Tape drive device and storage system

Abstract

Disclosed are a tape drive device and a storage system, which relate to the technical field of tapes. By means of using a tape winding assembly to temporarily store tape bodies between different positioning members, even after a tape slides past a target tape region aligned with a magnetic head, the length of the tape between different positioning members can still be controlled by means of the tape winding assembly, such that the moved magnetic head can access the target tape region, thereby solving the problem of the latency being relatively high caused by frequent reversals of a motor-driven tape in the tape drive device, reducing IO latency in the tape drive device, and facilitating an improvement in the data read / write efficiency of the tape drive device.

Description

A tape drive device and storage system

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202411164570.4, filed on August 22, 2024, and entitled "A tape drive device and storage system", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of magnetic tape, and in particular to a tape drive device and storage system. BACKGROUND

[0003] A magnetic tape is a band-shaped material with a magnetic layer for recording sound, image, digital or other signals. The magnetic tape is attached with a magnetic medium, such as magnetic powder, for storing data. In the storage technology, the magnetic tape is the best choice for storage media in backup, archiving and other scenarios due to its low cost, high reliability and safety. For example, a tape drive is a single drive product, which includes a tape drive and a magnetic tape. The tape drive usually reads and writes data by sliding the magnetic tape on the head in the tape drive.

[0004] In the tape drive, the read-write bandwidth of input-output (IO) data is limited by the number of bits that can be converted by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) in a unit of time. The tape speed of the motor in the tape drive needs to match the number of bits that can be converted by the ADC / DAC in a unit of time, so that the tape drive can complete the access to the magnetic tape. During the read-write process of the tape drive, the efficiency of the ADC / DAC in the tape drive is limited, and the head will slide across the tape body with inertia. The tape drive usually controls the tape to turn around so that the head can access the data hole area again. The delay of the tape each time it turns around is high, and the IO delay of the tape drive is large. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application provides a tape drive device and storage system, which solves the problem of high delay caused by frequent turning of the head in the tape drive device, reduces the IO delay in the tape drive device, and is beneficial to improve the data read-write efficiency in the tape drive device.

[0006] The present application adopts the following technical solutions.

[0007] In a first aspect, the present application provides a tape drive device. The tape drive device comprises a base, a first reel, a second reel, a magnetic tape, a fixing assembly, a magnetic head and a tape winding assembly. The first reel is rotationally connected to the base, and the second reel is rotationally 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 comprises a first positioning member and a second positioning member, and the first positioning member and the second positioning member are both configured to press against a portion of the magnetic tape between the first reel and the second reel. The magnetic head is slidingly connected to the base. The tape winding assembly is configured to temporarily store the portion of the magnetic tape between the first positioning member and the second positioning member. In a first state of the tape winding assembly, the magnetic head is aligned with a first region of the magnetic tape. In a second state of the tape winding assembly, the magnetic head is configured to access a second region of the magnetic tape, and the tape winding assembly temporarily stores a portion or all of the first region in the portion of the magnetic tape, wherein the second region is located before the first region in a winding direction of the magnetic tape.

[0008] In the first aspect, the tape winding assembly is used to temporarily store the portion of the magnetic tape between the first positioning member and the second positioning member. Even after the magnetic tape passes through the target region of the magnetic tape aligned by the magnetic head, the length of the magnetic tape between the first positioning member and the second positioning member can be controlled by the tape winding assembly, so that the moved magnetic head can access the target region of the magnetic tape. This solves the problem of high latency caused by the motor driving the magnetic tape to frequently reverse direction, reduces the IO latency of the tape drive device, and improves the data read / write efficiency of the tape drive device.

[0009] In combination with the tape drive device of the first aspect, in an optional implementation, in the first state, the portion of the magnetic tape between the first positioning member and the second positioning member has a first length. In the second state, the portion of the magnetic tape between the first positioning member and the second positioning member has a second length, and the second length is greater than the first length. In the first aspect, the length of the magnetic tape between the first positioning member and the second positioning member is controlled by the tape winding assembly, so that the magnetic head can rewind the unread / written region of the magnetic tape without reversing the direction of the motor, and then align the unread / written region of the magnetic tape by the magnetic head and access the region. This avoids the problem of write flow interruption / reading flow interruption, reduces the number of times the magnetic tape reverses direction in the tape drive device, and improves the data read / write efficiency of the tape drive device.

[0010] In combination with the tape drive device of the first aspect, in an optional implementation, the tape winding assembly comprises a first sliding rod slidingly connected to the base.

[0011] In the first optional example, in the first state, the first sliding rod does not contact the portion of the magnetic tape with the first length. In the second state, the first sliding rod presses against the portion of the magnetic tape with the second length.

[0012] In a first alternative example, in the first state, the first slide rod presses against the first length of the tape; in the second state, the first slide rod presses against the second length of the tape.

[0013] With reference to the magnetic tape device provided in the first aspect, in an alternative implementation, the tape winding assembly further comprises a driving member arranged on the base. The driving member is connected with the first slide rod at a third end of the first slide rod along the axial direction of the first slide rod. The driving member is configured to control the first slide rod to slide in a first direction or a second direction opposite to the first direction, the first direction being perpendicular to the tape winding direction of the partial tape, and the second direction being perpendicular to the tape winding direction of the partial tape.

[0014] With reference to the magnetic tape device provided in the first aspect, in an alternative implementation, the fixing assembly further comprises a third positioning member located between the first positioning member and the second positioning member, the third positioning member being configured to press against the tape located between the first winding drum and the second winding drum in the magnetic tape. The tape winding assembly provided in the present application further comprises a second slide rod in sliding connection with the base.

[0015] In a first alternative example, in the first state, the second slide rod does not contact the first length of the tape; in the second state, the first slide rod is configured to press against: the tape located between the first positioning member and the third positioning member in the second length of the tape, and / or the second slide rod is configured to press against: the tape located between the third positioning member and the second positioning member in the second length of the tape.

[0016] In a second alternative example, in the first state, the first slide rod is configured to press against: the tape located between the first positioning member and the third positioning member in the first length of the tape, and / or the second slide rod is configured to press against: the tape located between the third positioning member and the second positioning member in the first length of the tape; in the second state, the first slide rod is configured to press against: the tape located between the first positioning member and the third positioning member in the second length of the tape, and / or the second slide rod is configured to press against: the tape located between the third positioning member and the second positioning member in the second length of the tape.

[0017] In the first aspect of the present application, different slide rods in the tape winding assembly are used to control the length of the magnetic tape between different positioning members, so that the magnetic tape region not read / written by the magnetic head can be reversed to wind the tape, and the magnetic head can be re-aligned with the not read / written region of the magnetic tape and access the region, thereby avoiding the problem of write / discontinuous read. Moreover, the partial tape between the first positioning member and the second positioning member is further subdivided, and the magnetic tape device can adjust the relative position between the partial tape and the magnetic head multiple times, which is conducive to the alignment of the magnetic head with the not read / written region of the magnetic tape, further reduces the number of times of reversing the magnetic tape in the magnetic tape device, and improves the data read / write efficiency of the magnetic tape device.

