 .

[0031] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application Figure 6 .

[0032] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application Figure 7 .

[0033] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application Figure 8 .

[0034] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application Figure 9 . Detailed Implementation

[0035] This application provides a tape drive device that uses a tape reel assembly to temporarily store the tape body between different positioning components. Even after the tape has passed the target tape area aligned with the read / write head, the tape reel assembly can control the tape length between different positioning components, enabling the moved read / write head to access the target tape area. This solves the problem of high latency caused by frequent tape reversals in tape drive devices, reduces IO latency in tape drive devices, and helps improve data read / write efficiency in tape drive devices.

[0036] Specifically, the tape drive includes: a base, a magnetic tape, a fixing assembly, a reel assembly, a first reel and a second reel rotatably connected to the base, and a magnetic head slidably connected to the base. A first end of the magnetic tape is wound around the first reel, and a second end of the magnetic tape is wound around the second reel. The fixing assembly includes a first positioning member and a second positioning member, both of which are used to press against a portion of the magnetic tape located between the first and second reels. The reel assembly is used to temporarily store the portion of the magnetic tape located between the first and second positioning members. In a first state, the magnetic head is aligned with a first region of the magnetic tape; in a second state, the magnetic head accesses a second region of the magnetic tape, and the temporarily stored portion of the tape in the reel assembly includes part or all of the portion in the first region, wherein, along the tape winding direction, the second region precedes the first region.

[0037] The technical solutions involved in this application may be applied not only to current magnetic tape technology or storage devices, but also to future magnetic tape technology or storage devices, or to storage systems including magnetic tape drive devices or storage devices. The terminology used in the embodiments section of this application is only for explaining specific embodiments of this application and is not intended to limit this application. A brief introduction to some concepts that may be involved in this application is given below.

[0038] Storage medium: A storage material used to record sound, images, digital signals, or other signals. This storage material may include, but is not limited to, magnetic tape, such as a tape-shaped material with a magnetic layer used to record sound, images, digital signals, or other signals. Magnetic tape contains a magnetic medium, such as magnetic powder, for storing data. For example, changes in the magnetic field in this magnetic medium are typically achieved by coating a plastic film substrate (support) with a layer of granular magnetic material or by evaporating and depositing a layer of magnetic oxide or alloy film. The substrate of magnetic tape may include, but is not limited to, paper, celluloid, or polyester film.

[0039] Magnetic head: A component that reads and writes data on magnetic tape using magnetic principles. It is divided into write heads and read heads. Write heads record data by magnetizing the magnetic medium (such as magnetic powder), while read heads read data from the magnetic medium by sensing its magnetic field.

[0040] Overlapping tracks: Tracks constructed using an overlapping method similar to folding fans, specifically for the magnetic tape winding path, such as... Figure 6 The second length of the belt 232 shown in (2) is shown.

[0041] Slide bar: A sliding magnetic tape positioning bar, also known as a dynamic slide bar.

[0042] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0043] In the following description, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0044] Furthermore, in this application, directional terms such as "upper" and "lower" are defined relative to the orientation of the components shown in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these directional terms are relative concepts, used for relative description and clarification, and can change accordingly depending on the orientation of the components in the accompanying drawings.

[0045] In a tape library, after the server issues read / write operation commands to the robotic arm, the robotic arm retrieves the corresponding tape cartridge from the tape bay and transports it to the corresponding tape drive. The tape drive then reads and writes data to a specified location within the tape cartridge. When the retrieved tape cartridge is full or data in another tape cartridge needs to be read / written, the server issues another read / write operation command to the robotic arm. The robotic arm then retrieves the current tape cartridge from the tape drive and moves the new tape cartridge in the tape bay for data reading and writing. In a tape library, all components except the tape cartridges are shared across different tape cartridges. Therefore, during data reading and writing, the robotic arm frequently moves different tape cartridges. Furthermore, the robotic arm is a complex mechanical component with relatively low reliability; a failure of the robotic arm can lead to service interruptions in the tape library.

[0046] To address the aforementioned issues, the application scenarios of the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0047] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a data access system provided in this application. The data access system includes: a data access device 100 and a storage device 120. Figure 1 In the application scenario shown, users access data through applications. The computer running these applications can be referred to as a "computing device".

[0048] Data access device 100 can be a physical machine, a virtual machine, or a container. The physical machine can include, but is not limited to, one or both a client and a smart NIC. For example, data access device 100 includes a client, such as a host, desktop computer, server, laptop, or mobile device. Another example is that data access device 100 includes a smart NIC. This smart NIC, also known as a smart network adapter, not only performs the network transmission functions of a standard NIC but also provides a built-in programmable and configurable hardware acceleration engine. This improves application performance and significantly reduces CPU consumption in the host connected to the smart NIC, providing more CPU resources for the application. For example, in a highly virtualized environment, the host CPU needs to run open virtual switch (OVS) related tasks. Simultaneously, the host CPU also needs to handle storage, online or offline encryption / decryption of data packets, deep packet inspection, firewalls, complex routing, and other operations. These operations not only consume significant CPU resources but also, due to competition for CPU resources between different services, prevent the services from achieving optimal performance. As a hub connecting various services, smart network interface cards (NICs) accelerate these services.

[0049] In one possible example, data access device 100 accesses storage device 120 via a network to access data; for example, the network may include switch 110.

[0050] In another possible example, data access device 100 may also communicate with storage device 120 via a wired connection, such as a universal serial bus (USB) or a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) bus.

[0051] Figure 1 The storage device 120 shown can be a centralized storage system. A key feature of a centralized storage system is a unified entry point through which all data from external devices passes; this entry point is the engine 121 of the centralized storage system. The engine 121 has management functions, and many advanced functions of the storage system are implemented within it.

