Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for configuring a storage drive to communicate with encryption and key managers. A storage drive receives a request to access a coupled removable storage media for drive operations. The storage drive obtains encryption status for the coupled removable storage media from an encryption manager. The storage drive determines from the obtained encryption status whether to encrypt the coupled removable storage media to access. The storage drive obtains at least one key from a key manager in response to determining to encrypt with respect to the coupled removable storage media. The storage drive performs data operations using the at least one key to encrypt data.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture for rekeying encryption keys for removable storage media. A rekey request is received for a coupled removable storage media, wherein encryption on the coupled removable storage media uses a first key and wherein the rekey request indicates a second key. The first key and the second key are accessed in response to the rekey request. The first key is used to perform decryption for the coupled removable storage media and the second key is used to perform encryption for the coupled removable storage media.

Abstract: Provided are techniques for copying data. Encrypted data from a first data storage medium is identified. A raw read of encrypted data from the first data storage medium is performed without decrypting the encrypted data. A raw write of the encrypted data to a second data storage medium is performed without again encrypting the encrypted data.

Abstract: Provided are techniques for determining whether to encrypt data. It is determined whether an element is to be encrypted based on an encryption policy, wherein the element comprises one of metadata and a data set. In response to determining that the element is to be encrypted, the element is encrypted and written to a data storage medium. In response to determining that the element is not to be encrypted, the element is written in the effective clear to the data storage medium.

Abstract: Provided are techniques for filling a drive table. A key request including at least one of a drive serial number and a world wide node name is received from a data storage drive. It is determined whether the drive serial number or a world wide node name are in an entry in a drive table. In response to determining that the drive serial number or a world wide node name are not in an entry in a drive table, a new entry is automatically added in the drive table that includes the at least one of a drive serial number and a world wide node name.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture recovering remnant encrypted data on a removable storage media. An end of data (EOD) marker is detected on a removable storage media, wherein a first encryption key is associated with data preceding the EOD marker. Following the EOD marker, an identifier of a second encryption key associated with data following the EOD marker is read in response to detecting the EOD marker. The identifier is used to access the second encryption key and the second encryption key is used to decrypt the data following the EOD marker.

Abstract: Provided are techniques for key generation and retrieval. Unique identifiers of two or more key servers are stored, wherein each key server is capable of generating keys for encryption of data and of returning keys for decryption of data. A key request is received. A technique for selecting one of the key servers to which the key request is to be forwarded is identified. One of the key servers is selected using the identified technique. The key request is sent to the identified key server.

Abstract: A read channel equalizer of a magnetic tape drive which equalizes digitally sampled magnetic signals detected by a read head is dynamically adapted. A detector of equalizer dynamic adaptation logic compares equalizer output signals to desired values that are based on the decoding scheme (such as +2, 0 and ?2 for PR4) to sense equalizer output signals that are offset from at least one desired value, and signals the fact of each offset and its polarity as amplitude independent error signals. The signaled sensed amplitude independent error signals are fed back to adjustable taps of the equalizer. The simplified error signals thus avoid complex calculations of waveform errors, such as least mean square calculations. The error signals may be weighted and may be adjusted to align synchronously provided error signals with asynchronous taps of the equalizer.

Abstract: Data of a transaction to be synchronized is stored to a non-volatile store, and a Command Complete response is provided. Data of the transaction is supplied to a tape drive for writing to a magnetic tape. The storing, responding, and supplying operations are repeated for subsequent transactions. A Deferred Synchronize Command, specifying a previously supplied transaction, is provided to the tape drive, for writing data of the specified transaction. The tape drive, subsequent to writing all the data of the previously supplied transaction to magnetic tape, provides a Tape Command Complete, whereupon the data of the previously supplied transaction stored to the non-volatile store may be overwritten.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for writing data in a tape medium having wraps. A layout of the tape is provided including at least one segment within a full available length of a first set of wraps for writing user data and at least one segment within a full length of a second set of wraps for writing a work copy of the user data. User data is received to write to the tape medium and detecting is performed as to whether the data being written is occurring in a specified write mode. If the data writing is not occurring in the specified write mode, then writing the received user data to one segment in the first set of wraps. If the data writing is occurring in the specified write mode, then writing a work copy to available full length wraps not having user data.

