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Tape drive emulation system for a disk drive

Filing Information

Patent Number: US5297124
Application Number: US7874585
Filing date: 04/24/1992
Issue date: 03/22/1994
Predicted expiration date: 04/24/2012

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Inventor(s): Barry Plotkin · Daniel C. Ginsburg ·
Assignee(s): Miltope Corporation · View assignee updates
Attorney/Agent(s): Whitham & Marhoefer ·
Primary Examiner: Tony M. Argenbright ·

U.S. Classifications: 369/32 · 360/48 ·
International Classifications: G11B 7013 ·
International Classifications: 36932 ·
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USPTO · PAIR · esp@cenet · Patent Family
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Abstract

The invention relates to an emulator system which allows a disk drive to transparently emulate a tape drive. The system converts sequential format tape records into block format disk records and visa-versa. Identification and conversion information for each of the data records are stored in directory located on the outermost sectors of the disk. Within each directory are a plurality of entries each containing four fields: TAPE RECORD NUMBER (TRN); DISK START ADDRESS (DSA); WORD COUNT (WC); and FLAG. These fields contain all of the necessary information required to map a tape formatted data record to a disk and thereafter retrieve the data record from the disk and convert it back to tape format.

References Cited

U.S. Patent Documents

Document Number	Assignees	Inventors	Issue/Pub Date
US4727512	Computer Design & Applications, Inc.	Birkner	Feb 1988
US4775969	Aquidneck Systems International, Inc.	Osterlund	Oct 1988
US5034914	Aquidneck Systems International, Inc.	Osterlund	Jul 1991

Other Publications

Mitchell, Jr., "Diskette Load/Dump Control" IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 20, No. 4, Sep. 1977.

Referenced By

Document Number	Assignee	Inventors	Issue/Pub Date
US6260110	EMC Corporation	Douglas E. LeCrone et al.	Jul 2001
US7454529	Netapp, Inc.	Roger Keith Stager et al.	Nov 2008
US5758360	Microsoft Corporation	Mark Zbikowski et al.	May 1998
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EP1593033	Diligent Technologies	Haim BITNER et al.	Oct 2007
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US7359848	Ultera Systems, Inc.	Mohamad Nourmohamadian et al.	Apr 2008
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US7559088	NETAPP, Inc.	Gavin David Cohen et al.	Jul 2009
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US7325159	Network Appliance, Inc.	Roger Keith Stager et al.	Jan 2008
US7437492	Netapp, Inc	Roger Stager et al.	Oct 2008
US7315965	Network Appliance, Inc.	Roger Keith Stager et al.	Jan 2008
US5485606	Conner Peripherals, Inc.	Christopher W. Midgdey et al.	Jan 1996
US6128698	Exabyte Corporation	Steven P. Georgis	Oct 2000
US6389503	Exabyte Corporation	Steve Georgis et al.	May 2002
US7401198	NetApp	Craig Anthony Johnston et al.	Jul 2008
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US7581118	Netapp, Inc.	William P. McGovern	Aug 2009
EP1782216	Prostor Systems, Inc.	Steven P. GEORGIS	Sep 2009

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Independent Claims | See all claims (12)

1. A tape drive emulation system, for allowing a disk drive device, connected to a host computer through a tape drive interface, to transparently emulate a tape drive device, comprising:first recording means for recording a master directory containing a plurality of sequentially numbered entries to an area on a disk, each of said sequentially numbered entries corresponding to a sequentially numbered tape data record, each of said entries containing a DISK START ADDRESS field;converting means for converting said tape data record to a disk format data record; andsecond recording means for recording said disk format data record to said disk starting at an address specified by said DISK START ADDRESS field of said corresponding entry.
8. A method for mapping tape format data records to a disk, comprising the steps of:recording a master directory to said disk, said master directory comprised of a plurality of sequentially numbered entries, each of said entries corresponding a sequentially numbered tape data record;storing a disk start address for each of said tape data records in said corresponding entry;converting said tape data records to disk format data records;writing said disk format data records to said disk at said disk start address stored in said corresponding entry; andsetting a flag within said corresponding entry to indicate a valid data record.

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