[0052] like Figure 1 As shown, engine 121 may have one or more controllers. Figure 1The following example illustrates the concept of engine 121 containing one controller. In one possible example, if engine 121 has multiple controllers, any two controllers can have a mirror channel, enabling any two controllers to serve as backups for each other, thereby preventing hardware failures from causing the entire storage device 120 to become unavailable. It should be understood that if engine 121 includes multiple controllers, then engine 121 can also be referred to as the array controller of storage device 120.

[0053] Engine 121 also includes a front-end interface 1211 and a back-end interface 1214. The front-end interface 1211 is used to communicate with the data access device 100 to provide data access services to the data access device 100. The back-end interface 1214 is used to communicate with hard drives to expand the capacity of the storage device 120. Through the back-end interface 1214, engine 121 can connect to more hard drives, thereby forming a very large storage resource pool.

[0054] In terms of hardware, such as Figure 1 As shown, the controller includes at least a processor 1212 and memory 1213. The processor 1212 is a central processing unit (CPU) used to process data access requests from outside the storage device 120 (servers or other storage systems), and also to process requests generated internally by the storage device 120. For example, when the processor 1212 receives write data requests from the data access device 100 through the front-end interface 1211, it temporarily stores the data in these write data requests in memory 1213. When the total amount of data in memory 1213 reaches a certain threshold, the processor 1212 sends the data stored in memory 1213 to at least one of the following hard drives for persistent storage: a mechanical hard drive 1221, a solid-state drive (SSD) 1222, a tape drive 200, or another hard drive 1224, through a back-end port.

[0055] Memory 1213 refers to internal memory that directly exchanges data with the processor. It can read and write data at any time and at high speed, serving as temporary data storage for the operating system or other running programs. Memory includes at least two types of memory, such as random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM). For example, RAM can be DRAM or SCM. DRAM is a semiconductor memory and, like most RAM, is a type of volatile memory device. However, DRAM and SCM are merely illustrative examples in this embodiment; memory can also include other types of RAM, such as static random access memory (SRAM). For read-only memory, examples include programmable read-only memory (PROM) and erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM). Additionally, memory 1213 can also be a dual in-line memory module (DIMM), i.e., a module composed of dynamic random access memory (DRAM), or an SSD. In practical applications, the controller can be configured with multiple memory modules 1213, and different types of memory modules 1213. This embodiment does not limit the number or type of memory modules 1213. Furthermore, memory modules 1213 can be configured to have a power-saving function. The power-saving function means that when the system loses power and then regains power, the data stored in memory modules 1213 will not be lost. Memory with a power-saving function is called non-volatile memory. Memory modules 1213 store software programs, and processor 1212 can run the software programs in memory modules 1213 to manage the hard disk. For example, the hard disk can be abstracted as a storage resource pool, and the storage resource pool can be provided to the server in the form of logical unit numbers (LUNs). Here, the LUN is actually the hard disk seen on the server. Of course, some centralized storage systems are also file servers themselves, and can provide shared file services to the server.

[0056] like Figure 1As shown, in this system, engine 121 may not have a hard drive slot; the hard drive needs to be placed in disk enclosure 122, and the back-end interface 1214 communicates with disk enclosure 122. The back-end interface 1214 exists in the form of an adapter card within engine 121, and two or more back-end interfaces 1214 can be used simultaneously on one engine 121 to connect multiple disk enclosures. Alternatively, the adapter card can be integrated onto the motherboard, in which case the adapter card can communicate with processor 1212 via the PCIe bus.

[0057] It should be noted that, Figure 1 Only one engine 121 is shown in the figure. However, in actual applications, the storage system may contain two or more engines 121, and redundancy or load balancing may be performed between multiple engines 121.

[0058] The disk enclosure 122 includes a control unit 1225 and several hard drives. The control unit 1225 can have various forms. In one case, the disk enclosure 122 is a smart disk enclosure, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the control unit 1225 includes a CPU and memory. The CPU is used to perform operations such as address translation and reading / writing data. The memory is used to temporarily store data to be written to the hard disk or to read data from the hard disk to be sent to the controller. Alternatively, the control unit 1225 is a programmable electronic component, such as a data processing unit (DPU). A DPU has the versatility and programmability of a CPU, but is more specialized, capable of efficiently operating on network packets, storage requests, or analysis requests. A DPU differs from a CPU by its high degree of parallelism (the ability to handle a large number of requests). Optionally, the DPU can be replaced by a graphics processing unit (GPU), an embedded neural network processing unit (NPU), or other processing chips. Typically, there can be one, two, or more control units 1225. The functions of the control unit 1225 can be offloaded to the network interface card (NIC) 1226. In other words, in this embodiment, the disk drive 122 does not contain a control unit 1225; instead, the NIC 1226 performs data reading / writing, address translation, and other computational functions. At this point, network interface card 1226 is a smart network interface card. It can contain a CPU and memory. The CPU is used to perform address translation and data reading / writing operations. Memory is used to temporarily store data to be written to the hard drive or to read data from the hard drive to be sent to the controller. It can also be a programmable electronic component, such as a DPU. There is no ownership relationship between network interface card 1226 and hard drives in disk enclosure 122; network interface card 1226 can access any hard drive in disk enclosure 122 (e.g., ...). Figure 1The mechanical hard drive 1221, solid-state drive 1222, tape drive device 200 and other hard drives 1224 shown are examples of hard drives that make it easier to expand hard drives when storage space is insufficient.

[0059] In this embodiment, the tape drive device 200 refers to a memory that includes a magnetic tape medium. In hardware implementation, the tape drive device may include, but is not limited to, a magnetic tape, a magnetic head, and a tape drive. The tape drive is used to reel in the magnetic tape, and the magnetic head is used to access the tape, such as writing data to or reading data from the tape. Specific implementation details of the tape drive device are provided below. Figures 2 to 11 The embodiments shown are not described in detail here.