[0018] With reference to the magnetic tape device provided in the first aspect, in an optional implementation, the tape winding assembly includes a driving member and a rotating structure. The driving member is arranged on the base. The rotating structure includes a first connecting portion, a second connecting portion, and a winding roller shaft. One end of the winding roller shaft is rotationally connected with the driving member through the first connecting portion, and the other end of the winding roller shaft is rotationally connected with the base through the second connecting portion. In the first state, part or all of the first length of the tape body is wound along the circumference of the winding roller shaft. In the second state, part or all of the second length of the tape body is wound along the circumference of the winding roller shaft.

[0019] With reference to the magnetic tape device provided in the first aspect, in an optional implementation, the first positioning member and the second positioning member are both roller shafts.

[0020] With reference to the magnetic tape device provided in the first aspect, in an optional implementation, the magnetic tape device further includes a processor. The processor is configured to receive an IO request, and the address carried in the IO request indicates the second region. The processor is further configured to send a first control instruction to the magnetic head and a second control instruction to the tape winding assembly. The first control instruction is used to instruct the magnetic head to read / write the second region. The second control instruction is used to instruct the tape winding assembly to adjust the length of the tape body located between the first positioning member and the second positioning member, and part or all of the first region is included in the adjusted tape body between the first positioning member and the second positioning member.

[0021] With reference to the magnetic tape device provided in the first aspect, in an optional implementation, the magnetic tape device further includes a magnetic head driver and a magnetic tape driver. The magnetic head driver is connected with the processor and the magnetic head respectively, and is configured to control the magnetic head to move along the winding direction of the magnetic tape in response to the first control instruction. The magnetic tape driver is connected with the processor and the magnetic tape respectively, and is configured to drive the first winding drum and the second winding drum to wind the magnetic tape around the first winding drum to the second winding drum in response to the second control instruction.

[0022] With reference to the magnetic tape device provided in the first aspect, in an optional implementation, the time consumed by the magnetic head from aligning with the first region to aligning with the second region is a first time length, and the time consumed by the tape winding assembly from the first state to the second state is a second time length. The first time length is less than or equal to the second time length.

[0023] In a second aspect, the present application provides a storage system. The storage system includes a controller and one or more magnetic tape devices in the first aspect or any optional implementation of the first aspect. The controller is configured to receive an IO request and manage a target magnetic tape device in the one or more magnetic tape devices according to the IO request.

[0024] On the basis of the implementation manners provided in the above aspects of the present application, the implementation manners can be further combined to provide more implementation manners. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a data access system provided in this application.

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

[0027] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application.

[0028] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first reel 201a and magnetic tape 210 provided in this application.

[0029] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application.

[0030] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application.

[0031] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application.

[0032] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application.

[0033] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application.

[0034] Figure 10 is a structural schematic diagram of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application.

[0035] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a magnetic tape drive device provided in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0036] 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.

[0037] Specifically, the tape drive device comprises: a base, a magnetic tape, a fixing assembly, a tape winding assembly, a first winding drum and a second winding drum respectively rotatably connected with the base, and a magnetic head slidably connected with the base. The first end of the magnetic tape is wound around the first winding drum, and the second end of the magnetic tape is wound around the second winding drum. The fixing assembly comprises a first positioning member and a second positioning member, and the first positioning member and the second positioning member are both used for pressing the part of the magnetic tape between the first winding drum and the second winding drum. The tape winding assembly is used for temporarily storing the part of the magnetic tape between the first positioning member and the second positioning member. In the case that the tape winding assembly is in a first state, the magnetic head is aligned with a first region in the magnetic tape; in the case that the tape winding assembly is in a second state, the magnetic head is used for accessing a second region in the magnetic tape, and the tape winding assembly temporarily stores part or all of the first region in the part of the magnetic tape, wherein the second region is located before the first region in the winding direction of the magnetic tape.

[0038] The technical solutions involved in the present application can not only be applied to current tape technology or storage devices, but also can be applied to future tape technology or storage devices, or storage systems including tape drive devices or storage devices. The terms used in the embodiment part of the present application are only used to explain the specific embodiments of the present application, and are not intended to limit the present application. First, some concepts that can be involved in the present application will be briefly introduced.

[0039] Storage medium: a storage material used for recording sound, image, digital or other signals. The storage material can include but is not limited to magnetic tape, such as a tape-shaped material with a magnetic layer for recording sound, image, digital or other signals. The magnetic tape is attached with a magnetic medium, such as magnetic powder, for storing data. For example, the magnetic field change in the magnetic medium is usually formed by coating a layer of granular magnetic material on a plastic film tape base (support) or evaporating and depositing a layer of magnetic oxide or alloy film. The tape base of the magnetic tape can include but is not limited to paper, cellophane or polyester film, etc.

[0040] Magnetic head: (header): a component for reading and writing the magnetic medium on the magnetic tape by magnetic principle, which is divided into write head and read head. The write head records data by magnetizing to change the magnetic field of the magnetic medium (such as magnetic powder), and the read head reads the data on the magnetic medium by inducting the magnetic field of the magnetic medium.

[0041] Stacked tracks: for the winding track of the magnetic tape, the track is constructed in a folding fan-like overlapping manner, such as the second length of the tape body 232 shown in (2) of FIG. 6.

[0042] Slide bar: a slidable magnetic tape body positioning rod, which can also be called a dynamic slide bar.

[0043] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more clear, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0044] Hereinafter, the terms "first", "second", and the like are used only for descriptive purposes, and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or an indicated number of technical features. Therefore, the features defined with "first", "second", and the like can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "a plurality of" is two or more.

[0045] In addition, in the present application, the orientation terms such as "upper", "lower", and the like are defined with respect to the orientation in which the components are placed in the drawings, and it should be understood that these directional terms are relative concepts, which are used for relative description and clarification, and can be changed accordingly according to the change of the orientation in which the components are placed in the drawings.

[0046] In the tape library, after the server issues a read-write operation instruction to the mechanical arm component, the mechanical arm component takes out the corresponding tape cartridge from the tape cabin and transports it to the corresponding tape drive, and the tape drive performs data read-write on the specified position in the tape cartridge. When the taken-out tape cartridge is full or needs to read and write data in other tape cartridges, the server issues another read-write operation instruction to the mechanical arm component, and the mechanical arm component takes out the current tape cartridge from the tape drive and moves the new tape cartridge in the tape cabin for data read-write. In the tape library, in addition to the tape cartridge, other components are shared components of different tape cartridges, so during data read-write, the frequency of the moving operation of the mechanical arm component to different tape cartridges is high, and the mechanical arm is a complex mechanical component with low reliability, and the mechanical arm failure will cause the business interruption of the tape library.

[0047] To solve the above problems, first, the scene to which the embodiments of the present application are applied will be introduced in combination with the drawings.

[0048] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a data access system provided by the present application. The data access system includes a data access device 100 and a storage device 120. In the application scenario shown in FIG. 1, a user accesses data through an application program. The computer running these application programs can be referred to as a "computing device".

