Abstract: Systems and methods for storing data on a tape medium and coping with defective regions on the tape medium are provided. The method includes: writing a plurality of envelopes of data onto the tape medium, each envelope of data comprising a plurality of blocks of data; detecting a defective region of the tape medium; writing a boundary start field after the defective region, the boundary start field indicating that the defective region has been passed; and writing a boundary end field before the defective region of the tape medium, the boundary end field indicating that the defective region follows the boundary end field.

Abstract: Data stored on a removable storage medium such as a tape cartridge can be protected from unauthorized access by storing a password hash value in a protected manner on the storage medium, where the password hash value is generated from a password by a one-way hash function such as SHA-256, so that the password cannot easily be determined from the hash value. A media drive is then equipped with logic for blocking access to the data unless the password is provided. The password is protected from unauthorized access because the password hash value, not the password itself, is stored on the storage medium.

Abstract: Systems and methods for storing data on a tape medium and coping with defective regions on the tape medium are provided. The method includes: writing a plurality of envelopes of data onto the tape medium, each envelope of data comprising a plurality of blocks of data; detecting a defective region of the tape medium; writing a boundary start field after the defective region, the boundary start field indicating that the defective region has been passed; and writing a boundary end field before the defective region of the tape medium, the boundary end field indicating that the defective region follows the boundary end field.