[0060] Depending on the type of communication protocol between engine 121 and disk enclosure 122, disk enclosure 122 may be a serially attached small computer system interface (SAS) disk enclosure, an NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) disk enclosure, or other types of disk enclosures. SAS disk enclosures use the SAS 3.0 protocol, and each enclosure supports 25 SAS hard drives. Engine 121 connects to disk enclosure 122 via an onboard SAS interface or a SAS interface module. NVMe disk enclosures function more like a complete computer system, with NVMe hard drives inserted into them. The NVMe disk enclosure then connects to engine 121 via an RDMA port. In some cases, engine 121 may also be referred to as a hard drive management device or storage controller.

[0061] In terms of hardware implementation, the disk enclosure 122 can be installed in a storage system (such as a hard disk enclosure), or the disk enclosure 122 can be encapsulated and set up independently. When the disk enclosure 122 exists independently, the disk enclosure 122 can also be called a storage device or a storage system. This application does not limit this.

[0062] In one alternative implementation, storage device 120 is a centralized storage system integrating disk and controller. Storage device 120 does not have the aforementioned disk enclosure 122, and engine 121 is used to manage multiple hard drives connected via hard drive slots. The functionality of the hard drive slots can be implemented by backend interface 1214.

[0063] In some alternative implementations, storage device 120 is a distributed storage system. The distributed storage system includes a cluster of compute nodes and a cluster of storage nodes. The compute node cluster includes one or more compute nodes that can communicate with each other. Compute nodes can be servers, desktop computers, or controllers of storage arrays, etc. Hardware-wise, compute nodes can include processors, memory, and network interface cards (NICs), etc. The processor is a CPU used to process data access requests from outside the compute node or requests generated internally within the compute node. For example, when the processor receives a write data request from a user, it temporarily stores the data in the write data request in memory. When the total amount of data in memory reaches a certain threshold, the processor sends the data stored in memory to the storage node for persistent storage. In addition, the processor is also used for data computation or processing, such as metadata management, deduplication, data compression, virtualization of storage space, and address translation. In the embodiments provided in this application, the storage node can be a tape drive or other types of hard disks, etc. It is understood that the storage system described in the embodiments of this application can be a distributed storage system integrating storage and computing, or a distributed storage system separating storage and computing; this application does not limit this.

[0064] For example, a distributed storage system can be implemented using network attached storage (NAS) technology. NAS refers to a network storage architecture that provides storage resources through file-level data access and sharing over an Internet Protocol (IP) network. In a NAS scenario, the NAS is an external device for the server / host, used to provide file-level storage space for the server / host in the distributed storage system.

[0065] It is worth noting that the above examples are merely possible implementations of the data access system provided in this embodiment and should not be construed as limiting this application. For example, Figure 1In the storage device 120 shown, data is stored as files on various hard drives. The files stored on each hard drive constitute a file storage system, which could be a distributed file system, such as a network file system (NFS). NFS is both a distributed file system and a network protocol used for accessing and sharing files between devices on the same local area network. For example, a NAS system can be implemented using the NFS protocol. A network file system is a low-cost network file-sharing option that allows users and applications to access, store, and update files on remote computers, just like using direct-attached storage. Network file systems use the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) protocol to route requests between clients and servers. While participating devices need to support network file systems, they do not need to know the details of the network. It is worth noting that RPC can be insecure, so network file systems should only be deployed on trusted networks behind firewalls. Although Windows supports this protocol, it is primarily used in Linux environments.

[0066] Regarding the aforementioned tape drive device 200, this application provides an optional example, such as... Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application Figure 1 The tape drive device 200 can be used to implement the functions of the tape drive device 200 described above. In this document, the tape drive device may also be referred to as a tape media storage device, a tape all-in-one machine, an integrated tape disk, an integrated tape drive, or a magneto disk, etc., and this application does not limit it in this way.

[0067] Please see Figure 2 The tape drive device 200 includes: application 21, driver 22 and tape 210.

[0068] Application 21 refers to the application layer running in the tape drive device 200. Application 21 includes a software module or unit for providing external access functionality. This software module can provide a logical storage area with a management granularity that meets the access requirements of the data access device. This management granularity may include, but is not limited to, logical data areas, logical data segments, logical data blocks, or others. This logical storage area can be supported by the physical storage areas included in the tape 210, such as, but not limited to, data zones, data slices, or others. Application 21 is used to obtain data access requests or send access responses to the host, such as write responses or read responses.

[0069] Driver 22 refers to the device driver in the tape drive device 200. Driver 22 contains the hardware information of the magneto device 200, which enables the hardware in the tape drive device 200 to communicate with the application 21 (software), thereby enabling the application 21 to manage the tape 210. In this embodiment, after the application 21 triggers a read / write operation, the IO data stream is sent to the firmware corresponding to the tape 210 through driver 22. The firmware then issues instructions to control the motor to drive the tape 210 to perform linear addressing. After reaching the desired position, the read / write operation is achieved by the read / write head through the ADC / DAC channel for encoding and decoding.

[0070] The IO data stream, also known as the IO stream, includes multiple IO requests, which can be read IO requests (read requests) or write IO requests (write requests).

[0071] In the first possible example, the IO stream includes multiple IO requests from the same data access device, which can be a host, user equipment, server, or other type of device.

[0072] In the second possible example, the IO stream includes multiple IO requests from the same application.

[0073] For example, the application can be deployed on a single device, such as the data access device mentioned above.