[0049] The data access device 100 can be a physical machine, a virtual machine, or a container. The physical machine can include one or both of a user end and a smart NIC. For example, the data access device 100 includes a user end. The user end can refer to a client, such as a host, a desktop computer, a server, a notebook computer, a mobile device, and the like. For another example, the data access device 100 includes a smart NIC. The smart NIC, also referred to as a smart network adapter, provides a built-in programmable and configurable hardware acceleration engine in addition to the network transmission function of a standard network card, improves the performance of an application, and greatly reduces the consumption of a CPU in communication in a host connected to the smart NIC, and provides more CPU resources for the application. For example, in a highly virtualized environment, a CPU in a host needs to run open virtual switch (OVS) related tasks, and the CPU in the host also needs to process storage, online or offline encryption and decryption of data packets, deep packet inspection, firewall, complex routing, and the like. These operations not only consume a large amount of CPU resources, but also cause the performance of services to be unable to be best due to the contention of CPU resources among different services. The smart NIC serves as a hub connecting various services, and accelerates the services on the smart NIC.

[0050] In one possible example, the data access device 100 accesses the storage device 120 through a network to access data. For example, the network can include the switch 110.

[0051] In another possible example, the data access device 100 can also communicate with the storage device 120 through a wired connection, such as a universal serial bus (USB) or a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) bus, and the like.

[0052] The storage device 120 shown in FIG. 1 can be a centralized storage system. The centralized storage system has the feature of having a unified entrance through which all data from external devices passes, and the entrance is an engine 121 of the centralized storage system. The engine 121 has a management function, and many advanced functions of the storage system are implemented therein.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 1, the engine 121 can have one or more controllers, and FIG. 1 illustrates an example in which the engine 121 includes one controller. In one possible example, if the engine 121 has multiple controllers, any two controllers can have a mirror channel therebetween to implement a function of backing up each other, so as to avoid a hardware failure leading to an unavailability of the entire storage device 120. It should be understood that if the engine 121 includes multiple controllers, the engine 121 can also be referred to as an array controller of the storage device 120.

[0054] The engine 121 also includes a front-end interface 1211 and a back-end interface 1214. The front-end interface 1211 is configured to communicate with the data access device 100, so as to provide a data access service for the data access device 100. The back-end interface 1214 is configured to communicate with the hard disks, so as to expand the capacity of the storage device 120. Through the back-end interface 1214, the engine 121 can connect more hard disks, so as to form a very large storage resource pool.

[0055] In hardware, as shown in FIG. 1, the controller includes at least a processor 1212 and a memory 1213. The processor 1212 is a central processing unit (CPU) configured to process a data access request from outside the storage device 120 (a server or other storage system), and also configured to process a request generated inside the storage device 120. For example, when the processor 1212 receives a write data request sent by the data access device 100 through the front-end interface 1211, the processor 1212 temporarily stores data in the write data request in the memory 1213. When the total amount of data in the memory 1213 reaches a certain threshold, the processor 1212 sends the data stored in the memory 1213 to at least one of the mechanical hard disk 1221, the solid state drive (SSD) 1222, the tape device 200, or other hard disks 1224 through the back-end interface, for persistent storage.

[0056] The memory 1213 refers to an internal memory that exchanges data directly with the processor. It can read and write data at any time and has a very fast speed, and is used as a temporary data storage for the operating system or other programs running at the moment. The memory includes at least two types of memories, for example, the memory can be a random access memory or a read only memory (ROM). For example, the random access memory is a DRAM or an SCM. The DRAM is a semiconductor memory, and like most random access memories (RAMs), it is a volatile memory device. However, the DRAM and the SCM are only exemplary in this embodiment, and the memory can also include other random access memories, such as static random access memories (SRAM) and the like. As for the read only memory, for example, it can be a programmable read only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), and the like. In addition, the memory 1213 can also be a dual in-line memory module (DIMM), that is, a module composed of dynamic random access memories (DRAM), and can also be an SSD. In practical applications, multiple memories 1213 can be configured in the controller, and different types of memories 1213 can be configured. This embodiment does not limit the number and type of the memory 1213. In addition, the memory 1213 can be configured to have a power retention function. The power retention function refers to that when the system is powered off and then powered on again, the data stored in the memory 1213 will not be lost. The memory with the power retention function is called a non-volatile memory. The memory 1213 stores software programs, and the processor 1212 runs the software programs in the memory 1213 to achieve the management of the hard disk. For example, the hard disk is abstracted as a storage resource pool, and the storage resource pool is provided to the server in the form of a logical unit number (LUN). The LUN is actually the hard disk seen on the server. Of course, some centralized storage systems themselves are file servers, which can provide shared file services for servers.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 1, in the system, the engine 121 can not have a hard disk slot, and the hard disk needs to be placed in the disk frame 122, and the back-end interface 1214 communicates with the disk frame 122. The back-end interface 1214 exists in the engine 121 in the form of an adapter card, and two or more back-end interfaces 1214 can be used simultaneously on one engine 121 to connect multiple disk frames. Alternatively, the adapter card can also be integrated on the mainboard, at which time the adapter card can communicate with the processor 1212 through the PCIe bus.

[0058] It should be noted that only one engine 121 is shown in FIG. 1, but in actual application, two or more engines 121 can be included in the storage system, and redundancy or load balancing is performed between the multiple engines 121.

[0059] The disk frame 122 includes a control unit 1225 and several hard disks. The control unit 1225 can have various forms. In one case, the disk frame 122 belongs to a smart disk frame, as shown in FIG. 1, and the control unit 1225 includes a CPU and a memory. The CPU is used to perform address translation and read and write data operations. The memory is used to temporarily store data to be written to the hard disk or data read from the hard disk to be sent to the controller. In another case, the control unit 1225 is a programmable electronic component, such as a data processing unit (DPU). The DPU has the versatility and programmability of the CPU, but is more specialized and can efficiently operate on network packets, storage requests, or analysis requests. The DPU is distinguished from the CPU by a greater degree of parallelism (a large number of requests need to be processed). Optionally, the DPU here can also be replaced by a graphics processing unit (GPU), an embedded neural-network processing unit (NPU), etc. In general, the number of control units 1225 can be one, two, or more. The functions of the control unit 1225 can be offloaded to the network card 1226. In other words, in this embodiment, the disk frame 122 does not have a control unit 1225 inside, but the data read and write, address translation, and other computing functions are completed by the network card 1226. At this time, the network card 1226 is a smart network card. It can contain a CPU and a memory. The CPU is used to perform address translation and read and write data operations. The memory is used to temporarily store data to be written to the hard disk or data read from the hard disk to be sent to the controller. It can also be a programmable electronic component, such as a DPU. The network card 1226 in the disk frame 122 has no ownership relationship with the hard disks, and the network card 1226 can access any hard disk in the disk frame 122 (such as the mechanical hard disk 1221, the solid state disk 1222, the tape device 200, and other hard disks 1224 shown in FIG. 1), so it is more convenient to expand the hard disk when the storage space is insufficient.

