Apparatus and Method to Write Information to and/or Read Information from an Information Storage Medium

Abstract

A method to write information to an information storage medium. The method creates one or more objects comprising information and provides a first one of those one or more objects. The method writes a header label to an information storage medium, where the header label comprises an object processing indicator. The method assigns a first sequence number to the first object and writes that first object to the information storage medium beginning at a first blockid and ending at a second blockid. The method writes a trailer label to the information storage medium, where that trailer label comprises an embedded object field count. The method writes an object information block to the information storage medium, where that object information block comprises the first sequence number, the first blockid, and the second blockid.

1 . A method to write information to an information storage medium, comprising the steps of: 
 creating one or more objects comprising information;    providing a first one of said one or more objects, wherein said first object comprises a first plurality of individual data files;    providing a second one of said one or more objects, wherein said second object comprises a second plurality of individual data files;    providing a tape storage medium comprising a plurality of blockid addresses;    moving said tape storage medium in a first direction;    writing a header label to said information storage medium, wherein said header label comprises an object processing indicator;    writing said first object to said information storage medium beginning at a starting blockid and ending at an (m)th blockid, wherein (m) is one of said plurality of blockid addresses;    writing said second object to said information storage medium beginning at the (m+1)th blockid and ending at an ending blockid, without stopping said tape storage medium, and without issuing a Back Space File command, and without moving said tape storage medium in the reverse direction;    writing a trailer label to said information storage medium, wherein said trailer label comprises an embedded object field count;    writing an object information block to said information storage medium, wherein said object information block comprises said first blockid, said (m)th blockid, said (m+1)th blockid, and said ending blockid.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said information storage medium comprises a magnetic tape, further comprising the steps of: 
 writing said first object and said second object between said header label and said trailer label; and    writing said trailer label between said second object and said object information block.    
   
   
       3 . A method to write information to an information storage medium, comprising the steps of: 
 providing (N) objects comprising information;    providing an information storage medium;    providing a information storage device comprising a write head;    removeably disposing said information storage medium in said information storage device;    moving said information storage medium in a first direction but not in an opposing reverse direction;    writing a header label to said information storage medium, wherein said header label comprises an object processing indicator;    writing a trailer label to said information storage medium, wherein said trailer label comprises an embedded object count field;    writing said (N) objects to said information storage medium between said header label and said trailer label such that the (n)th object is written between the (n−1)th object and the (n+1)th object, without stopping said tape storage medium, and without issuing a Back Space File command, and without moving said tape storage medium in the reverse direction, wherein (n) is greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to (N−1).    
   
   
       4 . An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to write information to a tape storage medium, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect: 
 creating one or more objects comprising information;    providing a first one of said one or more objects, wherein said first object comprises a first plurality of individual data files;    providing a second one of said one or more objects, wherein said second object comprises a second plurality of individual data files; providing a tape storage medium comprising a plurality of blockid addresses;    moving said tape storage medium in a first direction;    writing a header label to said information storage medium, wherein said header label comprises an object processing indicator;    writing said first object to said information storage medium beginning at a starting blockid and ending at an (m)th blockid, wherein (m) is one of said plurality of blockid addresses;    writing said second object to said information storage medium beginning at the (m+1)th blockid and ending at an ending blockid, without stopping said tape storage medium, and without issuing a Back Space File command, and without moving said tape storage medium in the reverse direction;    writing a trailer label to said information storage medium, wherein said trailer label comprises an embedded object field count;    writing an object information block to said information storage medium, wherein said object information block comprises said first blockid, said (m)th blockid, said (m+1)th blockid, and said ending blockid.    
   
   
       5 . The article of manufacture of  claim 4 , said computer readable program code further comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect: 
 writing said first object and said second object between said header label and said trailer label; and    writing said trailer label between said second object and said object information block.    
   
   
       6 . An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to write information to a tape storage medium, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect: 
 receiving (N) objects comprising information;    removeably disposing an information storage medium in said information storage device comprising a write head;    moving said information storage medium in a first direction but not in an opposing second direction;    writing a header label to said information storage medium, wherein said header label comprises an object processing indicator;    writing a trailer label to said information storage medium, wherein said trailer label comprises an embedded object count field;    writing said (N) objects to said information storage medium between said header label and said trailer label such that the (n)th object is written between the (n−1)th object and the (n+1)th object, without stopping said tape storage medium, and without issuing a Back Space File command, and without moving said tape storage medium in the reverse direction, wherein (n) is greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to (N−1).    
   
   
       7 . A computer program product encoded in an information storage medium, wherein said computer program product is usable with a programmable computer processor to write information to a tape storage medium, comprising: 
 computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to receive a first object comprising a first plurality of individual data files;    computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to receive a second object comprising a second plurality of individual data files;    computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to removeably dispose in a tape drive a tape storage medium comprising a plurality of blockid addresses;    computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to move said tape storage medium in a first direction;    computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to write a header label to said information storage medium, wherein said header label comprises an object processing indicator;    computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to write said first object to said tape storage medium beginning at a starting blockid and ending at an (m)th blockid, wherein (m) is one of said plurality of blockid addresses;    computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to write said second object to said information storage medium beginning at the (m+1)th blockid and ending at an ending blockid, without stopping said tape storage medium, and without issuing a Back Space File command, and without moving said tape storage medium in the reverse direction;    computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to write a trailer label to said information storage medium, wherein said trailer label comprises an embedded object field count;    computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to write an object information block to said information storage medium, wherein said object information block comprises said first blockid, said (m)th blockid, said (m+1)th blockid, and said ending blockid.    
   
   
       8 . The computer program product of  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to write said first object and said second object between said header label and said trailer label; and    computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to write said trailer label between said second object and said object information block.    
   
   
       9 . A computer program product encoded in an information storage medium, wherein said computer program product is usable with a programmable computer processor to write information to a tape storage medium, comprising: 
 computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to receive (N) objects comprising information;    computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to move in a first direction but not in an opposing second direction a tape storage medium removeably disposed in a tape drive device comprising a write head;    computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to write a header label to said information storage medium, wherein said trailer label comprises an object processing indicator;    computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to write a trailer label to said information storage medium, wherein said trailer label comprises an embedded object count field; and    computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to write said (N) objects seriatim to said information storage medium between said header label and said trailer label such that the (n)th object is written adjacent the (n−1)th object and adjacent the (n+1)th object, without stopping said tape storage medium, and without issuing a Back Space File command, and without moving said tape storage medium in the reverse direction, wherein (n) is greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to (N−1).