[0074] For example, the application can be deployed on a distributed system, which includes multiple devices, each with a complete application deployed on it, or each device with a portion of the application's code deployed on it. Examples of such applications include, but are not limited to, artificial intelligence applications and distributed applications. For instance, a distributed application refers to an application distributed across different computers, working together over a network to complete a task.

[0075] In a third possible example, the IO stream includes multiple IO requests belonging to the same task. For example, the task could be a read task, a write task, or other data access task. This application does not limit the scope of the data access task to a single application or to multiple applications managed by a single data access interface.

[0076] The three possible examples above are merely optional methods of IO streams provided in the embodiments of this application. In the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application, multiple IO requests belonging to the same IO stream include data flowing from one storage location to another. The direction of the IO stream can be input (reading data) or output (writing data). When writing data to the tape drive device 200, the IO request in the IO stream is a write request; when reading data from the tape drive device 200, the IO request in the IO stream is a read request.

[0077] The following is combined Figure 3 The specific structure of a magnetic tape drive is described exemplarily. Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application Figure 2 .exist Figure 3 In the tape drive device 200, there are: a first reel 201a, a second reel 201b, a first positioning member 202a, a second positioning member 202b, a base 203, a tape 210, a tape driver 220, a magnetic head 230, a processor 240, and a tape reel assembly 260.

[0078] The first reel 201a is rotatably connected to the base 203, and the second reel 201b is rotatably connected to the base 203. In the magnetic tape drive 200, the first end of the magnetic tape 210 is wound onto the first reel 201a, and the second end of the magnetic tape 210 is wound onto the second reel 201b. For example, the first end of the magnetic tape 210 is the beginning end of the magnetic tape 210, and the second end of the magnetic tape 210 is the end end of the magnetic tape 210. Or, for another example, the second end of the magnetic tape 210 is the beginning end of the magnetic tape 210, and the first end of the magnetic tape 210 is the end end of the magnetic tape 210.

[0079] Regarding the structural relationship between the reel (first reel 210a or second reel 201b) and the magnetic tape 210, the following is a combination of... Figure 4 Provided as an example, Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first reel 201a and magnetic tape 210 provided for this application. Please refer to... Figure 4 The first reel 201a includes a reel 2013, a first cover plate 2011, and a second cover plate 2012. The reel 2013 and the base 203 are rotatably connected. The magnetic tape 210 is located between the first cover plate 2011 and the second cover plate 2012. The first cover plate 2011 and the second cover plate 2012 can constrain the magnetic tape 210 and prevent the magnetic tape 210 from detaching from the reel 2013. During the rotation of the reel 2013, the first cover plate 2011 and the second cover plate 2012 rotate synchronously.

[0080] The first cover plate 2011 can be as follows: Figure 4 The circular plate-like structure shown can have a second cover plate 2012 as follows: Figure 4 The circular plate-like structure shown.

[0081] The embodiments of this application do not limit the shape of the first cover plate 2011 and the second cover plate 2012. For example, the first cover plate 2011 can be a circular, square, elliptical, or irregularly shaped plate. Similarly, the second cover plate 2012 can be a circular, square, elliptical, or irregularly shaped plate. The shape of the first cover plate 2011 can be the same as or different from the shape of the second cover plate 2012.

[0082] For example, the connection between the first cover plate 2011 and the roll 2013 can be achieved by welding, snap-fitting, or bonding. Similarly, the connection between the second cover plate 2012 and the roll 2013 can be achieved by welding, snap-fitting, or bonding.

[0083] The processor 240 is used to control the speed at which the tape drive 220 drives the tape 210 according to the IO stream or IO request, and to control the head 230 to slide to access the tape area in the tape 210.

[0084] For example, processor 240 includes at least a processor and memory. The processor is a CPU used to process data access requests (such as I / O requests) from outside the tape drive device 200 (servers or other storage systems), and also to process requests generated internally by the tape drive device 200. For example, when the processor receives write data requests sent by a data access device or host through a front-end interface, it temporarily stores the data in these write data requests in memory. When the total amount of data in memory reaches a certain threshold, the processor stores the data in memory to tape 210 for persistent storage through a back-end port.

[0085] Please continue reading. Figure 3 As an optional implementation, the tape drive 220 includes a tape reel motor and a voice coil motor (VCM) motor.

[0086] The tape reel motor is used to drive the magnetic tape 210 to wind along its length. For example, the tape reel motor can be used to drive a reel (such as a first reel 201a and a second reel 201b) to rewind the magnetic tape wound on the reel in the forward direction, in the reverse direction, or stop rewinding. Forward and reverse are two opposite directions along the length of the magnetic tape.

[0087] The VCM motor is used to drive the magnetic tape 210 to move along the width of the tape 210, so that the magnetic head 230 can access different tracks or wraps in the tape 210. The VCM is a direct drive motor, and its working principle includes: a current-carrying coil placed in a magnetic field will generate a force, the magnitude of which is proportional to the current applied to the coil. Based on this principle, the movement of the VCM can be linear or circular.

[0088] Optionally, the tape drive 220 may also include a stepper motor for fine-tuning the winding position or speed of the tape 210 along its length. This stepper motor is a type of electric motor that converts electrical pulse signals into corresponding angular or linear displacements. For each input pulse signal, the rotor rotates by an angle or moves forward one step; the output angular or linear displacement is proportional to the number of input pulses, and the rotational speed is proportional to the pulse frequency. Therefore, a stepper motor is also called a pulse motor.

[0089] It is worth noting that the tape drive 220 described above are merely examples provided in the embodiments of this application and should not be construed as limiting the application. The tape drive 220 may also include devices such as linear motors, hydraulic cylinders, or pneumatic cylinders, which are not limited in this application.