[0060] In the embodiments of the present application, the tape device 200 refers to a storage device including a magnetic tape medium. In terms of hardware implementation, the tape device can include but is not limited to a magnetic tape, a magnetic head, and a tape drive. The tape drive is used to wind the magnetic tape, and the magnetic head can be used to access the magnetic tape, such as writing data to the magnetic tape or reading data from the magnetic tape. The specific implementation of the tape device can refer to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2-11 below, which will not be described here.

[0061] According to the type of the communication protocol between the engine 121 and the disk frame 122, the disk frame 122 can be a serial attached small computer system interface (SAS) disk frame connected in series, or an NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory express) disk frame, or other types of disk frames. The SAS disk frame adopts the SAS3.0 protocol, and each frame supports 25 SAS hard disks. The engine 121 is connected with the disk frame 122 through a built-in SAS interface or a SAS interface module. The NVMe disk frame is more like a complete computer system, and the NVMe hard disk is inserted into the NVMe disk frame. The NVMe disk frame is connected with the engine 121 through an RDMA port. In some cases, the engine 121 can also be referred to as a hard disk management device or a storage controller.

[0062] In terms of hardware implementation, the disk frame 122 can be installed in a storage system (such as a hard disk frame), or the disk frame 122 can be packaged and independently arranged. When the disk frame 122 exists independently, the disk frame 122 can also be referred to as a storage device or a storage system, which is not limited in the present application.

[0063] In an optional implementation, the storage device 120 is a centralized storage system with a disk control unit, and the storage device 120 does not have the disk frame 122 described above. The engine 121 is used to manage a plurality of hard disks connected through hard disk slots. The function of the hard disk slot can be implemented by the back-end interface 1214.

[0064] In other optional implementations, the storage device 120 is a distributed storage system. The distributed storage system includes a computing node cluster and a storage node cluster. The computing node cluster includes one or more computing nodes, and each computing node can communicate with each other. The computing node can be a server, a desktop computer, or a controller of a storage array, etc. In terms of hardware, the computing node can include a processor, a memory, a network card, etc. The processor is a CPU, which is used to process data access requests from outside the computing node, or requests generated inside the computing node. For example, when the processor receives a write data request sent by a user, the processor temporarily saves the data in the write data request in the memory. When the total amount of data in the memory reaches a certain threshold, the processor sends the data stored in the memory to the storage node for persistent storage. In addition, the processor is also used for data computing or processing, such as metadata management, data deduplication, data compression, virtualization of storage space, address translation, etc. In the embodiments provided in the present application, the storage node can be a tape drive device or other types of hard disks, etc. It can be understood that the storage system described in the embodiments of the present application can be a distributed storage system with storage and computing integrated, or a distributed storage system with storage and computing separated, which is not limited in the present application.

[0065] For example, the distributed storage system can be implemented by network attached storage (NAS) technology. NAS refers to a network storage architecture that provides storage resources through file-level data access and sharing based on an Internet Protocol (IP) network. In a NAS scenario, the NAS is an external device for a server / host, and the NAS is used to provide file-level storage space for the server / host in the distributed storage system.

[0066] It should be noted that the above examples only provide possible implementations of the data access system of the present embodiment, and should not be construed as a limitation of the present application. For example, in the storage device 120 shown in FIG. 1, data is stored in the form of files on each hard disk. The files stored in each hard disk constitute a file storage system, for example, a distributed file system. For example, a network file system (NFS) is a distributed file system and also a network protocol for accessing and sharing files between devices on the same local area network. For example, a NAS system can be implemented by an NFS protocol. The network file system is a low-cost network file sharing option that enables users and applications to access, store, and update files on remote computers, just like using direct-attached storage. The network file system uses a remote procedure call protocol to route requests between clients and servers. Although the devices involved need to support the network file system, they do not need to understand the details of the network. It should be noted that remote procedure calls can not be secure, so the network file system should only be deployed on trusted networks behind a firewall. Although Windows supports the protocol, the protocol is mainly used in a Linux environment.

[0067] For the above-mentioned tape drive device 200, an optional example is provided in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, which is a structural schematic diagram of a tape drive device according to the present application. The tape drive device 200 can be used to implement the functions of the above-mentioned tape drive device 200. In this article, the tape drive device can also be referred to as a tape medium storage, a tape all-in-one machine, an integrated tape disk, an integrated tape drive, or a magnetoelectric disk, etc., which is not limited in the present application.

[0068] Referring to FIG. 2, the tape drive device 200 includes an application 21, a driver 22, and a tape 210.

[0069] The application 21 refers to an application layer running in the tape device 200, and the application 21 includes a software module or a software unit for providing an access function to the outside. The software module can provide a logical storage area with a management granularity according to an access requirement of a data access device, such as a logical data zone, a logical data segment, a logical data block or the like. The logical storage area can be supported by a physical storage area included in the tape 210, such as a data zone, a data slice or the like. The application 21 is configured to obtain a data access request or send an access response to a host, such as a write response or a read response.

[0070] The driver 22 refers to a device driver in the tape device 200, and the driver 22 includes hardware information of the tape device 200, which enables the hardware in the tape device 200 to communicate with the application 21 (software) to implement management of the tape 210 by the application 21. In the embodiment, after the application 21 triggers a read / write operation, an IO data stream is sent to the corresponding firmware of the tape 210 through the driver 22, and the firmware sends a command to control a motor to drive a tape body of the tape 210 to perform linear addressing to reach a desired position, and then the motor head performs encoding / decoding through an ADC / DAC channel to implement the read / write operation.

[0071] The IO data stream can also be referred to as an IO stream, and the IO stream includes a plurality of IO requests, which can be read IO requests (read requests) or write IO requests (write requests).

[0072] In a first possible example, the IO stream includes a plurality of IO requests from the same data access device, which can be a host, a user device, a server or another type of device.

[0073] In a second possible example, the IO stream includes a plurality of IO requests from the same application.

[0074] For example, the application can be deployed on a single device, such as the data access device described above.

[0075] For another example, the application can be deployed on a distributed system, and the distributed system includes a plurality of devices, each of which is deployed with a complete application program or a part of the program code of the application program. For example, the application can include an artificial intelligence application or a distributed application, and the distributed application refers to distributing an application program on different computers to complete a task through a network.

[0076] In a third possible example, the IO stream includes multiple IO requests belonging to a same task. For example, the task can be a read task, a write task, or other data access task, etc. The task can be a data access task issued by a single application, or a data access task of multiple applications managed by a data access interface, which is not limited in the present application.

[0077] The above three possible examples are only optional ways of the IO stream provided by the embodiments of the present application. In the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application, the data included in the multiple IO requests belonging to the same IO stream flows from one storage location to another storage location, and the direction of the IO stream can be input (reading data) or output (writing data). When data is written into the tape drive device 200, the IO request in the IO stream is a write request; when data is read from the tape drive device 200, the IO request in the IO stream is a read request.

[0078] The specific structure of the tape drive device will be exemplarily introduced below in combination with FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a tape drive device provided by the present application. In FIG. 3, the tape drive device 200 includes a first reel 201a, a second reel 201b, a first positioning member 202a, a second positioning member 202b, a base 203, a magnetic tape 210, a magnetic tape drive 220, a magnetic head 230, a processor 240, and a tape winding assembly 260.

