Abstract: A tape head assembly includes a set of data readers configured to simultaneously read data from a set of adjacent data tracks of a tape storage medium, each data track having a width; wherein the width of each data reader of the set along a lateral extension of the tape head assembly is equal to or less than the width of a data track wherein the lateral extension of the tape head assembly is orthogonal to a longitudinal extension of the tape storage medium when arranged in a tape drive containing the tape head assembly spanning at least the set of data tracks during reading; and a servo reader arrangement containing at least one servo reader arranged laterally offset from one of the data readers by less than the width of a data track.

Abstract: A method for storing a data segment in a storage tier of a storage unit comprising at least two storage tiers includes receiving the data segment to be stored including metadata; receiving metadata of data segments stored in the storage unit; and determining the storage tier to store the received data segment to and a protection level dependent on the metadata received and dependent on the metadata of the received data segment.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for performing remote data storage includes providing, by at least one client, files to be stored on a remote server, evaluating popularity of the files, and storing the files on the server in a form that depends on the popularity of the files. Files with a first level of popularity are stored in a deduplicated form and files with a second level of popularity are stored in an encrypted form, the first level of popularity being higher than the second level of popularity.

Abstract: A method for storing a data segment in a storage tier of a storage unit comprising at least two storage tiers includes receiving the data segment to be stored including metadata; receiving metadata of data segments stored in the storage unit; and determining the storage tier to store the received data segment to and a protection level dependent on the metadata received and dependent on the metadata of the received data segment.

Abstract: A storage system and a method for storing a data segment, a storage capacity manager and a method for managing a capacity of a storage unit, and a storage tier relocation manager and a method for relocating a data segment. The storage system includes at least two storage tiers, an access pattern evaluator, a classification unit, a selector, and logic. The storage capacitor manager includes a monitoring unit and capacity managing unit. The storage tier relocation manager includes a target storage tier, the data segment relocated to the target storage tier, and a protection measure.

Abstract: A device and method for determining number of storage devices for each of plurality of storage tiers and assignment of data to be stored in the plurality of storage tiers. The device computes an optimized number of storage devices for each tier including a classifier, which receives units as input data to be stored in the system. Based on the characteristics of the storage devices, the device outputs a data-unit-to-storage tier assignment. An optimizer receives data-unit-to-storage tier assignment from the classifier and a cost budget for the system. Thereafter, an output for the number of storage devices for each storage tier is calculated. A method for determining number of storage devices for each of a plurality of storage tiers and assignment of data to be stored in the plurality of storage tiers are also provided.

Abstract: A magnetic tape storage medium includes at least one servo band with at least two sub-bands along a longitudinal extension of the medium. Servo bursts are written to the sub-bands to determine positional information of the medium. A first of the sub-bands includes a first burst with at least one servo stripe inclined at a first non-zero angle with respect to a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal extension of the medium followed by a second burst comprising at least one servo stripe inclined at a second non-zero angle with respect to the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal extension of the medium, which second angle is different from the first angle. A second of the sub-bands includes a first burst having at least one servo stripe followed by a second burst having at least one servo stripe, the first and the second bursts parallel to each other.

Abstract: A tape storage medium comprises at least one servo band along a longitudinal extension of the tape storage medium for comprising positional information. The servo band comprises a first servo subband and a second servo subband extending along the longitudinal extension of the tape storage medium. The first servo subband comprises a frame servo pattern containing a first set of servo frames, wherein each servo frame of the set comprises a first burst and a second burst. Each burst comprises at least two servo stripes inclined at an angle with respect to a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal extension of the tape medium. The second servo subband contains a set of servo tracks extending along the longitudinal extension of the tape storage medium and arranged next to each other, wherein each servo track of the set contains a servo pattern of magnetic transitions.

Abstract: In a method for operating a tape storage system, while a tape is being moved in a tape drive across a tape head for one or more of reading and writing user data from/to a data track of the tape, a read element of the tape head, which read element is assigned to the data track, is moved transverse to a moving direction of the tape for a distance of more than a width of the data track. A transverse position of one or more of the following elements is subject to a signal supplied by the read element during its transverse move: The read element; another read element assigned to the data track; and a write element assigned to the data track.

Abstract: A method for symbol timing recovery is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a plurality of timing-error estimates for a plurality of read channels, where each of the timing-error estimates corresponds to one of the read channels. The method further comprises calculating a common phase based on the plurality of timing-error estimates, and calculating a skew of a transducer array based on the plurality of timing-error estimates. Finally, the method comprises calculating a different total phase estimate for each read channel based on the calculated common phase and the calculated skew of the transducer array.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system for processing data includes an equalizer having a finite impulse response (FIR) filter configured to process data read with a channel using servo coefficients to generate equalized data, and one or more low-pass filters configured to filter the equalized data to output filtered data. The one or more low-pass filters is configured to remove high frequency noise from the equalized data. A method for processing data in a read channel, in one embodiment, includes receiving data read from a magnetic tape using the read channel of a magnetic tape drive. A finite impulse response (FIR) filter is applied to the data by an equalizer using servo coefficients to output equalized data. One or more low-pass filters is applied to the equalized data to obtain filtered data, the one or more low-pass filters being configured to remove high frequency noise from the equalized data.

