Currently:

after each file (file as in 'arbitraty length bytestream provided by the user') the tape hardware writes a File Mark. This helps to verify tape positions both for writing and reading. However, currently it takes too long (several seconds) to write a file mark.

Proposed changes:

• investigate whether writing a file mark could be sped up - 1.5 seconds were seen in measurements whereas current Castor tape servers take about 6 seconds
• see whether we can live without them or lower the frequency they are needed with, eg. by using an internal structure in ArchiveFiles we write instead of directly writing user files

-- AndrasHorvath - 25 Apr 2005