[0079] The first reel 201a is rotationally connected with the base 203, and the second reel 201b is rotationally connected with the base 203. In the tape drive device 200, a first end of the magnetic tape 210 is wound around the first reel 201a, and a second end of the magnetic tape 210 is wound around the second reel 201b. For example, the first end of the magnetic tape 210 is a head end of the magnetic tape 210, and the second end of the magnetic tape 210 is a tail end of the magnetic tape 210. For another example, the second end of the magnetic tape 210 is the head end of the magnetic tape 210, and the first end of the magnetic tape 210 is the tail end of the magnetic tape 210.

[0080] For the structural relationship between the reel (the first reel 201a or the second reel 201b) and the magnetic tape 210, exemplarily description will be made below in combination with FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a structural schematic diagram of the first reel 201a and the magnetic tape 210 provided by the present application. Referring to FIG. 4, the first reel 201a includes a reel shaft 2013, a first cover plate 2011, and a second cover plate 2012. The reel shaft 2013 is rotationally connected with the base 203. 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, so as to avoid the magnetic tape 210 from being separated from the reel shaft 2013. In the process of rotation of the reel shaft 2013, the first cover plate 2011 and the second cover plate 2012 rotate synchronously.

[0081] The first cover plate 2011 can be a circular plate structure as shown in FIG. 4, and the second cover plate 2012 can also be a circular plate structure as shown in FIG. 4.

[0082] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the shapes of the first cover plate 2011 and the second cover plate 2012. For example, the first cover plate 2011 can be a circular, square, oval or irregularly shaped plate. Similarly, the second cover plate 2012 can also be a circular, square, oval or irregularly shaped plate. The shape of the first cover plate 2011 can be the same as or different from that of the second cover plate 2012.

[0083] For example, the first cover plate 2011 and the reel 2013 can be connected by welding, clamping or bonding, etc. Similarly, the second cover plate 2012 and the reel 2013 can also be connected by welding, clamping or bonding, etc.

[0084] The processor 240 is configured to control the speed of the tape drive 220 driving the tape 210 and control the tape head 230 to slide to access the tape area in the tape 210 according to the IO stream or the IO request.

[0085] For example, the processor 240 includes at least a processor, a memory, etc. The processor is a CPU configured to process data access requests (such as IO requests) from outside the tape drive device 200 (such as a server or other storage system) and to process requests generated inside the tape drive device 200. For example, when the processor receives a write data request sent by a data access device or a host through a front-end interface, the processor temporarily stores the data in the write data request in the memory. When the total amount of data in the memory reaches a certain threshold, the processor stores the data stored in the memory to the tape 210 through a back-end port for persistent storage.

[0086] Please continue to refer to FIG. 3. As an optional implementation, the tape drive 220 includes a tape winding motor and a voice coil motor (VCM) motor.

[0087] The tape winding motor is configured to drive the tape 210 to wind along the length direction of the tape 210. For example, the tape winding motor can be configured to drive the winding drum (such as the first winding drum 201a and the second winding drum 201b) to make the tape wound on the winding drum to forward wind, reverse wind or stop winding, and the forward and reverse directions are two opposite directions in the length direction of the tape.

[0088] The VCM motor is used to drive the magnetic tape 210 to move along the width direction of the magnetic tape 210, so that the magnetic head 230 accesses different tracks or wraps in the magnetic tape 210. The VCM is a direct drive motor, and the working principle of the VCM includes that a coil generates a force when placed in a magnetic field, and the size of the force is proportional to the current applied to the coil. The VCM based on this principle works in the form of linear or circular arc.

[0089] Optionally, the magnetic tape drive 220 can further include a stepping motor, which is used to finely control the winding position or speed of the magnetic tape 210 in the length direction of the magnetic tape 210. The stepping motor is an electric motor that converts an electrical pulse signal into a corresponding angular displacement or linear displacement. For each input pulse signal, the rotor rotates an angle or moves forward by a step, and the output angular displacement or linear displacement is proportional to the number of input pulses, and the rotation speed is proportional to the pulse frequency. Therefore, the stepping motor is also called a pulse motor.

[0090] It is worth noting that the winding motor, VCM motor and stepping motor described above are only examples provided by the embodiments of the present application, and should not be construed as a limitation of the present application. The magnetic tape drive 220 can also include a linear motor, a hydraulic cylinder or a cylinder, etc., which are not limited by the present application.

[0091] Please refer to FIG. 3, the magnetic tape device 200 includes two reels (a first reel 201a and a second reel 201b). The head end of the magnetic tape 210 is wound around the first reel 201a, and the tail end of the magnetic tape 210 is wound around the second reel 201b.

[0092] During the winding of the magnetic tape 210, in order to avoid the magnetic head scratching the magnetic tape 210, the fixed assembly in the magnetic tape device 200 can be used to support the body of the magnetic tape 210, so as to reduce the friction between the magnetic tape 210 and the magnetic head during the winding, and improve the service life of the magnetic tape 210. Please refer to FIG. 3, the fixed assembly in the magnetic tape device 200 includes a first positioning member 202a and a second positioning member 202b.

[0093] In the magnetic tape device 200, the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b are both arranged on the base 203, and the connection mode between each positioning member and the base 203 can include but is not limited to welding, clamping or bonding, etc.

[0094] The first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b are both used to press the part of the body of the magnetic tape 210 between the first reel 201a and the second reel 201b.

[0095] In an optional example, the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b are both rollers. During the winding process, the rollers can transmit the magnetic tape 210 by rolling, which is beneficial to reduce the friction between the magnetic tape 210 and the fixing assembly, and improve the service life of the magnetic tape 210.

[0096] The magnetic head 230 is in sliding connection with the base 203, so that the relative position between the magnetic head 230 and the base 203 can be changed. For example, the magnetic head 230 and the base 203 can be in sliding connection through a slide rail, a slide groove or the like.

[0097] In some optional implementations, the magnetic head 230 can include one or both of a write data head and a read data head. The write data head records data by magnetizing the magnetic field of a magnetic medium (such as a magnetic powder), and the read data head reads data on the magnetic medium by inducting the magnetic field of the magnetic medium. In a possible specific example, the magnetic head 230 is sequentially provided with a write data head, a read data head and a write data head. For example, in the case where the magnetic head 230 is used for reading data, the read data head inductes a target magnetic tape region to read data stored in the target magnetic tape region; in the case where the magnetic head 230 is used for writing data, the write data head inductes a target magnetic tape region to write data carried by an IO request into the target magnetic tape region, and the read data head reads the data written into the target magnetic tape region, and the processor 240 in the tape drive device 200 checks the data read by the read data head and the data carried by the IO request.

[0098] In some optional manners, the magnetic head 230 can further include a servo head, which can be divided into a write servo head and a read servo head. For example, the write servo head can determine the position information of the magnetic tape 210 according to the address in the IO request, and the magnetic tape drive 220 winds the magnetic tape 210 from the current position of the magnetic tape 210 to the magnetic tape region indicated by the position information, so that the write data head writes the data in the IO request into the magnetic tape region indicated by the position information.

