Patent ID: 7522359

Claim:
A method for providing the service of providing diagnostic information regarding magnetic tape, for a magnetic tape data storage drive having track following servo apparatus configured to detect and track follow servo tracks on magnetic tape, such that at least one magnetic tape read head and write head may read and/or write data with respect to said magnetic tape as a drive system moves said magnetic tape with respect to said at least one magnetic tape read head and write head; said method comprising the steps of: setting said magnetic tape data storage drive to a write mode, said write mode nominally for operating said at least one write channel and said track following servo apparatus to write data while detecting and track following said servo tracks of a magnetic tape; while nominally in said write mode, deactivating write operation of said at least one write channel; scanning said servo tracks of a magnetic tape in said nominal write mode while said write operation is deactivated; detecting servo errors using criteria of said write mode, said write mode criteria being more critical than criteria used in a read operation; and logging information of said detected servo errors.