[0090] Please return Figure 3 The magnetic tape drive device 200 includes two reels (a first reel 201a and a second reel 201b). The first end of the magnetic tape 210 is wound on the first reel 201a, and the last end of the magnetic tape 210 is wound on the second reel 201b.

[0091] During the tape winding process of magnetic tape 210, to prevent the magnetic head from tearing the tape 210, the fixing component in the tape drive device 200 can be used to support the tape body of the tape 210, thereby reducing the friction between the tape 210 and the magnetic head during winding and improving the service life of the tape 210. Please refer to... Figure 3 The fixing components in the tape drive device 200 include: a first positioning member 202a and a second positioning member 202b.

[0092] In the tape drive device 200, the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b are both disposed on the base 203. The connection method between each positioning member and the base 203 may include, but is not limited to, welding, snap-fitting or bonding.

[0093] Both the first positioning element 202a and the second positioning element 202b are used to press against the portion of the magnetic tape 210 located between the first reel 201a and the second reel 201b.

[0094] In one alternative example, both the first positioning element 202a and the second positioning element 202b are rollers. During the tape winding process, the rollers can roll to transport the tape 210, which helps to reduce friction between the tape 210 and the fixing components and improve the service life of the tape 210.

[0095] The magnetic head 230 is slidably connected to the base 203, allowing the relative positions of the magnetic head 230 and the base 203 to change. For example, the magnetic head 230 and the base 203 can be slidably connected through structures such as slide rails or grooves.

[0096] In some alternative implementations, the magnetic head 230 may include one or both of a write data head and a read data head. The write data head records data by magnetizing and changing the magnetic field of a magnetic medium (such as magnetic powder), while the read data head reads data from the magnetic medium by sensing its magnetic field. In one possible specific example, the magnetic head 230 may be configured with: a write data head, a read data head, and a write data head. For example, when the magnetic head 230 is used for reading data, it senses a target tape area to read the data stored there; when the magnetic head 230 is used for writing data, the write data head, which first contacts the tape, senses the target tape area to write the data carried by the I / O request to that area, and the read data head reads the data already written to the target tape area. The processor 240 in the tape drive 200 then verifies the data read by the read data head against the data carried by the I / O request.

[0097] In some alternative embodiments, the magnetic head 230 may also include a servo head, such as a write servo head and a read servo head. Taking the write servo head as an example, the write servo head can determine the position information of the tape 210 based on the address in the IO request, and the tape driver 220 can rewind the tape 210 from its current position to the tape area indicated by the position information, thereby allowing the write data head to write the data in the IO request to the tape area indicated by the position information.

[0098] Please see Figure 3 The tape reel assembly 260 is used to temporarily store the tape body of the magnetic tape 210 located between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b. For example... Figure 5 As shown, Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application Figure 3 .

[0099] exist Figure 5 In step (1), when the tape reel assembly 260 is in the first state, the magnetic head 230 is aligned with the first region (region 1) in the magnetic tape 210.

[0100] exist Figure 5 In (2), when the tape reel assembly 260 is in the second state, the magnetic head 230 is used to access the second region (region 2) in the magnetic tape 210, and the tape temporarily stored in the tape reel assembly 260 includes part or all of the first region (region 1).

[0101] Combination Figure 5 As can be seen from (1) and (2) in the text, along the tape reel direction of the tape 210, the second region (region 2) is located before the first region (region 1).

[0102] In this embodiment, the meaning of the tape body in the tape 210 "temporarily stored" by the tape reel assembly 260 includes: the tape reel assembly 260 controls the tape body length of the tape 210 between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b by sliding, or by winding the tape body between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b, so that the magnetic head 230 arrives at the aligned position of the target tape area (such as region 2) to be accessed later, thereby avoiding the problem of large IO delay caused by the tape 210 needing to turn around multiple times.

[0103] The alignment position of the magnetic head 230 can be the initial alignment position of the magnetic head 230 before the tape drive device 200 receives the IO request; the alignment position of the magnetic head 230 can be the position after the tape drive device 200 receives the IO request, after the magnetic head 230 moves from a position close to the first positioning member 202a to a position close to the second positioning member 202b.

[0104] Combination Figure 5 As provided, when the tape drive 200 is in its initial operating state, the dynamic slider (first slider 261) is in its initial position, and the tape 210 has no overlap. During I / O mismatch reading / writing by the read / write head 230, the dynamic slider (first slider 261) moves to the operating position, creating overlap (a second length of tape 232). The tape 210 does not slow down, but the overlap absorbs the distance traveled by the tape. While waiting for I / O, the read / write head 230 crosses the overlap and matches the continuous read / write position of the tape, i.e., region 2. When the tape 210 moves in the reverse direction, the movement trajectory of the read / write head 230 at the read / write position is opposite to the aforementioned rewind direction.

[0105] The following describes two optional embodiments: the tape reel assembly 260 controls the tape length of the tape 210 between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b by sliding, and the tape reel assembly 260 winds the tape between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b.

[0106] In a first alternative embodiment, the tape reel assembly 260 controls the length of the tape 210 between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b by sliding.

[0107] like Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application Figure 4 The tape reel assembly 260 mentioned above includes a first slide bar 261 and a drive member 263.

[0108] The first slide rod 261 is slidably connected to the base 203. For example, the first slide rod 261 and the base 203 can be connected by a slide rail, a slide groove, etc.

[0109] The driving member 263 is disposed on the base 203, and the driving member 263 is connected to the third end of the first slide rod 261 along the axial direction of the first slide rod 261. The third end is the end of the first slide rod 261 that is close to the base along the axial direction of the first slide rod 261.