Abstract: A cartridge handling system and method initialize a data storage cartridge having rewritable media for tamper resistant write once recording. A write once flag is written to a lockable section of a cartridge memory; the lockable section is locked to read-only; and a write once flag is written to a required data set of the rewritable media. Thus, write once flags are provided both at the locked read-only section of the cartridge memory, and at the required data set of the rewritable media.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system and article of manufacture for writing on a storage media. Data is received from a host. A determination is made whether the received data can potentially form a trailer record on the storage media. If the received data does not potentially form the trailer record, then the received data is written to the storage media.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and program for encoding data onto a storage medium. Host data is received and a plurality of device blocks are generated to include the host data. A directory is generated including entries for physical locations on the storage medium, wherein each entry identifies one device block at the physical location corresponding to the entry, and wherein the directory is used to access data on the storage medium. The directory entries are encoded in the device blocks written to the storage medium.

Abstract: A recording system of a magnetic tape drive is operated to cause one separate set of write heads to write data discontinuously to magnetic tape as received, and to save the data, and, during the same operation, to cause another separate set of write heads to rewrite data to magnetic tape in a continuous arrangement. The writing may be in parallel and simultaneous. Thus, during the same operation, and at the same time, the separate sets of the plurality of write heads, temporarily write the received data to magnetic tape so that the sender can erase its copy, and rewrite the saved data to the magnetic tape in a permanent arrangement, without waiting to complete first writing received data, to complete subsequently rewriting the data, and repeating.

Abstract: Provided is a method, system, and program for providing synchronization in a binary data stream. A binary data stream is received. A synchronization mark having at least one isolated peak is generated into at least one point in the data stream. An encoded data stream is formed by concatenating the synchronization mark with the received binary data. During decoding, the synchronization mark is detected based on error propagation occurring adjacent to the at least one isolated peak of the synchronization mark.

Abstract: A sequential buffer for a magnetic tape data storage system comprises a plurality of segments. A buffer management system buffers data in the sequential buffer, conducting a data transfer process. Subsequently, some of the buffered data is maintained in some, but less than all, the segments of the buffer. Additionally, the maintained buffered data is indicated as VALID data. Thus, a subsequent process may be conducted directly using the data maintained in the buffer, and avoids moving the tape to reread the data.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for mitigating signal asymmetry. An analog to digital converter samples an analog signal from a read head and converts the sample to a digital input signal. The digital input signal addresses a look-up module, and the look-up module outputs a modified digital signal. The modified digital signal value is a specified function of the digital input signal value, wherein the specified function is configured to mitigate the asymmetry of the digital input signal. The modified digital signal value may be periodically recalculated to adjust for read head wear.

Abstract: In a tape having separate servo bands of patterns positioned laterally across the tape, the patterns of a separate servo band have at least one differentiating characteristic with respect to patterns of another of the separate servo bands. The differentiating characteristic allows identification of the separate servo bands. For example, the patterns of a separate servo band have differing azimuthal orientations of detectable transitions with respect to another servo band, such as being laterally inverted. In another, variations in the width of gaps of patterns are made with respect to another servo band. In another, variations are made in the number of the detectable transitions of patterns with respect to the patterns of another servo band.

Abstract: In a tape having separate servo bands of patterns positioned laterally across the tape, the patterns of a separate servo band have at least one differentiating characteristic with respect to patterns of another of the separate servo bands. The differentiating characteristic allows identification of the separate servo bands. For example, the patterns of a separate servo band have differing azimuthal orientations of detectable transitions with respect to another servo band, such as being laterally inverted. In another, variations in the width of gaps of patterns are made with respect to another servo band. In another, variations are made in the number of the detectable transitions of patterns with respect to the patterns of another servo band.

Abstract: A cartridge handling system and method initialize a data storage cartridge having rewritable media and a cartridge memory for tamper resistant write once recording. A write-once flag is written to a lockable section of the cartridge memory also having a cartridge memory serial number, and the section locked to read-only. A write-once flag and the serial number are written to a required data set of the rewritable media, both thereby appearing in both locations of the cartridge.