Abstract: A format structure for storing retrievable encoded data on a recording medium comprises a start field for indicating the start of a data file, an index field immediately following the start field for storing indexing data respecting the data file, the index field storing a sequence of one or more positions of other start fields leading in one direction from a current position on the medium toward one end of the medium, and a field immediately following the index field for storage data which forms the data file.

Abstract: A managed space device and method is disclosed. To store data in the managed space a virtual non-volatile storage medium having a plurality of corresponding physical non-volatile storage media associated therewith is provided. Locations within each physical non-volatile storage medium correspond to locations within the virtual nonvolatile storage medium. Then data for storage in the virtual non-volatile storage medium is provided. Once these are provided free space sufficient for storing the provided data is determined at locations within the virtual storage medium. The data is then stored at those locations and indexing information relating to the data is stored within an index.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for accessing a removable storage medium. The removable storage medium is inserted within a removable storage drive. When the newly inserted removable storage medium is detected, an identifier is read therefrom. The identifier is used to determine if a symbolic link to that medium already exists. When a symbolic link exists, the symbolic link is updated to reflect the physical path to the storage medium. When the symbolic link does not exist, a symbolic link is created linking the identifier to the storage medium. The symbolic link indicates a non-standard storage medium. The symbolic link is then used to read data from and write data to the storage medium.

Abstract: A format structure for storing retrievably encoded data on a recording medium is disclosed. A start field for indicating the start of a data file is provided. Immediately following the start field there provided an index field for storing indexing data respecting the data file. In the index field a sequence of one or more positions of other start fields leading in one direction from a current position on the medium toward one end of the medium is stored. Immediately following the index field there is a field for storage data, which forms the data file. A method for storing encoded data on a storage medium is also disclosed. The last file stored on the medium is located. The index field of the last stored file is then retrieved. The index field associated therewith is duplicated for later use. The system then moves the storage medium to the end of the last stored file. At the current position of the medium a filemark is inserted.

Abstract: A method of restricting file access is disclosed wherein a set of file write access commands are determined from data stored within a storage medium. The set of file write access commands are for the entire storage medium. Any matching file write access command provided to the file system for that storage medium results in an error message. Other file write access commands are, however, passed onto a device driver for the storage medium and are implemented. In this way commands such as file delete and file overwrite can be disabled for an entire storage medium.