[0110] This application does not limit the structure of the drive component 263. Exemplarily, the drive component 263 may include a motor and a reducer, with the reducer and motor outputs connected. The motor controls the first slide rod 261 to slide along a first direction or a second direction opposite to the first direction by rotating forward or in reverse. The first direction is perpendicular to the winding direction of a portion of the belt, and the second direction is perpendicular to the winding direction of that portion of the belt.

[0111] For example, when the tape assembly 260 is in the first state, the tape portion refers to the tape 231 located between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b in the magnetic tape 210, and the length of the tape 231 is the first length.

[0112] For example, when the tape assembly 260 is in the second state, this portion of the tape refers to the tape 232 located between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b in the magnetic tape 210, and the length of the tape 232 is the second length. The second length is greater than the first length.

[0113] Combination Figure 6 As can be seen from the provided example, the tape reel assembly 260 is used to control the tape length between different positioning components, so that the unread / unwritten tape area of ​​the magnetic head 230 can be reversed and the magnetic head 230 can realign the unread / unwritten tape area (such as area 2) and access the tape area, avoiding the problem of write interruption / read interruption, which helps to reduce the number of tape rewinds in the tape drive and improve the data read and write efficiency of the tape drive.

[0114] Regarding the above Figure 6 The contact state between the first slider 261 and the magnetic tape 210 is shown below, and two possible examples will be described below.

[0115] In the first possible example, such as Figure 6 As shown in (1), when the tape assembly 260 is in the first state, the first slide bar 261 is not in contact with the tape body 231 of the first length; as Figure 6 As shown in (2), when the tape assembly 260 is in the second state, the first slide bar 261 presses against the tape body 232 of the second length.

[0116] In the second possible example, such as Figure 7 As shown in (1), when the tape assembly 260 is in the first state, the first slide bar 261 presses against the tape body 231 of the first length; as Figure 7 As shown in (2), when the tape assembly 260 is in the second state, the first slide bar 261 presses against the tape body 232 of the second length.

[0117] In the two possible examples above, the length of tape body 232 is greater than the length of tape body 231, allowing the tape reel assembly 260 to store a longer tape 210. This enables the tape reel assembly 260 to control the length of the tape body located between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b. This allows the unread / unwritten tape area of ​​the magnetic head to be reversed and accessed by the magnetic head without the motor needing to rotate in the opposite direction. This avoids the problem of write interruption / read interruption, helps reduce the number of tape rewinds in the tape drive, and improves the data read and write efficiency of the tape drive.

[0118] Combination Figure 3 The processor 240 shown exemplarily illustrates the process of the tape drive device 200 reel assembly 260 as follows: the processor 240 receives an I / O request, the I / O request carrying an address indicating a second region (region 2); and the processor 240 sends a first control command to the magnetic head 230 and a second control command to the tape drive assembly 260.

[0119] The first control command is used to instruct the magnetic head 230 to read / write the second region (region 2); the second control command is used to instruct the tape reel assembly 260 to adjust the tape length of the tape body 231 located between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b, wherein the adjusted tape body 232 includes part or all of the first region.

[0120] Below Figures 3 to 7 Based on this, the process of reading / writing data by the cooperation between the tape reel assembly 260 and the magnetic head 230 provided in the embodiments of this application will be described by way of example. Figure 8 As shown, Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application Figure 6 Based on the tape drive device 200 provided in the foregoing embodiments, Figure 8 The provided tape drive device 200 also includes a head driver 250.

[0121] The head driver 250 is connected to the processor 240 and the magnetic head 230, respectively. The head driver 250 is used to: respond to a first control command sent by the processor 240, control the magnetic head 230 to move along the winding direction of the magnetic tape 210. The magnetic tape driver 220 is connected to the processor 240 and the magnetic tape 210, respectively; and the magnetic tape driver 220 is used to: respond to a second control command sent by the processor 240, drive the first reel 201a and the second reel 201b, so that the magnetic tape 210 wound on the first reel 201a is wound onto the second reel 201b.

[0122] It is worth noting that the time taken for the magnetic head 230 to align from the first region to the second region is the first duration; the time taken for the tape reel assembly 260 to change from the first state to the second state is the second duration, and the first duration is less than or equal to the second duration. Thus, the time required for the magnetic head 230 to move is less than the time required for the tape reel assembly 260 to adjust the tape body in the tape 210. Before the state change of the tape reel assembly 260 is completed, the magnetic head 230 has already reached the target position, such as... Figure 6 As shown in (2), even after the tape 210 passes the target tape area (area 2) aligned with the magnetic head, the tape length between different positioning parts can be controlled by the tape reel assembly, so that the moved magnetic head can access the target tape area (such as area 2). This solves the problem of high latency caused by the motor driving the tape to turn around frequently in the tape drive equipment, reduces the IO latency in the tape drive equipment, and helps to improve the data read and write efficiency in the tape drive equipment.

[0123] above Figures 6 to 8 The tape reel assembly 260 is described with an example of a slide bar controlling the length between different positioning elements. However, in some alternative cases, the tape reel assembly 260 may also include multiple slide bars. The following description uses an example of a tape reel assembly 260 including two slide bars. Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application Figure 7 Please see. Figure 9 The fixing component also includes a third positioning member 202c located between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b, which is used to press against the tape body in the magnetic tape 210 located between the first reel 201a and the second reel 201b.

[0124] The tape reel assembly 260 also includes a second slide bar 262. The second slide bar 262 is slidably connected to the base 203. The specific implementation of the slidable connection between the second slide bar 262 and the base 203 can be found in the aforementioned description of the first slide bar 261, and will not be repeated here.

[0125] Regarding the above Figure 9The contact states between the first slider 261, the second slider 262 and the magnetic tape 210 are shown below, and several possible examples will be explained below.

