DATA DICTIONARY SHARING

摘要

A method for compressing user data for storing on tape (10) comprising the steps of: receiving a stream of user data words organised into a plurality of records (Rn); compressing the user data according to a compression algorithm involving converting at least some of the user data to codewords using a dictionary which is derived from the data; characterised by sharing a dictionary over a plurality of records which are not all of the same size when uncompressed.