[0099] Please refer to FIG. 3, the winding assembly 260 is used for temporarily storing the tape body of the magnetic tape 210 between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b. As shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 5 is a structural schematic diagram of a tape drive device provided by the present application.

[0100] In the case where the winding assembly 260 is in the first state in (1) of FIG. 5, the magnetic head 230 is aligned with the first region (region 1) in the magnetic tape 210.

[0101] In the case of the tape winding assembly 260 being in the second state in (2) of FIG. 5, the magnetic head 230 is used to access a second region (region 2) in the magnetic tape 210, and the tape winding assembly 260 temporarily stores part or all of the first region (region 1) in the tape body.

[0102] As can be seen from (1) and (2) of FIG. 5, in the winding direction of the magnetic tape 210, the second region (region 2) is located before the first region (region 1).

[0103] In the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of the tape winding assembly 260 "temporarily storing" the tape body in the magnetic tape 210 includes that the tape winding assembly 260 controls the length of the tape body between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b by sliding, or winds the tape body between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b, so that the target magnetic tape region (such as region 2) to be accessed by the magnetic head 230 reaches the position aligned with the magnetic head 230 later, thereby avoiding the problem of large IO delay caused by the magnetic tape 210 needing to turn around multiple times.

[0104] The position aligned with the magnetic head 230 can be an initial position aligned with the magnetic head 230 before the tape drive device 200 receives an IO request. The position aligned with the magnetic head 230 can be a position where 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 after the tape drive device 200 receives an IO request.

[0105] As can be seen from the content provided in FIG. 5, in the case of the tape drive device 200 being in an initial working state, the dynamic slide bar (first slide bar 261) is at an initial position, and the tape body of the magnetic tape 210 has no overlapping tracks. When the IO does not match the reading and writing of the magnetic head 230, the dynamic slide bar (first slide bar 261) moves to a working position to form an overlapping track (a second length of the tape body 232). The tape body of the magnetic tape 210 does not slow down, but the overlapping track absorbs the distance crossed by the tape body. In the process of waiting for the IO, the magnetic head 230 crosses the overlapping track and matches the continuous reading and writing position of the tape body, i.e., region 2. When the magnetic tape 210 moves reversely, the moving track of the magnetic head 230 at the reading and writing position is opposite to the aforementioned winding direction.

[0106] The following exemplary describes two alternative embodiments of the tape winding assembly 260 controlling the length of the tape body of the magnetic tape 210 between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b by sliding and the tape winding assembly 260 winding the tape body between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b, respectively.

[0107] In the first alternative embodiment, the tape winding assembly 260 controls the length of the tape body of the magnetic tape 210 between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b by sliding.

[0108] As shown in FIG. 6, which is a structural schematic diagram of a tape device provided by the present application, the tape winding assembly 260 includes a first sliding rod 261 and a driving member.

[0109] The first sliding rod 261 is in sliding connection with the base 203. For example, the first sliding rod 261 and the base 203 can be connected through a sliding rail, a sliding groove, etc.

[0110] The driving member is arranged on the base 203, and the driving member is connected with the third end of the first sliding rod 261 along the axial direction of the first sliding rod 261. The third end is the end of the first sliding rod 261 close to the base along the axial direction of the first sliding rod 261.

[0111] The present application does not limit the structure of the driving member. For example, the driving member can include a motor and a speed reducer, and the output end of the motor is connected with the speed reducer. The motor controls the first sliding rod 261 to slide along the first direction or the second direction opposite to the first direction by forward rotation or reverse rotation, and the first direction is perpendicular to the winding direction of the part of the tape body, and the second direction is perpendicular to the winding direction of the part of the tape body.

[0112] For example, when the tape winding assembly 260 is in the first state, the part of the tape body refers to the tape body 231 between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b in the magnetic tape 210, and the length of the tape body 231 is the first length.

[0113] For another example, when the tape winding assembly 260 is in the second state, the part of the tape body refers to the tape body 232 between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b in the magnetic tape 210, and the length of the tape body 232 is the second length. The second length is greater than the first length.

[0114] As can be known from the example provided in FIG. 6, the tape winding assembly 260 is used to control the length of the magnetic tape between different positioning members, so that the magnetic tape region not read / written by the magnetic head 230 can be reversely wound, and the magnetic head 230 can be realigned with the not read / written magnetic tape region (such as region 2) and access the magnetic tape region, thereby avoiding the problem of write flow interruption / reading flow interruption, and reducing the number of turns of the magnetic tape in the tape device and improving the data read / write efficiency of the tape device.

[0115] For the contact state between the first sliding rod 261 and the magnetic tape 210 shown in FIG. 6, two possible examples are described below.

[0116] In the first possible example, as shown in (1) of FIG. 6, the first slide rod 261 does not contact the first length of the tape body 231 when the tape winding assembly 260 is in the first state; as shown in (2) of FIG. 6, the first slide rod 261 presses against the second length of the tape body 232 when the tape winding assembly 260 is in the second state.

[0117] In the second possible example, as shown in (1) of FIG. 7, the first slide rod 261 presses against the first length of the tape body 231 when the tape winding assembly 260 is in the first state; as shown in (2) of FIG. 7, the first slide rod 261 presses against the second length of the tape body 232 when the tape winding assembly 260 is in the second state.

[0118] In the above two possible examples, the length of the tape body 232 is greater than the length of the tape body 231, so that the tape winding assembly 260 can store a longer magnetic tape 210, to achieve the effect of the tape winding assembly 260 controlling the length of the tape body located between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b, so that the magnetic head can reverse the winding of the magnetic tape region that is not read / written by the magnetic head without reversing the rotation of the motor, and the magnetic head can realign and access the magnetic tape region that is not read / written, thereby avoiding the problem of write interrupt / reading interrupt, and reducing the number of times the magnetic tape needs to be reversed in the tape drive device, and improving the data read / write efficiency of the tape drive device.

[0119] In combination with the processor 240 shown in FIG. 3, the process of the tape winding assembly 260 in the tape drive device 200 is described by way of example: the processor 240 receives an IO request, which carries an address indicating a second region (region 2); and the processor 240 sends a first control instruction to the magnetic head 230 and a second control instruction to the tape winding assembly 260.

[0120] The first control instruction is used to instruct the magnetic head 230 to read / write the second region (region 2); and the second control instruction is used to instruct the tape winding assembly 260 to adjust the length of the tape body 231 located between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b, and the adjusted tape body 232 includes part or all of the first region between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b.

[0121] The process of the tape winding assembly 260 and the magnetic head 230 cooperating to read / write data provided by the embodiments of the present application is described by way of example below based on FIGS. 3-7. As shown in FIG. 8, FIG. 8 is a structural schematic diagram of a tape drive device provided by the present application. Based on the tape drive device 200 provided in the foregoing embodiments, the tape drive device 200 provided in FIG. 8 further includes a head driver 250.