[0126] In Example 1, when the tape assembly 260 is in the first state, the first slide bar 261 is not in contact with the tape body 231 of the first length, and the second slide bar 262 is not in contact with the tape body 231 of the first length, as shown below. Figure 9 As shown in (1); when the tape assembly 260 is in the first state, the first slide bar 261 is used to press against: the tape body 232a of the second length 232 located between the first positioning member 202a and the third positioning member 202c, and / or, the second slide bar 262 is used to press against: the tape body 232b of the second length 232 located between the third positioning member 202c and the second positioning member 202b, as shown in (1); Figure 9 As shown in (2) above. The sum of the lengths of belt 232a and belt 232b is the second length mentioned above.

[0127] In Example 2, when the tape assembly 260 is in the first state, the first slide bar 261 is used to press against the tape 231a of the first length 231 located between the first positioning member 202a and the third positioning member 202c; and / or, the second slide bar 262 is used to press against the tape 231b of the first length 231 located between the third positioning member 202c and the second positioning member 202b. When the tape assembly 260 is in the second state, the first slide bar 261 is used to press against the tape 232a of the second length 232 located between the first positioning member 202a and the third positioning member 202c; and / or, the second slide bar 262 is used to press against the tape 232b of the second length 232 located between the third positioning member 202c and the second positioning member 202b. The sum of the lengths of the tape 232a and the tape 232b is the aforementioned second length.

[0128] like Figure 10 As shown, Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application Figure 8 The first length of the belt 231 includes a belt 231a located between the first positioning member 202a and the third positioning member 202c, and a belt 231b located between the second positioning member 202b and the third positioning member 202c. The second length of the belt 232 includes a belt 232a located between the first positioning member 202a and the third positioning member 202c, and a belt 232b located between the second positioning member 202b and the third positioning member 202c.

[0129] like Figure 10 As shown in (1), when the tape assembly 260 is in the first state, the first slide bar 261 presses against the tape body 231a and the second slide bar 262 presses against the tape body 231b.

[0130] like Figure 10 As shown in (2), when the tape assembly 260 is in the second state, the first slide bar 261 presses against the tape body 232a and the second slide bar 262 presses against the tape body 232b.

[0131] Figure 10 The examples provided are merely optional embodiments of this application and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this application. Based on Examples 1 and 2 above, the following examples provide various optional methods, which are illustrated in Table 1.

[0132] Table 1

[0133]

[0134]

[0135] The above optional methods 1 to 12 are only different examples provided by the embodiments of this application. It is worth noting that the length of the tape body 232 is greater than the length of the tape body 231. That is, whether different slide bars contact or press against the tape body, it is necessary to ensure that the magnetic head can access the swept tape area after moving, so as to avoid the problem of high tape I / O delay caused by the motor corresponding to the tape turning in the opposite direction, and improve the data reading and writing efficiency of the tape drive equipment.

[0136] above Figures 6 to 10 The first optional embodiment (where the tape reel assembly 260 controls the tape length of the tape 210 between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b by sliding) has been described below in conjunction with... Figure 11 The second alternative embodiment is described by way of example.

[0137] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application Figure 9 , Figure 11 Difference from the above Figures 6 to 10 The point is: Figure 11 The tape reel assembly 260 includes a drive element 265 and a rotating structure 266.

[0138] The drive unit 265 is mounted on the base 203.

[0139] The rotating structure 266 includes a first connecting part 266a, a second connecting part 266b, and a tape reel roller 266c. One end of the tape reel roller 266c is rotatably connected to the drive member 265 via the first connecting part 266a, and the other end of the tape reel roller 266c is rotatably connected to the base 203 via the second connecting part 266b. "Rotatably connected" means that the drive member 265 can control the rotation of the tape reel roller 266c by rotation, thereby adjusting the length of the magnetic tape 210 wound on the tape reel roller 266c.

[0140] like Figure 11 As shown in (1), when the tape assembly 260 is in the first state, part or all of the tape body 231 of the first length is wound around the tape roller 266c in the circumferential direction.

[0141] like Figure 11 As shown in (2), when the tape assembly 260 is in the second state, part or all of the tape body 232 of the second length is wound around the tape roller 266c in the circumferential direction.

[0142] Whether using a sliding mechanism or a rotating structure, tape drives utilize a reel assembly to absorb the sliding tape, creating a stacked track within the assembly. The read / write head can then efficiently address the mismatch between bandwidth and bit rate, improving tape space utilization. Furthermore, tape drives overcome the upper and lower limits of traditional dynamic speed reduction schemes, technically removing the limitations on read / write bandwidth and bit rate. Figure 9 or Figure 10 As can be seen from the content, the tape drive equipment uses multiple slide bars to construct multiple stacked tracks (such as tape body 232a and tape body 232b), and different slide bars support different stacking tracks, which can match multiple scenarios such as tape speed change and reset.

[0143] This application also provides a storage system. The storage system includes: a communication interface, a storage controller (or controller), and the tape drive device provided in any of the foregoing embodiments. The tape drive device is used to store data, the communication interface is used to receive data access requests, and the storage controller is used to manage target tape drive devices in the storage system according to data access requests (such as read requests or write requests). The storage system is, for example, a tape library, a tape system, or a computer / server that includes tape drive devices as persistent storage media.

[0144] The storage controller includes one or more processors, which can be a very large-scale integrated circuit. The processor contains an operating system and other software programs, enabling it to access tape drives and various PCIe devices. The processor includes one or more processor cores. These cores can be, for example, CPUs or other ASICs. The processor can also be other general-purpose processors, DSPs, ASICs, FPGAs, or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. In practical applications, the storage system may also include multiple controllers.

