VIRTUAL TAPE USING A LOGICAL DATA CONTAINER

摘要

A virtual tape is constructed using a logical data container to aid in emulating a virtual tape by providing tape functionality, reducing seek time and improving recovery time in case of a failure. For example, the logical data container may comprise a global header followed by one or more data block groups. The global header may provide metadata to track record locations, file mark locations, virtual tape data in memory, data validation information and a virtual tape head location. This metadata in the global tape header may help reduce seek time, improve recovery time using last known data in memory, erase a virtual tape and provide tape head position. Data block groups may include information that validates data, provides error correction, provides record and file marks and provides storage of client data.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method for using a virtual tape, comprising:
under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,
constructing a virtual tape using a logical data container from a storage service comprising:
requesting a new logical data container be created in the storage service;storing one or more data block groups to the logical data container, the data block groups comprising:
one or more data blocks that include data storage; anda data block header comprising: a record flag for each data block in the data block group representing a beginning of a set of one or more data blocks; a file mark flag for each data block in the data block group representing a beginning of a group of records; and a record size for each data block in the data block group that indicates a number of data blocks in the set of data blocks in the record;storing a tape header to the logical data container, the tape header comprising:
global record metadata comprising a record flag for each data block in the virtual tape; andglobal file mark metadata comprising a file mark flag for each data block in the virtual tape.