[0122] The head driver 250 is connected with the processor 240 and the head 230 respectively. The head driver 250 is configured to control the head 230 to move along the winding direction of the magnetic tape 210 in response to a first control instruction sent by the processor 240. The tape driver 220 is connected with the processor 240 and the magnetic tape 210 respectively. The tape driver 220 is configured to drive the first winding drum 201a and the second winding drum 201b to wind the magnetic tape 210 around the first winding drum 201a to the second winding drum 201b in response to a second control instruction sent by the processor 240.

[0123] It is worth noting that the time taken by the head 230 to align from the first region to the second region is a first time length, and the time taken by the winding assembly 260 to change from the first state to the second state is a second time length, and the first time length is less than or equal to the second time length. In this way, the time length required for the head 230 to move is less than the time length required for the winding assembly 260 to adjust the length of the magnetic tape 210 between the different positioning members. Before the change of the state of the winding assembly 260 is completed, the head 230 has reached the target position, as shown in (2) of FIG. 5. Even after the magnetic tape 210 has passed the target magnetic tape region (region 2) aligned by the head, the length of the magnetic tape between the different positioning members can be controlled by the winding assembly, so that the moved head can access the target magnetic tape region (such as region 2), thereby solving the problem of high delay caused by the motor driving the magnetic tape to frequently turn around in the tape device, reducing the IO delay in the tape device, and facilitating to improve the data read / write efficiency in the tape device.

[0124] The above FIGS. 6-8 are described by taking an example in which the winding assembly 260 includes one slide rod to control the length between the different positioning members. However, in some optional cases, the winding assembly 260 can also include multiple slide rods. Hereinafter, an example in which the winding assembly 260 includes two slide rods is taken for description. FIG. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a tape device provided by the present application.

[0125] The winding assembly 260 further includes a second slide rod 262. The second slide rod 262 is in sliding connection with the base 203. The specific implementation of the sliding connection between the second slide rod 262 and the base 203 can refer to the related description of the first slide rod 261, which is not described herein again.

[0126] For the contact state between the first slide rod 261, the second slide rod 262 and the magnetic tape 210 shown in FIG. 9, the following several possible examples are taken for description.

[0127] In Example One, when the tape winding assembly 260 is in the first state, the first slide bar 261 does not contact the first length of tape 231, and the second slide bar 262 does not contact the first length of tape 231, as shown in (1) of FIG. 9; when the tape winding assembly 260 is in the second state, the first slide bar 261 is used to press against the tape 232a of the second length of tape 232 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 of tape 232 between the third positioning member 202c and the second positioning member 202b, as shown in (2) of FIG. 9. The sum of the lengths of the tape 232a and the tape 232b is the aforementioned second length.

[0128] In Example Two, when the tape winding assembly 260 is in the first state, the first slide bar 261 is used to press against the tape 231a of the first length of tape 231 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 of tape 231 between the third positioning member 202c and the second positioning member 202b. When the tape winding assembly 260 is in the second state, the first slide bar 261 is used to press against the tape 232a of the second length of tape 232 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 of tape 232 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.

[0129] As shown in FIG. 10, which is a structural schematic diagram of a tape drive device provided by the present application, the first length of tape 231 includes the tape 231a between the first positioning member 202a and the third positioning member 202c, and the tape 231b between the second positioning member 202b and the third positioning member 202c. The second length of tape 232 includes the tape 232a between the first positioning member 202a and the third positioning member 202c, and the tape 232b between the second positioning member 202b and the third positioning member 202c.

[0130] As shown in (1) of FIG. 10, when the tape winding assembly 260 is in the first state, the first slide bar 261 presses against the tape 231a, and the second slide bar 262 presses against the tape 231b.

[0131] As shown in (2) of FIG. 10, when the tape winding assembly 260 is in the second state, the first slide bar 261 presses against the tape 232a, and the second slide bar 262 presses against the tape 232b.

[0132] FIG. 10 is merely an optional example provided by the embodiments of the present application, and should not be considered as a limitation to the present application. Based on the above-mentioned example one and example two, the following examples provide various optional manners, which are exemplarily illustrated in the form of a table by Table 1.

[0133] Table 1

[0134] The above optional manner 1 to optional manner 12 are merely different examples provided by the embodiments of the present application, and it is worth noting that the length of the belt 232 is greater than the length of the belt 231, that is, whether the different sliding rods contact or press the belt, it is necessary to meet the requirement that the magnetic head can access the area of the magnetic tape after moving, so as to avoid the problem that the magnetic tape IO delay is high due to the reverse turning of the corresponding motor of the magnetic tape, and improve the data read-write efficiency of the tape device.

[0135] The above FIG. 6 to FIG. 10 illustrate the first optional embodiment (the tape winding assembly 260 controls the length of the belt between the first positioning member 202a and the second positioning member 202b of the magnetic tape 210 by sliding), and the following will exemplarily introduce the second optional embodiment in combination with FIG. 11.

[0136] FIG. 11 is a structural schematic diagram nine of a tape device provided by the present application, and the difference between FIG. 11 and the above-mentioned FIG. 6 to FIG. 10 is that the tape winding assembly 260 in FIG. 11 comprises a driving member and a rotating structure 266.

[0137] The driving member is arranged on the base 203.

[0138] The rotating structure 266 comprises a first connecting part 266a, a second connecting part 266b and a tape winding roller shaft 266c. One end of the tape winding roller shaft 266c is rotatably connected with the driving member through the first connecting part 266a, and the other end of the tape winding roller shaft 266c is rotatably connected with the base 203 through the second connecting part 266b. The "rotatable connection" means that the driving member can control the tape winding roller shaft 266c to rotate in a rotating manner, so as to adjust the length of the belt of the magnetic tape 210 wound on the tape winding roller shaft 266c.

[0139] As shown in (1) of FIG. 11, in the first state of the tape winding assembly 260, part or all of the belt 231 of the first length is wound along the circumference of the tape winding roller shaft 266c.

[0140] As shown in (2) of FIG. 11, in the second state of the tape winding assembly 260, part or all of the belt 232 of the second length is wound along the circumference of the tape winding roller shaft 266c.

[0141] Whether it is a slide bar or a rotating structure, the tape drive device can roll the tape assembly to absorb the sliding tape, forming a track stack formed by the tape in the tape assembly. The head can efficiently address the problem of mismatch between read-write bandwidth and code rate by crossing the track stack, improving the space utilization of the tape. Moreover, in the tape drive device, the constraints of the upper and lower limits of the traditional dynamic speed reduction scheme are solved, and the technical limitations of read-write bandwidth and code rate are eliminated. As can be known from the contents of FIG. 9 or FIG. 10, the tape drive device uses multiple slide bars to form multiple track stacks (such as the tape 232a and the tape 232b), and different track stacks are supported by different slide bars to match multiple scenarios such as variable speed and reset of the tape.

[0142] The embodiments of the present application also provide a storage system. The storage system includes a communication interface, a storage controller (or controller), and the tape drive device provided by any of the foregoing embodiments. The tape drive device is used to store data, the communication interface is used to receive a data access request; and the storage controller is used to manage the target tape drive device in the storage system according to the data access request (such as a read request or a write request). The storage system is, for example, a tape library, a tape system, or a computer / server containing the tape drive device as a persistent storage medium.