Abstract: An apparatus for operating a tape storage device comprises a first tape skew determination unit for providing a first tape skew value concerning a skew of a tape in the tape storage device, and a second tape skew determination unit for providing a second tape skew value concerning the skew of the tape. An actuator adjusts one or more of a rotational orientation of a tape head of the tape storage device which tape head is provided for reading and/or writing data from/to the tape, and a motion direction of the tape dependent on the first tape skew value and the second tape skew value.

Abstract: A tape head assembly includes a set of data readers configured to simultaneously read data from a set of adjacent data tracks of a tape storage medium, each data track having a width; wherein the width of each data reader of the set along a lateral extension of the tape head assembly is equal to or less than the width of a data track wherein the lateral extension of the tape head assembly is orthogonal to a longitudinal extension of the tape storage medium when arranged in a tape drive containing the tape head assembly spanning at least the set of data tracks during reading; and a servo reader arrangement containing at least one servo reader arranged laterally offset from one of the data readers by less than the width of a data track.

Abstract: A method for operating a tape storage system includes simultaneously receiving readback signals from a set of data readers reading from data tracks of a set of adjacent data tracks extending along a longitudinal extension of a tape storage medium. Each data track has a width and each data reader has a width that exceeds the width of a data track. In the readback signal, of one of the data readers of the set a simultaneous presence of two defined waveforms is detected stemming from two different servo patterns arranged in servo sections of adjacent data tracks of the set. At least one of lateral position, velocity, gain and timing information is derived from a measure of the energy of the two defined waveforms detected in the readback signal of the data reader and applying this information in the operation of the tape storage system.

Abstract: A magnetic tape storage medium includes at least one servo band with at least two sub-bands along a longitudinal extension of the medium. Servo bursts are written to the sub-bands to determine positional information of the medium. A first of the sub-bands includes a first burst with at least one servo stripe inclined at a first non-zero angle with respect to a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal extension of the medium followed by a second burst comprising at least one servo stripe inclined at a second non-zero angle with respect to the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal extension of the medium, which second angle is different from the first angle. A second of the sub-bands includes a first burst having at least one servo stripe followed by a second burst having at least one servo stripe, the first and the second bursts parallel to each other.

Abstract: A tape storage medium comprises at least one servo band along a longitudinal extension of the tape storage medium for comprising positional information. The servo band comprises a first servo subband and a second servo subband extending along the longitudinal extension of the tape storage medium. The first servo subband comprises a frame servo pattern containing a first set of servo frames, wherein each servo frame of the set comprises a first burst and a second burst. Each burst comprises at least two servo stripes inclined at an angle with respect to a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal extension of the tape medium. The second servo subband contains a set of servo tracks extending along the longitudinal extension of the tape storage medium and arranged next to each other, wherein each servo track of the set contains a servo pattern of magnetic transitions.

Abstract: A magnetic tape storage medium includes at least one servo band with at least two sub-bands along a longitudinal extension of the medium. Servo bursts are written to the sub-bands to determine positional information of the medium. A first of the sub-bands includes a first burst with at least one servo stripe inclined at a first non-zero angle with respect to a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal extension of the medium followed by a second burst comprising at least one servo stripe inclined at a second non-zero angle with respect to the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal extension of the medium, which second angle is different from the first angle. A second of the sub-bands includes a first burst having at least one servo stripe followed by a second burst having at least one servo stripe, the first and the second bursts parallel to each other.

Abstract: In a method for operating a tape storage system, readback signals are simultaneously received from a set of data readers reading from data tracks of a set of adjacent data tracks extending along a longitudinal extension of a tape storage medium, wherein each data track of the set has a width and each data reader of the set has a width equal to or less than the width of a data track. Simultaneously to receiving the readback signals from the set of data readers readback signals are received from a servo reader arrangement containing at least one servo reader arranged laterally offset from one of the data readers by less than the width of a data track. At least one of lateral position, velocity, gain and timing information is determined dependent on the readback signals of each servo reader in the servo reader arrangement.

Abstract: A method for operating a tape storage system includes simultaneously receiving readback signals from a set of data readers reading from data tracks of a set of adjacent data tracks extending along a longitudinal extension of a tape storage medium. Each data track has a width and each data reader has a width that exceeds the width of a data track. In the readback signal, of one of the data readers of the set a simultaneous presence of two defined waveforms is detected stemming from two different servo patterns arranged in servo sections of adjacent data tracks of the set. At least one of lateral position, velocity, gain and timing information is derived from a measure of the energy of the two defined waveforms detected in the readback signal of the data reader and applying this information in the operation of the tape storage system.

Abstract: An apparatus for operating a tape storage device comprises a tape skew estimation unit for estimating a value related to a skew of a tape storage medium arranged in the tape storage device relative to a head module of the tape storage device. A servo pattern decoder is configured to decode information encoded in a servo pattern written to one or more servo bands of the tape storage medium based on read-back signals of at least two servo readers of the tape storage device arranged for reading the servo pattern from the one or more servo bands and based on the estimated skew related value.