[0145] Optionally, the storage system may also include, but is not limited to, other storage media: dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), etc., for caching data from the tape drive for processor processing. Additionally, other storage media may be read-only memory (ROM). For example, read-only memory may be programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), etc. This embodiment does not limit the number or type of other storage media. Furthermore, other storage media can be configured to have power-saving functionality. Power-saving functionality means that when the system experiences a power outage and is then powered on again, the data stored in the memory will not be lost. Storage media with power-saving functionality are called non-volatile memory.

[0146] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are performed entirely or partially. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user equipment, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; it can also be an optical medium, such as a digital video disc (DVD); or it can be a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive (SSD).

[0147] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Various equivalent modifications or substitutions can be conceived within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A magnetic tape drive device, characterized in that, include: Base; The first reel is rotatably connected to the base; The second reel is rotatably connected to the base; A magnetic tape, wherein a first end of the magnetic tape is wound around a first reel and a second end of the magnetic tape is wound around a second reel; The fixing component includes a first positioning member and a second positioning member, both of which are used to: press against the portion of the magnetic tape located between the first reel and the second reel. The magnetic head is slidably connected to the base; and, A tape reel assembly for temporarily storing the tape body of the magnetic tape located between the first positioning member and the second positioning member; With the tape assembly in the first state, the magnetic head is aligned with a first region in the magnetic tape; When the tape reel assembly is in the second state, the magnetic head is used to access a second region in the magnetic tape, and the tape temporarily stored by the tape reel assembly includes part or all of the first region, wherein, along the tape reel direction, the second region is located before the first region.

2. The magnetic tape drive device according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the first state, the tape portion located between the first positioning member and the second positioning member in the magnetic tape has a first length; In the second state, the tape body located between the first positioning member and the second positioning member in the magnetic tape has a second length, which is greater than the first length.

3. The magnetic tape drive device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The tape assembly includes: The first sliding rod is slidably connected to the base; In the first state, the first slide bar does not contact the belt of the first length; In the second state, the first slide bar presses against the belt of the second length.

4. The magnetic tape drive device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The tape assembly includes: The first sliding rod is slidably connected to the base; In the first state, the first slide bar presses against the belt of the first length; In the second state, the first slide bar presses against the belt of the second length.

5. The magnetic tape drive device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The tape assembly further includes: A driving component is disposed on the base, and the driving component is connected to the third end of the first slide rod along the axial direction of the first slide rod; The driving component is used to control the first slide bar to slide along a first direction or a second direction opposite to the first direction, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the winding direction of the portion of the tape and the second direction is perpendicular to the winding direction of the portion of the tape.

6. The magnetic tape drive device according to any one of claims 3-5, characterized in that, The fixing component further includes: a third positioning member located between the first positioning member and the second positioning member, the third positioning member being used to press against the tape body located between the first reel and the second reel in the magnetic tape; The tape assembly further includes: The second sliding rod is slidably connected to the base; In the first state, the second slide bar does not contact the belt of the first length; In the second state, the first slide bar is used to press against the belt body of the second length located between the first positioning member and the third positioning member; and / or, the second slide bar is used to press against the belt body of the second length located between the third positioning member and the second positioning member.

7. The magnetic tape drive device according to any one of claims 3-5, characterized in that, The fixing component further includes: a third positioning member located between the first positioning member and the second positioning member, the third positioning member being used to press against the tape body located between the first reel and the second reel in the magnetic tape; The tape assembly further includes: The second sliding rod is slidably connected to the base; In the first state, the first slide bar is used to: press against the belt body of the first length located between the first positioning member and the third positioning member; and / or, the second slide bar is used to: press against the belt body of the first length located between the third positioning member and the second positioning member; In the second state, the first slide bar is used to press against the belt body of the second length located between the first positioning member and the third positioning member; and / or, the second slide bar is used to press against the belt body of the second length located between the third positioning member and the second positioning member.

8. The magnetic tape drive device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The tape assembly includes: A driving component is mounted on the base; The rotating structure includes a first connecting part, a second connecting part, and a winding roller. One end of the winding roller is rotatably connected to the driving member through the first connecting part, and the other end of the winding roller is rotatably connected to the base through the second connecting part. In the first state, part or all of the tape of the first length is wound around the circumference of the tape roll shaft; In the second state, part or all of the tape of the second length is wound circumferentially along the tape roll shaft.

9. The magnetic tape drive device according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, Both the first positioning element and the second positioning element are rollers.

10. The magnetic tape drive device according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The magnetic tape drive device also includes: A processor is configured to: receive an I / O request, wherein the I / O request carries an address indicating the second region; The processor is further configured to: send a first control command to the magnetic head and send a second control command to the tape reel assembly; Wherein, the first control command is used to instruct: the magnetic head to read / write the second region; the second control command is used to instruct: the tape reel assembly to adjust the tape length located between the first positioning member and the second positioning member, wherein the adjusted tape includes part or all of the first region between the first positioning member and the second positioning member.

11. The magnetic tape drive device according to claim 10, characterized in that, The magnetic tape drive device also includes: A magnetic head driver is connected to the processor and the magnetic head, respectively. The magnetic head driver is configured to: respond to the first control command and control the magnetic head to move along the reel direction of the magnetic tape; A magnetic tape drive is connected to the processor and the magnetic tape, respectively. The magnetic tape driver is configured to: respond to the second control command to drive the first spool and the second spool, so that the magnetic tape wound on the first spool is wound onto the second spool.

12. The magnetic tape drive device according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, The time taken for the magnetic head to align from the first region to the second region is the first duration; The time taken for the tape assembly to change from the first state to the second state is the second duration, where the first duration is less than or equal to the second duration.

13. A storage system, characterized in that, include: A controller, and one or more magnetic tape drive devices according to any one of claims 1-12; The controller is used to receive I / O requests and manage target tape drives in one or more tape drive devices according to the I / O requests.

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