[0143] The storage controller includes one or more processors, which can be a very large scale integrated circuit. The processor is installed with an operating system and other software programs, so that the processor can access the tape drive device and various PCIe devices. The processor includes one or more processor cores. The processor core in the processor is, for example, a CPU or other ASIC. 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 can also include multiple controllers.

[0144] Optionally, the storage system can further include, but is not limited to, other storage media such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), etc., for caching data of the tape drive device for processing by the processor. In addition, the other storage media can also be read only memory (ROM). For the read only memory, for example, it can be programmable read only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), etc. The embodiment does not limit the number and type of the other storage media. In addition, the other storage media can be configured to have a power retention function. The power retention function refers to that when the system is powered off and then powered on again, the data stored in the storage media will not be lost. The storage media with the power retention function is referred to as non-volatile memory.

[0145] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer programs or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments are performed. The computer can be a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user equipment or other programmable apparatus. The computer programs or instructions can be stored in a computer readable storage medium or transferred from one computer readable storage medium to another computer readable storage medium, for example, the computer programs or instructions can be transferred from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center through wired or wireless manner. The computer readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. integrated with one or more available media. The available media can be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video disc (DVD); or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid state drive (SSD).

[0146] The above merely provides the specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited to this. Various equivalent modifications or replacements within the technical scope disclosed by the present application are contemplated, and these modifications or replacements should be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A tape drive apparatus, characterized by, The magnetic tape machine device comprises: a base; a first reel rotatably connected to the base; a second reel rotatably connected to the base; a magnetic tape, a first end of the magnetic tape being wound around the first reel, a second end of the magnetic tape being wound around the second reel; a fixing assembly comprising a first positioning member and a second positioning member, the first positioning member and the second positioning member each being configured to press against a portion of the magnetic tape between the first reel and the second reel; a magnetic head slidably connected to the base; and a tape winding assembly configured to temporarily store the portion of the magnetic tape between the first positioning member and the second positioning member. In a first state of the tape winding assembly, the magnetic head is aligned with a first region of the magnetic tape. In a second state of the tape winding assembly, the magnetic head is configured to access a second region of the magnetic tape, and the tape winding assembly temporarily stores a portion or all of the first region in the portion of the magnetic tape, wherein the second region is located before the first region in a winding direction of the magnetic tape.

2. The magnetic tape machine device of claim 1, wherein: in the first state, the portion of the magnetic tape between the first positioning member and the second positioning member has a first length; in the second state, the portion of the magnetic tape between the first positioning member and the second positioning member has a second length, the second length being greater than the first length.

3. The tape drive apparatus of claim 2, wherein, The tape winding assembly comprises: a first slide rod slidably connected to the base; in the first state, the first slide rod does not contact the portion of the magnetic tape having the first length; in the second state, the first slide rod presses against the portion of the magnetic tape having the second length.

4. The tape drive apparatus of claim 2, wherein, The tape winding assembly comprises: a first slide rod slidably connected to the base; in the first state, the first slide rod presses against the portion of the magnetic tape having the first length; in the second state, the first slide rod presses against the portion of the magnetic tape having the second length.

5. The tape drive apparatus of claim 3 or 4, wherein, The tape winding assembly further comprises: a driving member disposed on the base, the driving member being connected to a third end of the first slide rod along an axial direction of the first slide rod; the driving member is configured to control the first slide rod to slide in a first direction or a second direction opposite to the first direction, the first direction being perpendicular to the winding direction of the portion of the magnetic tape, the second direction being perpendicular to the winding direction of the portion of the magnetic tape.

6. The tape drive apparatus of any one of claims 3-5, wherein, The fixing assembly further comprises a third positioning member between the first positioning member and the second positioning member, the third positioning member being configured to press against the portion of the magnetic tape between the first reel and the second reel. The tape winding assembly further comprises: a second slide rod slidably connected to the base; in the first state, the second slide rod does not contact the portion of the magnetic tape having the first length; in the second state, the first slide rod is configured to press against a portion of the portion of the magnetic tape having the second length between the first positioning member and the third positioning member, and / or the second slide rod is configured to press against a portion of the portion of the magnetic tape having the second length between the third positioning member and the second positioning member.

7. The tape drive apparatus of any one of claims 3-5, wherein, The fixing assembly further comprises a third positioning member located between the first positioning member and the second positioning member, and configured to press the magnetic tape located between the first winding drum and the second winding drum. The tape winding assembly further comprises: a second sliding rod in sliding connection with the base; in the first state, the first sliding rod is configured to press the first length of the magnetic tape located between the first positioning member and the third positioning member, and / or the second sliding rod is configured to press the first length of the magnetic tape located between the third positioning member and the second positioning member; in the second state, the first sliding rod is configured to press the second length of the magnetic tape located between the first positioning member and the third positioning member, and / or the second sliding rod is configured to press the second length of the magnetic tape located between the third positioning member and the second positioning member.

8. The tape drive apparatus of claim 2, wherein, The tape winding assembly comprises: a driving member arranged on the base; a rotating structure comprising a first connecting portion, a second connecting portion and a tape winding roller, one end of the tape winding roller is in rotational connection with the driving member through the first connecting portion, and the other end of the tape winding roller is in rotational connection with the base through the second connecting portion; in the first state, part or all of the first length of the magnetic tape is wound along the circumference of the tape winding roller; in the second state, part or all of the second length of the magnetic tape is wound along the circumference of the tape winding roller.

9. The tape drive apparatus of any one of claims 1-8, wherein, The first positioning member and the second positioning member are both rollers.

10. The tape drive apparatus of any one of claims 1-9, wherein, The tape drive device further comprises: a processor configured to receive an IO request, wherein an address carried in the IO request indicates the second region; the processor is further configured to send a first control instruction to the magnetic head and a second control instruction to the tape winding assembly; wherein the first control instruction is configured to instruct the magnetic head to read / write the second region, and the second control instruction is configured to instruct the tape winding assembly to adjust the length of the magnetic tape located between the first positioning member and the second positioning member, and in the first positioning member and the second positioning member, the adjusted magnetic tape includes part or all of the first region.

11. The tape drive apparatus of claim 10, wherein, The tape drive device further comprises: a magnetic head driver connected with the processor and the magnetic head respectively; the magnetic head driver is configured to control the magnetic head to move along the winding direction of the magnetic tape in response to the first control instruction; a magnetic tape driver connected with the processor and the magnetic tape respectively; the magnetic tape driver is configured to drive the first winding drum and the second winding drum to make the magnetic tape wound on the first winding drum wind to the second winding drum in response to the second control instruction.

12. The tape drive device according to any one of claims 1-11, wherein: a time consumed by the magnetic head from aligning the first region to aligning the second region is a first time length; a time consumed by the tape winding assembly from changing from the first state to the second state is a second time length, and the first time length is less than or equal to the second time length.

13. A storage system, characterized by comprises: a controller, and one or more tape drive devices as claimed in any of claims 1-12; the controller is configured to receive an IO request and manage a target tape drive device of the one or more tape drive devices according to the IO request.

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