Imation Corporation

Tandberg Data Holdings S.a.r.l.

Reference Technology

Chris Mayne

S Christopher Alaimo

Robert Sugar

Neal Glover

Matthew D Bondurant

Randy Glissmann

Kermit Clausen

Embodiments provide systems and methods for storing data on two or more removable disk drives. The two or more removable disk drives are inserted into a modular drive bay having two or more drive ports. Embodiments of the modular drive bay include a switch to redirect operations to a drive port. By arraying the drive ports, the removable disk drives may be replaced without needing to readdress the removable disk drives when new removable disk drives are inserted. Thus, the modular drive bay does not require configuration changes when new removable disk drives are inserted.

Methods for implementation of an array of removable disk drives

An archiving system including one or more removable disk drives embedded in removable disk cartridges, referred to simply as removable disk drives. The removable disk drives allow for expandability and replacement such that the archiving system need not be duplicated to add new or more storage capacity. In embodiments, the removable disk drives store metadata that contain information about the data stored on the removable disk drive. The metadata allows the system to retrieve the correct data from the random access memory and establishes controls on the data stored on the removable disk drive. In embodiments, the metadata is stored in two locations, such that, if the metadata in one location is corrupted, the second copy of the metadata may be retrieved.

Methods for implementation of data formats on a removable disk drive storage system

Data for recordation on a video disc is given multi-redundancy at block, field and group levels. Raw data is filled typically serially row by indexed row of 8-bit words with at least one and preferably 3 words being auxiliary check words derived from the remainder of the data field of the block. Block filling is completed with the addition of preferred Reed/Solomon error-correction redundancy filling two rows for column error detection and correction and two columns for row error detection and correction. Thirty blocks, so prepared, are processed to obtain two redundant blocks, completing a 32-block data field. Writing the data onto the video disc occurs with a three-dimensional diagonal interleave at the field level. After interleave each field is additionally XORd with 62 other fields to create a redundant field. This redundant field plus the 63 data fields comprise a group. The group of fields is written to the video disk so as to maximally spatially separate adjacent fields. Recording occurs via an optical master disc. Stamped replications (video discs) are made from the master disc. Data from the video discs is decoded accordingly.

Error-correction code for digital data on video disc

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Boulder, CO, United States of America

Chris Mayne